Return of the macs! Glastonbury revellers swap skimpy outfits for raincoats as they brace for deluge TODAY before a very wet weekend at Worthy Farm
Revellers at Glastonbury have endured a wet start to the music festival as they donned raincoats and macs and put up umbrellas in the rain today – one day after dancing around in skimpy outfits in the hot sunshine.
Showers hit the festival in Somerset this morning, with more downpours on the way this afternoon before easing off into the evening – before a risk of heavy rain tomorrow and further showers on Sunday afternoon.
Some showers could also impact the British Summertime festivals at Hyde Park in London featuring Elton John today, the Rolling Stones tomorrow and the Eagles on Sunday – although the Met Office said these will be ‘light’.
Temperatures are expected to remain warm in most areas, sitting in the low 20Cs (low-70Fs) through the weekend for the whole of the UK – but a weather warning is in place for thunderstorms for the North East this afternoon.
Senior Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers said that today will bring showers across North and North East England and South East Scotland, some of which could be heavy with a chance of local thunderstorms.
Festival goers in the rain during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this morning
Festival goers make their way around the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this morning
A group of festival goers avoid the long queue for the showers by setting up their own facilities at Glastonbury this morning
Festival goers make their way around the Glastonbury Festival site in Worthy Farm, Somerset, in the rain this morning
Revellers cheer as The Libertines perform on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm during the Glastonbury Festival today
Festival goers in the rain during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this morning
A group of festival-goers dressed as strawberries walk through the site during day three of Glastonbury Festival today
Festival goers make their way around the Glastonbury Festival site in Worthy Farm, Somerset, in the rain this morning
There will also be some moderate showers across central and southern parts of England into this afternoon with some sunny spells, especially across Scotland and eastern England.
Ms Ayres said: ‘A band of rain will push across Northern Ireland, Wales and southwest England through the afternoon, reaching Glastonbury mid to late afternoon, bringing cooler and breezier conditions.
Police make 11 arrests at Glastonbury so far (but that’s down 85% on 2019)
Police at Glastonbury have recorded approximately 85 per cent less crime so far this year compared to the last festival in 2019.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said this may be because the event has gone largely cashless and attendees are paying using their phones.
As of 11am today, 11 offences had been recorded since the gates of Glastonbury opened early on Wednesday morning, ending a three-year hiatus for the Somerset festival.
Those offences included four incidents of theft, four drug-related offences, one incident of common assault, one incident of criminal damage and one incident of public disorder.
One of the drug-related offences resulted in an arrest.
‘Showers will ease into Friday night and the band of rain will continue north-eastwards bringing some heavy bursts of rain at times.’
Tomorrow, the band of rain will weaken but showers will break out to the West and South West.
Ms Ayres said some ‘could be locally heavy with a risk of local thunderstorms, especially in the south west, therefore risk of some heavy showers for Glastonbury.’
Northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland could see some longer spells of rain, with heavy bursts, while the north and west could experience strong winds with a risk of coastal gales.
For Sunday, Ms Ayres said: ‘Cloudy with outbreaks of rain in the northwest, this becoming more showery later on. Elsewhere a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers, some showers for Glastonbury into the afternoon, these heaviest in the south west.’
Strong winds continue in the north and west with a risk of coastal gales, mainly Northern Ireland, Wales and western Scotland, while it will be breezy elsewhere.
It comes as Billie Eilish will make history when she takes to the Pyramid Stage tonight as Glastonbury Festival’s youngest ever solo headliner.
The weather is set to be dry during her performance, despite the high chance of showers throughout the afternoon.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: ‘It’s going to be a fairly cloudy start to the morning.
‘There is going to be a few showers around but on the light side generally, so a bit of a cloudy, damp start to the day but quite a warm start with temperatures around 16C (61F). It does look like it will get drier and brighter as the morning goes on.
‘There will be a few glimmers of sunshine by the early afternoon but then it looks like into the early evening there is a band of rain that is coming from the west so around 4pm there will be some showery rain that will push eastwards across Glastonbury – but it should clear around about 7pm.
