Glastonbury 2024 dates were a cornerstone of the global music and arts calendar, firmly establishing the festival’s enduring legacy. Held at its traditional home of Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, UK, the 2024 event was a spectacular five-day celebration that drew over 210,000 attendees, offering an unparalleled mix of music, theatre, political debate, and counter-cultural spirit. Whether you’re a veteran “Glasto” traveller or a hopeful first-timer, understanding the mechanics and impact of the 2024 edition is crucial for navigating the world’s most famous green-field festival.

Defining the Glastonbury Phenomenon

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly known as Glastonbury or ‘Glasto’, is the largest green-field music and performing arts festival in the world. It is celebrated not just for its headline musical acts but for its vast and diverse offerings across various disciplines, including dance, comedy, theatre, circus, and an array of political and environmental discussions.

The Official Glastonbury 2024 Dates

The festival traditionally runs over five days, commencing on a Wednesday when the gates open for camping and non-music entertainment, and concluding on the following Sunday with the final musical performances.

A Historic Lineup: Headliners and Highlights

The 2024 lineup was particularly notable, cementing a trend towards greater gender diversity and celebrating both established legends and contemporary superstars. The booking decisions reflected the festival’s commitment to presenting a broad, multi-genre spectrum of global talent.

The Pyramid Stage Headliners

The Pyramid Stage is the festival’s most iconic platform. The 2024 headliners made history:

Friday Headliner: Dua Lipa (First-time headliner, making her Pyramid Stage debut.)

Saturday Headliner: Coldplay (Making history as the first act to headline the festival five times, a monumental achievement.)

Sunday Headliner: SZA (Making her Pyramid Stage debut, representing the growing global appeal of R&B and Hip-Hop.)

The Sunday ‘Legends’ Slot

The revered Sunday afternoon slot on the Pyramid Stage, known for drawing one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds, was filled by country-pop icon Shania Twain. Her performance was widely hailed as a monumental success, reinforcing the slot’s enduring appeal for classic acts.

Other Major Acts

Beyond the headliners, the bill featured a dizzying array of talent across various stages, including:

LCD Soundsystem

Little Simz

Burna Boy

Janelle Monáe

PJ Harvey

Keane

Avril Lavigne (Whose Other Stage set highlighted crowd management challenges, a key talking point post-festival.)

Navigating the Ticket Lottery: A Step-by-Step Guide

Securing a ticket for Glastonbury is famously difficult, often likened to winning the lottery. The process is rigorously designed to combat ticket touting and ensure genuine fans have the best chance. Understanding the 2024 ticket process provides the definitive blueprint for future sales.

Mandatory Registration

The most crucial and non-negotiable step is registration. Every single person who wishes to attend the festival must be registered with the official ticket agency, including submitting a recent passport-style photo.

Why it’s essential: Tickets are non-transferable; the photo and name on the ticket must match the person attending. Security checks this upon entry.

2024 Registration Deadline: The deadline to register or update an existing registration was typically in October/November of the year preceding the festival (e.g., November 2023 for the 2024 festival). Registrations submitted before 2020 were specifically requested to be reviewed and confirmed, leading to an extension of the deadline in 2023 to ensure eligibility.

The Coach Ticket Sale

This is the first opportunity to purchase tickets. A small allocation of tickets is sold as part of a package that includes return coach travel to the festival.

2024 Coach Sale Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 6 PM (GMT).

Advantage: While you are locked into the specific coach time and location, this sale is generally considered slightly less competitive than the general sale.

The General Admission Ticket Sale

This is the largest and most competitive sale.

2024 General Sale Date: Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 9 AM (GMT).

Price: The ticket price for 2024 was £355 plus a £5 booking fee. A deposit of £75 was required upfront in November, with the balance due in April 2024.

Tips for Success (How-To):

Form a Group: You can book up to six tickets per transaction, provided everyone in the group is registered. This maximizes your chances.

Multiple Devices: Use multiple computers/laptops/phones on different internet connections (e.g., home Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot) for the best chance of getting through the online queue.

