GLASTONBURY: THE GRANDADDY OF THE FESTIVAL GAME

There are festivals, and then there's Glastonbury, the grandaddy of them all. Glasto begins today (6/26) and runs through Sunday. This year's headliners are Dua Lipa (WME), Coldplay (WME) and SZA (Wasserman), with Shania Twain (CAA) in the "legends" slot on the final day.

The main stage opens on Friday, but such acts as MJ Cole, Shygirl and Joy Orbison are getting things started tomorrow at the 1,200-acre Worthy Farm in southwest England—Pilton, Somerset, to be exact, eight miles east of actual Glastonbury—while more than 200,000 punters await entry to the grounds.

Since 1981 the festival has been overseen by local farmer and site owner Michael Eavis, who was joined by his daughter Emily in 1999. In 2002, they sold 40% of Glastonbury to Festival Republic, a company formed by Live Nation and MCD, to manage logistics and security. In 2012, the relationship ended and stewardship of the gathering returned to the Eavises, who are actively involved in acquiring the talent.

Other big names on the bill this year include LCD Soundsystem (WME), PJ Harvey (ATC Live), Burna Boy (UTA), Janelle Monae (WME), Charli xcx (CAA) and Peggy Gou (WME). This is the first appearance for Lipa on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, whereas Coldplay is returning for a fifth time and first since 2016. Lipa and Coldplay’s performances will be the first to be livestreamed globally, on BBC.com.

As it has routinely done over the years to ensure the long-term viability of the site, Glastonbury is likely to pause in 2026, with Emily Eavis recently telling the BBC that her dream headliner would be Kate Bush. That's a hill we'd surely run on up to!

Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Peggy Gou, Charli xcx