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PILTON, UK – Almost 55 years ago, Michael Eavis opened his Somerset dairy farm for the first of his now-legendary music festivals. But what made that first gathering so unique?
From a dairy farm to a sprawling cultural event, Glastonbury’s roots are as unique as the festival itself.
- Michael Eavis started the festival in 1970 to solve his farm’s financial issues.
- The first festival, known as Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival, had 1,500 attendees.
- Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex headlined the first event after The Kinks canceled.
- the festival has evolved into a cultural phenomenon,promoting music,art,and charity.
- Eavis’s inspiration came from attending the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music.
AlamyWhat motivated Michael Eavis to start the Glastonbury Festival? Michael Eavis said on 18 September 1970, that booking marc Bolan was “the quickest way of clearing my overdraft,” revealing the initial financial motivations behind launching what would become a world-renowned event. The Somerset dairy farmer was interviewed on his farm the day before the festival’s opening.
From Overdraft to Outfields
Eavis’s family had farmed in Somerset for over a century. Born in 1935, the eldest of five, his parents instilled a strong sense of social duty. Even as a child, Eavis loved pop music and was once punished at boarding school for smuggling a wireless to listen to Radio Luxembourg at night.
Despite the demands of dairy farming, Eavis found ways to indulge his passion, playing pop music to his cows during milking.”I invented a sound system, and it was all tied up with string and stuff, and wired it into my player in the dairy and it was fantastic sound. So, I played [The Kinks’ song] Lola to the cows day after day and I really enjoyed it,” he said in 2015.
Did you know? Eavis believed his cows enjoyed the music and that it positively affected their milk yield.
“They do like the music very much,” Eavis said in 1970. “We have it in the stalls and they are used to it. And it seems to be proved to me that it does, in fact, affect the yield because I had a relief milker coming in – I had to do the milking while I was doing the show – and the first day he didn’t want the wireless on, and I was 10 gallons down on production.”
Eavis had been running the farm since he was 19, after his father’s death. Along with Worthy Farm, he inherited a sizable overdraft. “If you are just stuck with a farm and you are scraping along on an overdraft which it is almost impossible to meet the interest for, you’ve got to use your head and think of something else to do,” he said.
The Spark of Inspiration
In the summer of 1970, the release of The Kinks’ single “Lola” coincided with Eavis’s attendance, with his future wife Jean, at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. He was captivated by the event’s atmosphere.
“The Sun was shining, people looked fantastically lovely, mainly hippies in great clothes and flowers in their hair, all that sort of thing, because it was the peak of the flower power era, really. There was a huge anti-Vietnam war crowd, and the songs were so moving. And with my Methodist background and slightly puritanical upbringing, it was such a conversion for me,” he recalled in 2015.
Eavis saw an opportunity to combine his love for music and community while addressing his financial struggles.”And that was it, really. I thought, ‘my God, I’ve got to do this.’ I was quite enterprising, I suppose, and slightly over-confident, I would say. So, I got on the phone the next day to find out the phone number for The Kinks.”
Bolan to the Rescue
Despite having no experience, Eavis booked The Kinks to headline his festival for £500. However, after an article referred to the event as a “new mini festival,” their agent canceled.”He said, ‘What are you talking about, a mini festival? My band is number one across the world.’ So, they cancelled. They didn’t like that,” Eavis said.
To make matters more challenging, the original posters for the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival were already printed. Wayne Fontana, known for his 1965 hit “A groovy Kind of Love,” was also slated to perform but ultimately did not.
Quick fact: The Kinks pulled out of the festival after it was referred to as a “mini festival”.
Then came a stroke of luck. “but the chap said, ‘I’ve got Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus rex and they are going down to Butlins [a UK Holiday resort chain] in Minehead.’ And he said, ‘I’ve looked at the route map and I think that they go by your farm, so could they do it instead?’ And I said that would be fantastic. Bolan was the father figure of the glam rock thing and [he was] a lot more trendy than The Kinks were,actually,and it was fantastic luck.”
Getty ImagesLocal authorities weren’t immediately on board. “Satisfying all the local authorities – the police and the health and hygiene and all the departments – has been the moast arduous aspect of the whole function,” Eavis said in 1970.”The police tried very hard to talk me out of it in the first place. But having agreed to do it, the police realising I wouldn’t change my mind, they’ve been very cooperative since, actually. They’ve been very good.”
The controversy ultimately boosted the festival’s profile. “There was a lot of opposition to start with,it was in the paper and it was all free publicity,and so the whole show was actually publicised for nothing,” he said in 2015. “And Quintessence and all sorts of hippie bands saying could they come and play and everything. And I said, ‘Yeah, come up and join us.'”
