This year’s festival is expected to have a political dimension, too, with performances and talks addressing political upheaval, conflict in the Middle East, the climate crisis, and the rise of the far right.
Among the speakers is former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who will take part in a panel called “Standing Up for ‘Getting Along’ in a World that’s Being Pushed Apart”.
He told the festival’s on-site newspaper The Glastonbury Free Press that the talk was inspired by the idea that “everything is done to try and divide us”.
“And I think if people can pull together – because I think most of us are decent human beings – then just a bit more kindness in the world would go a long way at the moment.”
Festival founder Michael Eavis said he stood by the event’s left-leaning ethos – which sees a share of profits go to organisations including Oxfam, WaterAid and Greenpeace.
“I think the people that come here are into all those things,” the 89-year-old told the Free Press.
“People that don’t agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else.”