The original and still the best – an extraordinary party city, pitched somewhere between Mad Max mayhem, a Nineties rave, a cultural symposium and a pagan rite – all held on the most famous dairy farm in Britain. Has an astounding breadth of music on, although there’s been an increasing focus on the headliners in recent years, as a result of the involvement of the BBC. Adele will obviously be a standout moment this year but the full line-up numbers thousands, covering every style imaginable, and the likes of ZZ Top, Savages, Baaba Maal, Santigold and ELO all raise an excited grin.
Never mind the music: Fabulous fun can be had without hearing a note, notably in the hugely entertaining circus and theatre fields, patrolled by surrealist cricket commentators, gangs of trolls, tea ladies and more. Also there are giant new Mutoid Waste sculptures and spectacular architectural developments in the night fields. At the other extreme, the UK’s poshest fox, Basil Brush, will be up to mischief in the Kidzfield.
Achilles’ heel: Getting a ticket – despite the 180,000 capacity, one of the hardest to get hold of.
22-26th June, Pilton, Somerset
