Glastonbury: Fallow year confirmed for 2026

Glastonbury will take a fallow year in 2026 to let the land rest, confirmed organiser Emily Eavis in The Sun. 

This follows the 2025 event, for which planning is already underway with potential acts.

The festival, held at Worthy Farm, periodically pauses to allow the cattle farm’s land to recover. The last fallow year was in 2018, with additional breaks in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

Emily Eavis mentioned on the BBC Sidetracked podcast that the fallow year helps the land and cows, and allows everyone to take a break. She also emphasised it prevents the festival from appearing too commercialised.

She also shared that Glastonbury almost ended in the ’90s when her father, Sir Michael Eavis, considered retiring. After his wife’s death in 1999, he decided to continue, with Emily stepping in to help.

The festival recently took place from June 26-30, featuring headline performances by Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay, with Shania Twain in the Sunday “legends” slot.

Other acts included Little Simz, Burna Boy, The Streets, Bicep, Disclosure, and LCD Soundsystem. 

This year’s event faced additional criticism for overcrowding and safety issues, with resident advisor amongst others releasing an opinion piece on the issue and how the festival might adapt to this moving forward.

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Words: James John / Image: Russel McGovern