Emily Eavis confirms Glastonbury is likely to take a year off in 2026

Emily Eavis has said Glastonbury is likely to take a year off in 2026.

Glastonbury returns to Worthy Farm from June 26 to 30, with Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA set to headline. Other confirmed acts include Shania Twain, LCD Soundsystem, Little Simz, The National, Avril Lavigne, The Last Dinner Party, Jungle, Justice, Bloc Party, Fontaines D.C., Yard Act, Arlo Parks and Gossip.

Speaking on he BBC’s Sidetracked podcast, Eavis confirmed that she was thinking of having a fallow year for the Worthy Farm bash in two years time. The last time the festival had an official fallow year was in 2018.

She said: “We are due a fallow year. 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.”

Eavis also went on to explain that the festival almost closed in the 1990s.

The festival organiser claims that her father and founder Michael Eavis was planning to pull the plug when he reached retirement.

She said: “My parents were always like, ‘This is the last one’. Everyone thought it was some sort of stunt to sell tickets but it wasn’t. They were genuinely like, ‘Well, we probably won’t do another.’”

But when Eavis’ wife Jean died in 1999, he vowed to carry on.

Emily Eavis added: “My dad was like, ‘Oh, I think I might need the festival now’. Because they were going to retire and go on long cruises and things like that. My dad was like,
‘Listen, let’s keep it going.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll help you’. Never did I think I’d still be here a few decades on.”

Eavis himself also previously spoke about continuing the festival in 2008.

He said at the time: “We’d agreed we were going to retire. And unfortunately Jean never made it. So I was more determined to carry it on because I didn’t have a girlfriend or anything. And of course all the kids were very keen on it. So it was like my new lady friend in a way, the festival.”

Elsewhere, it was recently confirmed a new area, named Terminal 1, which is described as a “re-purposed airport” that will celebrate migration will be introduced at this year’s event.

The full line-up, complete with stage times and day splits was also recently revealed. You can plan your full weekend here.

For those not lucky enough to secure a ticket this year, the BBC have outlined their plans for television, radio and online coverage, which you can explore here.