Michael Eavis has insisted that politics still play an important part of Glastonbury鈥檚 identity.
The 89-year-old festival founder was recently interviewed by the Glastonbury Free Press about whether he thinks that the huge-scale music event still stands for something (as reported by The Guardian).
鈥淥h heaven鈥檚 above, yes, of course it does,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I think the people that come here are into all those things.鈥
Michael added: 鈥淧eople that don鈥檛 agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else.鈥
As well as musical performances, this year鈥檚 Glastonbury will include a number of political events.
These will include a talk about 鈥渨hat[鈥檚] next for the Left鈥 by commentators like Ash Sarkar and Gary Younge, as well as a debate about the rise of the 鈥渇ar-right鈥 in our contemporary society with Labour鈥檚 Zarah Sultana.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas will also make an appearance for a discussion titled Saving The Planet But Not Leaving Workers Behind, while Gary Lineker will take part in a panel called Standing Up For 鈥楪etting Along鈥 In A World That鈥檚 Being Pushed Apart.
One of the most talked-about acts at this year鈥檚 Glastonbury will be Kneecap, who are due to appear after one of its members was charged with a terror offence.
Kneecap have long maintained that they鈥檝e been the victims of a 鈥渨itchhunt鈥 and 鈥渟mear campaign鈥 ever since their set at the Coachella music festival in April, where they expressed solidarity with Palestine amid the current conflict in the Middle East, leading the crowd in a chant of 鈥渇ree Palestine鈥 and projecting the message 鈥渇uck Israel鈥 onto the screens behind them.
Days later, it was reported that counter-terrorism officers were assessing a resurfaced video filmed at one of the group鈥檚 gigs that took place five months earlier, during which they reportedly declared 鈥渦p Hamas, up Hezbollah鈥.
It was subsequently confirmed that musician Liam 脫g 脫 hAnnaidh 鈥 better known to Kneecap fans by stage name Mo Chara 鈥 had been charged with a terror offence, for allegedly brandishing the flag of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah, after being handed it by a member of the crowd at Kneecap鈥檚 London show in November 2024.
Kneecap responded: 鈥淲e deny this 鈥榦ffence鈥 and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.鈥
Prime minister Keir Starmer has voiced the opinion it is 鈥渋nappropriate鈥 for Kneecap鈥檚 Saturday afternoon slot to go ahead, to which the group wrote on Instagram: 鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 鈥榥ot appropriate鈥 Keir?! Arming a fucking genocide鈥︹
Michael Eavis鈥 daughter Emily is now one of the event鈥檚 organisers, and shared her take on the Kneecap controversy during an interview on Wednesday morning.