Iconic music festival Glastonbury will “likely” take 2026 off, according to co-organiser Emily Eavis.
The festival takes place on The Worthy Farm, a functioning cattle farm. Glastonbury has to take a “fallow year” every few years, cancelling the festival to allow the land on the farm to rest and regrow. The last fallow year was in 2018, and another one is due soon.
Talking to Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac on their BBC Sidetracked podcast, Eavis confirmed that Glastonbury will likely take the next fallow year in 2026.
“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,” she said. “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.”
In other Glastonbury news, Eavis recently revealed that her dream headliner for the festival is Kate Bush.
In another conversation on the BBC Sidetracked podcast, Eavis said, “Do you know who I would like to get who haven’t had… is Kate Bush. I’d love to have her. I’ve put it out there that I’d love to have her. I hope, one day.”
Unfortunately, Kate Bush is extremely unlikely, as the Wuthering Heights singer has only embarked on two official tours in her career: Tour Of Life (1979) and Before The Dawn (2014).
That hasn’t dampened Eavis’ spirits, though, who continued, “You never know… I mean, Elton was a pipe dream, and it happened.
"But I think you’ve also got to create these new headliners like Dua Lipa. We’re creating this moment for her, and that’s really as exciting as anything.”
Glastonbury takes place later this month, hosting a stellar lineup starring headliners Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA, and Shania Twain.
Coldplay are officially the first act to headline Glastonbury five times (after headlining 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016), Dua Lipa is headlining for the first time, SZA will make her Glastonbury debut, while Shania Twain follows the footsteps of Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton during the Legends slot.
