Glasthomebury: festival fans recreate the spirit of Glastonbury from home

With tents in gardens and spare rooms, and performances from previous events screened on projectors, the cancelled 2020 festival is still being celebrated

Glastonbury fans around the world are recreating the festival at home. 

Glastonbury 2020 was meant to be a celebration like no other. Marking the British music festival's 50th anniversary, this year's event was set to be bigger and better than ever with thousands of acts performing across 79 stages over five days.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the festival's subsequent cancellation, the sentiment remains the same, however. Glastonbury 2020 will still be a celebration like no other, as it is marked from the comfort of music lovers' homes and gardens, nowhere near the beloved grounds of Worthy Farm.

On a normal year, thousands of music fans make their journey to Somerset in south-west England on the Wednesday before Glastonbury weekend. This year they are scattered around the world, preparing to watch archived performances. Some particularly devoted festival fans are even setting up mini-camps at home.

One such fan is Dubai resident Daniel Evans, global head of sales for music consultancy Music Concierge. With his wife Flora Howard, Evans has set up a tent and mini Pyramid Stage in the spare room of his home.

They plan to screen performances from previous years and show films about the festival.

"We're treating it very much as if we're actually going to the festival," Evans told The National. "We've got our fancy dress together and will be trying to replicate some of our favourite meals from Glastonbury's incredible food truck scene. We'll also be Zooming with some friends and family who we'd have seen at the festival."

This year would have marked their third time at Glastonbury. To make up for missing the festival, the couple will be at the 2021 event as all valid tickets remain valid.

“Aside from it being a huge part of our summer anyway, the 2020 festival would have been Glastonbury's 50th anniversary and promised to be a phenomenal celebration of Glastonbury – past, present and future,” Evans said.

“While we recognise that a festival cancellation isn't the most important thing going on in the world right now, we were still disappointed when it was cancelled as it's truly a highlight of our summer.

"Glastonbury is the best mental health repair week, so we decided to try to replicate that as much as possible at home.”

Evans and Howard aren't alone, with people around the world posting their home festival set-ups to social media, using the hashtag #Glasthomebury.

"Recreate that Glastonbury feel at home with a cardboard Pyramid Stage, Hue Light Bulb and an iPad," wrote Twitter user @Sheppyuk.

Others have been making sure their technology works before the big weekend.

With makeshift Pyramid Tents and lighting, people have recreated atmospheric domestic festivals.

Enjoying Glastonbury at home 

Between Thursday and Monday, June 25 to 29, the BBC will be broadcasting online performances from previous years at The Glastonbury Experience on iPlayer.

For international viewers who don't have access to the British streaming platform, performances can be heard on BBC Sounds and there are thousands of sets to watch on YouTube through the BBC Music channel. You can also listen to playlists put together by Glastonbury organisers here.

The festival plans to screen classic Glastonbury performances in full, featuring some of the biggest artists in the history of the festival, including Adele, who headlined in 2016, Beyonce (2011), Coldplay (2016) and Jay-Z (2008). Notably, the screening of David Bowie's 2000 headliner set will be the first time the performance has been broadcast in full on television. Click here to see a full schedule of televised performance times.

"There are so many memorable sets being played across the BBC over what would have been our 50th anniversary weekend," says Emily Eavis, co-organiser of the annual festival.

"Personally, I’m looking forward to a weekend of reflecting on the history of our festival and going back to some classic performances from David Bowie, Adele, REM, Beyonce, The Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Billie Eilish and lots more. Me and my dad will definitely be watching!"