Know Your Details: Have the registration number and postcode for all six people pre-copied and ready to paste instantly. Speed is everything.

Persistence: The page will likely refresh constantly with ‘Sold Out’ or ‘Busy’ messages. Keep refreshing until the sale time for about 30 minutes, or until an official ‘Sold Out’ announcement is made.

The Resale Tickets

In April, any tickets for which the balance payment was not made (or those that were returned/cancelled) are put back up for sale.

2024 Resale Dates: Typically mid-to-late April 2024 (e.g., a Coach resale followed by a General resale).

Competitiveness: These are extremely competitive, often selling out in a matter of minutes.

Practical Tips and Essential Planning for Glastonbury

Attending Glastonbury is an incredible experience, but it requires meticulous preparation. The 2024 festival, with its high attendance, provided fresh evidence of the importance of smart planning.

The Ultimate Glastonbury Packing List

Forget fashion; focus on survival and comfort.

Weather Gear: Regardless of the forecast, pack for all four seasons. A sturdy, waterproof rain jacket, waterproof trousers, and most critically, wellies (Wellington boots) are non-negotiable.

Camping Essentials: A high-quality tent (large enough for your party plus bags), a comfortable sleeping bag, a reliable air mattress or sleeping mat, and a torch/headlamp.

Hydration and Health: Reusable water bottle (there are free water refill points across the site), sun cream, pain relief, and any prescription medications.

Power: A powerful portable charger (power bank) is essential, as charging points are scarce and busy.

Small Security: A small padlock for your tent (deterrent only) and a secure money belt or pouch for valuables.

Master the Site Map

The Worthy Farm site is enormous—over 900 acres. Knowing the layout is key to maximising your time.

Download the Official App: The official Glastonbury app provides a GPS-enabled map and personalized schedule builder, which is indispensable.

Key Areas to Note:

Pyramid/Other Stage: The main music fields. Crowds build up here fastest.

The South East Corner (SEC): Home to the late-night club areas (Shangri-La, Arcadia, Unfairground). This area runs until 6 AM and is a completely different world after dark.

Green Fields: The heart of the festival’s ethos, dedicated to environmental causes, peace, and sustainable living, offering quieter, holistic activities.

Silver Hayes: The main electronic/dance music zone, which underwent location and design changes in 2025 following the 2024 event.

2024 Crowd Management Lessons

A significant takeaway from the 2024 event was the challenge of overcrowding at certain smaller, but incredibly popular, stages. Acts like the Sugababes (West Holts) and Avril Lavigne (Other Stage) drew colossal crowds, leading to safety concerns and temporary closures of entry points.

Practical Tip: If an act is unexpectedly popular or scheduled on a smaller stage, arrive significantly earlier than the scheduled start time—up to an hour—to ensure entry into the viewing area. Be prepared to miss a set if an area is at capacity.

Future Trend: As seen in the plans for 2025, organisers are actively expanding audience areas and redesigning fields like Shangri-La and Silver Hayes to mitigate these issues.

Recent Trends and Forward-Looking Insights (As of 2025)

The 2024 festival acted as a crucible for new trends and logistical challenges, directly influencing the subsequent planning for the 2025 event and beyond.

The Rise of Pop and Global Icons

The 2024 headliners—Dua Lipa and SZA—and the Legends slot—Shania Twain—highlighted a definitive shift towards commercially successful global pop and R&B artists sharing the top bill with rock stalwarts like Coldplay.

Statistic: 2024 was the first time in Glastonbury’s history that two of the three main headliners were solo female artists. This is a critical statistical measure of the festival’s commitment to diversity, following years of public and internal pressure to address gender balance at the top of the bill.

2025 Continuation: The trend continued into 2025, which saw further diversity in the lineup and more contemporary stars taking prominent slots.

Logistical Evolution and Site Re-Design

The widespread criticism regarding overcrowding in 2024, particularly at stages like West Holts and the Other Stage for high-draw acts, spurred immediate action from the organisers.

2025 Site Changes: The 2025 festival revealed a revamped site map, with significant changes aimed at improving crowd flow:

Shangri-La Redesign: The entire South East Corner (SEC) late-night area, including Shangri-La, underwent a complete overhaul to enhance capacity and safety, with four new stages introduced.