Eavis invested heavily in transforming his farm into a festival venue. “We got a nice slope all the way round and we’re having the stage at the bottom, and the power supply to the stage is costing us a packet, and the stage itself is quite a lot of money,” he said in 1970. But he believed his farm was ideal: “It’s a super place for it, it’s absolutely ideal. It’s a kind of a euphoria down hear. You know,it’s away from the awful realities of life. It’s a nice place, the Vale of Avalon, Glastonbury and all the mystique surrounding it. It’s a nice place for it.”
From Pilton to Phenomenon
The Pilton pop, Folk and Blues Festival opened the day after Jimi Hendrix’s death. Eavis recalled that many of the 1,500 attendees were saddened by the news. Entry to the one-day festival cost £1 (equivalent to £13.67, or $18.44 today), and attendees received free milk. The farm’s kitchen served as a dressing room for the bands.
Although the festival didn’t reach the hoped-for 5,000 attendees, word spread, and some people walked from London, believing it was free. “They got to the gate and sort of flaked out at the gate, you know, and they didn’t have any money,” Eavis said in 1970. “And a fellow came up and said, ‘Well, I’ll get an proclamation on the stage and we’ll have a collection for them,’ and in five minutes we had £30.It was absolutely fantastic. So, I let them all in. you couldn’t think of a more unselfish lot of people.”
Financial Realities
Despite the success, the festival didn’t solve Eavis’s financial woes. He paid Marc Bolan in £100 installments from his milk profits for five months. “[I] really thought this might be a way of coping with the overdraft. I was so naive at the time I didn’t realize that it wasn’t all profit. I didn’t make a profit until 11 years later,” he said.
Glastonbury Festival, as it was named in 1979, has since become a cultural phenomenon. It continues to celebrate music, art, and the counterculture ideals of the 1960s. Raising money for charity remains a central mission, and experiencing the festival is now a rite of passage for music fans, with major artists like Radiohead, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, and The Rolling Stones headlining.
Despite not clearing his overdraft initially, Eavis had no regrets. “It was absolutely super.It was worth it. It was worth it for the success. We had people from america and Germany and all over coming and saying,’My God,it was fantastic.’ And it was so nice because I haven’t had
The Evolution of the Glastonbury Experience
The initial failure of the festival to instantly solve Eavis’s financial problems didn’t deter him. Instead, it fueled a slow but steady evolution of the event, transforming it from a small gathering of 1,500 to a globally recognized cultural institution. The early festivals, while not immediately profitable, laid the groundwork for future success by fostering a unique atmosphere and creating a dedicated audience.
One key factor in Glastonbury’s evolution was the development of its infrastructure. As the festival’s popularity grew, so did the need for improved amenities and facilities. The initial reliance on the farm’s kitchen as a dressing room quickly proved inadequate. The addition of proper stages, improved sound systems, and more complete accommodation for both artists and attendees became crucial.This gradual upgrade, though expensive, enhanced the overall experience, drawing in bigger names and larger crowds.
Getty ImagesAnother significant change was the broadening of the festival’s scope beyond its initial focus on pop, folk, and blues. Over the years, Glastonbury has embraced a diverse range of musical genres, including rock, electronic, hip-hop, and world music. This diversification attracted a wider audience and reflected the evolving tastes of music lovers. The inclusion of art installations, theatrical performances, and comedy acts further enhanced the festival’s appeal, transforming it into a holistic cultural experience.
- Infrastructure improvements, like professional stages and facilities, were crucial for the festival’s growth.
- The festival broadened its musical scope, adding genres like rock, electronic, and hip-hop,and world music..
- Art installations, theater, and comedy became integral elements.
- Raising money for charity remained a central mission.
- Sustainability initiatives became increasingly crucial.
The influence of the counterculture movement also played a vital role in shaping Glastonbury’s identity. The festival’s early roots in the 1960s’ ethos of peace, community, and social consciousness were preserved and amplified over time. Glastonbury became an habitat where alternative lifestyles were embraced, and environmentalism was a key focus. The introduction of green initiatives, such as recycling programs and solar-powered stages, reflected a commitment to sustainability that has become increasingly important in recent years.
Charity also became an important mission. Glastonbury has consistently supported a variety of charitable causes, furthering its commitment to social responsibility. This charitable focus, combined with its vibrant atmosphere and diverse programming, solidified Glastonbury’s status as more than just a music festival: it became a cultural institution.
The transition from a financial necessity to a cultural phenomenon is a testament to Eavis’s vision and willingness to adapt. By embracing change,investing in improvements,and remaining true to its core values,Glastonbury Festival has not only survived but thrived,becoming one of the most iconic and influential cultural events in the world.
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