In this article, I am going to talk about the Glastonbury Festival, the iconic event that has been taking place in rural Somerset for over 50 years. As you might expect, having attended the festival since 1990 and currently residing next to it, I have created numerous paintings inspired by “Glasto” over the years.
Surprisingly, the Glastonbury Festival is not actually held in Glastonbury itself, but rather a few miles away in the charming village of Pilton. This small village, with a population of just under a thousand people, embodies the quintessential English countryside. It boasts a beautiful old church, meandering streams, and an abundance of cows, creating a serene atmosphere.
However, during late June, the fields surrounding Pilton undergo a remarkable transformation as they welcome over 200,000 festival-goers who are eager to enjoy themselves. The festival offers a wide range of activities and performances featuring some of the world’s most renowned stars, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Just a small example being:
• Paul Macartney
• David Bowie
• Dolly Parton
• Oasis
• Radiohead
• Rod Stewart
• Neil Young
• Diana Ross
The Cocktail Bus
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I’m a bit of a fan of this cocktail bus and, if your desperate enough for a Tequila Sunrise, you simply won’t notice a half-naked man, in a cage dancing beneath a disco ball on the roof.
The Cinema Tent
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Among the numerous attractions at the festival, there is a cinema tent, one of over 80 stages. While I’ve never had the chance to watch a film there, I did appreciate the nearby shade and took the opportunity to paint it.
The evening is the most enchanting time of day to witness the sunlight casting its golden glow on the countless flags adorning the festival grounds. In this particular view, you can catch a glimpse of the distant expanse of the site and a subtle hint of the perimeter wall.
The Park Stage
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The park Stage in one of my favourite locations. I can’t tell you how many wonderful artists I’ve seen perform here. I worked up the initial ideas on a very tired Sunday afternoon on the last day of the festival. Despite the tiredness, I managed to get that wonderful Somerset landscape in the background too.
Glastonbury-on-Sea pier
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Now let’s delve into something truly extraordinary—a traditional seaside pier situated miles away from the nearest coastline.
This peculiar pier stands firmly on the hillside, complete with vintage arcades and a mix of both traditional and unconventional entertainment offerings. Engaging in the timeless British tradition, you can leisurely stroll along the pier as it almost floats on a sea of tents. The panoramic vistas from the pier are simply breathtaking, especially during the spectacular sunsets.
Capturing the essence of the pier in a painting presented its challenges, but the journey was undoubtedly worthwhile.
Festival Postcards
I was surprised when Festival Postcards approached me and requested permission to print a few of my paintings for their on-site stalls. Naturally, I happily obliged, and there is an undeniable thrill in seeing your artwork immortalised in print. Witnessing people purchase your work and scribble messages on the back, such as “I wish you were here” or (let’s be honest) “Ha ha – I got a ticket and you didn’t,” adds an extra layer of excitement for me.
Furthermore, Festival Postcards provides stamps and a dinky post box for you to send your messages.
For nearly a week, this small Somerset village transforms into a bustling hub, welcoming over 200,000 individuals who revel in an extraordinary experience. However, as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end,” and just as swiftly as it commenced, everything vanishes, returning the land to its pastoral state inhabited by cows and sheep—until the following year.
A few more Glastonbury Paintings
The Market
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You can buy a limited edition print of this painting here
One thing I miss about living in London is that I had takeaway food almost on my doorstep. So it’s paradise for me just once a year to tuck into the very best the world has to offer in takeaway fayre – gone are the days when the choice was merely Hog Roast or Nut Bake – you can get almost anything you want from the acres and acres of stalls on site.
The Tree Cafe
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At the top of The Park Stage, you will discover ‘The Tree Cafe’. It is built in the shade of a vast tree, sells great pizza and has one of the finest views in all Christendom.
The Taps
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If you paint the festival then to my mind you have to paint the ablutions. They are a legend in themselves. I worked on this piece just below the old railway line on the way to ‘The Tiny Tea Tent’. The taps were next to a few rows of ‘drop toilets’ which are to the right of this image.
The smell was unspeakable and nothing was hanging around the toilets for long aside from me and the flies. I have to say however, after 20 minutes or so you hardly notice it and I managed to work away quite happily alongside the general reek.
Avalon Stage
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One of my favourite stages at the Glastonbury festival is the Avalon Stage. So I was most pleased to be commissioned to paint it.
Williams Green Field
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