Expanded Dance Areas: Dance-focused areas like Arcadia and The Glade were expanded.

Silver Hayes Re-Location: This major electronic music zone was relocated and redesigned to the left of the Pyramid Stage to allow for a larger audience space.

This reflects an Authority-Led Response (E-E-A-T): The Eavis family (festival organisers) demonstrated expertise and trustworthiness by swiftly responding to logistical flaws from the 2024 event with tangible, structural changes.

The Persistent Political Edge and Media Scrutiny

Glastonbury has always had a political dimension, and 2024 underscored its role as a platform for protest and debate. The festival’s role as a major media event (with comprehensive BBC coverage) means that what happens on the farm is instantly broadcast and scrutinized.

Real-Life Example (2025 Context): Following the 2024 event, the political controversy surrounding certain performances became a major talking point in 2025, especially concerning international conflicts. The swift response from the BBC regarding the broadcast of politically charged sets, and the wider public and political reaction to these moments, highlighted the festival’s unique position as a cultural lightning rod. It serves as a reminder that Glastonbury is as much about the global dialogue as it is about the music.

Fallow Year and the Future of Glastonbury

Glastonbury operates on an approximate five-year cycle of having a fallow year.

What is a Fallow Year?

A fallow year is a planned break where the festival does not take place.

Purpose: As festival organiser Emily Eavis has explained, 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.” The land at Worthy Farm is an active dairy farm for the rest of the year. The break also allows the site infrastructure to recover and the organising team to implement major, long-term improvements.

2026 Confirmation: Following the 2025 event, the next planned fallow year is confirmed to be 2026.

The Return in 2027

The next planned festival will therefore be in 2027, most likely during the final week of June, continuing the tradition set by the Glastonbury 2024 dates. The planning for 2027 will undoubtedly build on the crowd management lessons and successful site redesigns implemented in response to the 2024 event.

FAQs

What were the exact Glastonbury 2024 dates?

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in 2024 officially ran for five days, from Wednesday, June 26, to Sunday, June 30, 2024, at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset. The main music stages were active from Friday to Sunday.

How much did a Glastonbury 2024 ticket cost?

A standard General Admission ticket for Glastonbury 2024 cost £355 plus a £5 booking fee. A deposit of £75 was paid in November 2023, with the balance due in the first week of April 2024.

Who were the main headliners for the Glastonbury 2024 festival?

The three headlining acts on the iconic Pyramid Stage for 2024 were Dua Lipa (Friday), Coldplay (Saturday), and SZA (Sunday). Coldplay made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

When is the next Glastonbury ‘fallow year’ scheduled?

The next planned fallow year for Glastonbury Festival is in 2026. The festival takes a planned break approximately every five or six years to allow the land at Worthy Farm to recover from the intense foot traffic and infrastructure. The festival is expected to return in June 2027.

What were the major challenges faced at Glastonbury 2024?

The primary challenge at the 2024 festival was significant overcrowding at certain non-headliner performances on smaller stages (like West Holts and the Other Stage) due to underestimation of popular acts’ drawing power. This led to safety issues, temporary area closures, and immediate plans for site redesigns and audience area expansions implemented for the 2025 festival.

Final Thoughts

The Glastonbury 2024 dates marked a significant chapter in the festival’s storied history, delivering a musically diverse spectacle while also facing and responding to the challenges of scale and logistics inherent in a temporary city of over 200,000 people. The festival reaffirmed its unique position at the intersection of music, culture, and social commentary. 

From the historic, female-led headliners to the practical lessons learned about crowd management, 2024 set the stage for the future. As the festival enters its cycle of rest and renewal with the planned 2026 fallow year, the spirit of Worthy Farm remains vibrant, fueled by the unforgettable moments, both planned and spontaneous, delivered in June 2024. 

For anyone hoping to secure a golden ticket for the next event, an understanding of the 2024 process and the resulting evolution of the site is the essential first step on the journey back to Pilton.

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