The crowd watch the Libertines on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today
Festival goers in the rain during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this morning
Festival goers walk through the site at the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm in Somerset in the rain today
Revellers cheer as The Libertines perform on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm during the Glastonbury Festival today
Festival goers make their way around the Glastonbury Festival site in Worthy Farm, Somerset, in the rain this morning
Festival goers in the rain during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this morning
A festival goer enjoys the music during day three of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today
The Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, opens with a message from Ukraine today
Musician Pete Doherty signs a fan’s arm at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival today
‘The rest of the evening should be dry. If we get any sunshine it will be around 19C (66F) but compared to yesterday’s 24C (75F) it will be a cooler day.’
Volodymyr Zelenskyy greets Glastonbury fans
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed the crowd at Glastonbury festival with a video message which was played on the big screens at the Other Stage today.
He said: ‘Greetings Glastonbury. The festival resumes this year after a two-year break, the pandemic has put on hold lives of the millions of people around the world, but has not broken. We in Ukraine would also like to live the life as we used to and enjoy freedom and this wonderful summer. But we cannot do that because the most terrible has happened – Russia has stolen our peace.
‘But we will not let Russia’s war break us, we want to stop the war before it ruins people’s lives in other countries of Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America – they are all under threat now. That is why I turn to you for support Glastonbury the greatest concentration of freedom these days and I ask you to share this feeling with everyone who’s freedom is under attack.
‘Spread the truth about Russia’s war, help Ukrainians who are forced to flee their homes because of the war, find our United24 charity platform and put pressure on all the politicians you know to help restore peace in Ukraine.
‘Time is priceless and every day is measured in human lives. The more people join us in defending freedom and truth, the sooner Russia’s war against Ukraine will end. Prove that freedom always wins! Slava Ukraine.’
The message was played ahead of The Libertines stage-opening set.
Grammy-winning singer Eilish, 20, will perform alongside her brother and co-writer, Finneas O’Connell.
The US pop star made her Glastonbury debut in 2019 when she performed on the Other Stage and treated crowds to a string of tracks such as Bad Guy and You Should See Me In A Crown.
In the weeks leading up to Glastonbury, Eilish has played a string of UK and European tour dates and also hosted a climate event, Overheated, at London’s O2 Arena.
She also topped the bill at Coachella in the US in April, bringing out guests Khalid and Damon Albarn for a set that thrilled fans and reviewers.
Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, said her daughter’s history-making set at Glastonbury is ‘definitely amazing but very hard to process at the same time’.
Baird, an actor, screenwriter and former theatre troupe teacher, told The Guardian: ‘It’s a very pinch-me moment. People always ask ‘How do you feel on this momentous day?’ But, as a parent, everything your kid does from the beginning is kind of amazing.
‘I was blown away when she was playing the little club in our tiny area of Highland Park (in Los Angeles). It just stays mind-blowing.’
On the day Eilish headlines Glastonbury, Sir Paul McCartney will be warming up for his headline slot tomorrow by performing at a Somerset music venue.
The surprise gig at the Cheese & Grain entertainment venue in Frome was announced yesterday, with ‘first come, first served’ tickets selling out in under an hour.
Sir Paul will also make history as Glastonbury Festival’s oldest ever solo headliner when he takes to the stage tomorrow.
The festival will see the former Beatle return to top the Pyramid stage bill for the second time after a performance in 2004.
It marks exactly a week after celebrating his 80th birthday and 60 years of music-making.
The music offering this year will also feature Kendrick Lamar headlining on Sunday, with Diana Ross filling the Sunday Teatime Legends slot.
Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said on Friday morning that the festival site is ‘looking amazing’ and ‘so beautiful’.
YESTERDAY – Performers from the Notting Hill Carnival during a parade through the site on day two of Glastonbury yesterday
YESTERDAY – Some Glastonbury fans were spotted wearing daring outfits as they walked around Worthy Farm yesterday
YESTERDAY – Festival goers enjoy the Notting Hill Carnival parade during day two of Glastonbury in the sunshine yesterday
YESTERDAY – Naked festival-goers walk through the crowds during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm yesterday
YESTERDAY – Performers from the Notting Hill Carnival parade through the site during day two of Glastonbury yesterday
YESTERDAY – Festival-goers enjoy the sunshine on the second day of the Glastonbury Festival yesterday
YESTERDAY – Festival goers during day two of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset yesterday
YESTERDAY – A woman in a sequin swimsuit adorned in a large sequin coverup smiles at the Glastonbury Festival yesterday
She told BBC Radio 1: ‘The festival is basically happening now; everybody (has) arrived. There’s 100,000 people here and it’s just absolutely gorgeous. Seeing the valley full of tents and flags and people, it’s exactly how it should be. It’s a really good vibe down here.’
