Glastonbury enthusiasts will feel that something is missing this year as the festival takes time off to help the land at Worthy Farm recover. The normally annual festival sees thousands of music lovers and festivalgoers party and pitch tents on its land year after year, which accumulates damage to the ground.
Why Is Glastonbury Not Happening This Year?
Glastonbury Festival is not happening this year because the sprawling Somerset location, which operates as a dairy farm when the festival is not on, needs a break. Spreading over 1,000 acres and boasting over 62 stages in 2023, Worthy Farm's natural landscapes tend to be impacted due to the number of revellers. Every few years, the Eavis family holds a "fallow year," during which they take a break from the festival and give the land a break from visitors.
Glastonbury Festival usually takes a year off every five years. However, the event was also postponed in 2020 and 2021 during Covid, so there was a forced reset. The fallow year is a tradition that helps maintain the sustainability of the site.
What Emily Eavis Says About the Fallow Year
Organiser Emily Eavis previously told the on-site newspaper, Glastonbury Free Press, she had a "huge list of things" to improve the festival ahead of its next iteration. She said: "We're always looking to make it better. The detail is critical. Even just a small touch – like putting a new hedge in – can make a real difference. And that's what fallow years are for: you lay the ground to rest and you come back stronger."
Ms Eavis previously told the BBC's Sidetracked podcast about the importance of rest at the site: "The fallow year is important because it gives the land a rest, and it gives the cows a chance to stay out for longer and reclaim their land. I think it's important, I think it gives everybody time to just switch off and the public as well. Then you kind of go away for a bit and it feels lovely when you come back. And I think it's quite good not to be seen to be cashing in."
When Does Glastonbury Return?
The festival returns in 2027, and tickets typically go on sale in mid-November. Fans will have to wait until then to experience the magic of Glastonbury once again.