Mel C: Spice Girls would love to play Glastonbury
Melanie C said it would be ‘the dream’ for the Spice Girls to play at Glastonbury next year, adding she has a ‘good feeling’ band member Victoria Beckham would join them.
The 48-year-old singer, who played Spice Girl anthems Who Do You Think You Are and Spice Up Your Life during her Glastonbury DJ set at Williams Green stage yesterday evening, described the experience as ‘insane’.
Mel C plays a DJ set at the Williams Green Stage on day two of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset last night
She told BBC Breakfast: ‘I didn’t expect it to be as big as it was and as many people to be going as nuts as they did, it was a wonderful introduction to Glastonbury.
‘It’s amazing because the wonderful thing about Glastonbury is there is something for everyone, there is so many musical styles and when you drop a Spice Girls song you think: how is it going to go? But people loved it, it was wonderful.’
The singer, known as Sporty Spice, wore an ‘Alexa play Spice Girls’ t-shirt during her DJ set.
Talking about the Spice Girls playing at Glastonbury, she said: ‘It’s the dream, the absolute dream, we would love to do it.
‘The girls and I, we have chatted about it, it’s the biggest stage in the world, we have the best festival in the world right here.’
She added she has a ‘good feeling’ that Beckham, known as Posh Spice, would join them for the gig.
Ms Eavis was speaking as day three of the musical festival dawned on Worthy Farm, where Eilish will make history.
Apart from Eilish, the line-up for the Pyramid Stage on Friday includes Sam Fender, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Crowded House, Rufus Wainwright and Wolf Alice – whose appearance hangs in the balance.
In the early hours of yesterday, the band tweeted to say they were stuck in Los Angeles because their flight had been cancelled.
In the evening they told fans they were waiting for a ‘flight to Seattle’ where they could then go directly to London.
Then this morning, Wolf Alice posted a video on their Instagram story which showed them on a plane, tagging Heathrow Airport, less than seven hours before their Glastonbury performance.
Ziggy Marley is Friday’s first performer of the day, on the Pyramid stage, starting at 12.15pm.
Other acts performing today include the Sugababes on the Avalon Stage, and Foals and St Vincent on the Other Stage, which also features performances today from Kae Tempest and The Libertines.
Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra will also mark their first performance in the UK since their win, with a performance of Shangri-La’s Truth Stage on today’s bill.
Meanwhile the Pet Shop Boys said today that they will bring ‘an element of theatre’ to their headline performance at Glastonbury and will be ‘pulling out all the stops’ on the Other Stage on Sunday.
The pop duo, comprising Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, told Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2 that the secret to having a career spanning four decades is ‘still enjoying it’.
Tennant said: ‘Forty years ago we didn’t really used to tour and now we really enjoy touring and we are looking forward to Glastonbury, the energy level keeps you going.’
Lowe revealed he has a ‘nap room’ with a ‘fully made inflatable bed’ with the turn-around from being fully asleep to being on stage around 15 minutes.
Speaking about their upcoming Glastonbury appearance, Tennant said: ‘We always wanted to bring in an element of theatre, we have worked with a young designed called Tom Scutt, we met him three years ago and then we had the pandemic, and since then he has done the new production of Cabaret but people just look at you in a fresh way, so really you take on someone else’s perspective of you and that helps to keep it fresh.
‘We are pulling out all the stops for Glastonbury, there is going to be someone joining us for one song, it’s actually pretty obvious who it is, it’s quite exciting.’
The duo also revealed they wrote two albums’ worth of songs and a musical during lockdown, adapting the story by Hans Christian Andersen The Emperor’s New Clothes ‘into a Cabaret-type musical’, Tennant added.
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