Emily Eavis has spoken out on Glastonburys’ uncertain 2021 return. According to the Glastonbury organiser, the music festival is “quite a long way” from confirming its 2021 iteration.
Glastonbury 2020 was sadly but necessarily cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This years’ installment was supposed to mark the 50th anniversary of the world famous festival. Glastonburys’ lawyer, Mark Challis, recently said that the event’s 50th birthday will be staged in June 2021 instead.
Emily Eavis, daughter of Michael Eavis, who founded the legendary festival, recently spoke with the BBC about Glastonbury 2021. Eavis relayed that “We’re doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare.”
Unfortunately, the possibility of Glastonbury 2021 is relatively low, according to Eavis. Eavis said: “I think we’re still quite a long way from being able to say we’re confident 2021 will go ahead.”
Eavis continued, saying: “I can’t tell you how much we’d love to welcome everyone back to the farm…It’s been way too quiet here this year and we want to get people back here as soon as we possibly can.” Eavis added: “Obviously the vaccine news in recent weeks has increased our chances. We’re doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare, but there are still just so many unknowns and factors which are completely out of our control.”
Eavis expanded on the financial issues the Glastonbury founders have faced this year: “What we definitely can’t afford to risk is getting too far into the process of next year, only for it to be snatched away from us again. We lost millions this year, and we can’t risk that happening again.”
Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis recently spoke on coronavirus testing, saying that “massive testing arrangements” could be in place for next year’s event. “The testing is going so well now, there could be massive testing arrangements” Eavis said.
Emily Eavis pleaded with the UK government for “direct financial support” for Glastonbury 2021 earlier this month. Despite their reassuring, hopeful statements, Emily and Michael Eavis have said that money is “already getting tight” in the wake of next year’s event.
Naturally, insurers remain cautious to offer cancellation cover. Should Glastonbury 2021 be cancelled, organisers could lose millions in revenue, which Michael and Emily Eavis say is something they simply cannot afford.
Glastonbury was founded by Michael Eavis in the year 1970. Year after year, the music festival extraveganza welcomed some of the biggest and best names in music. Last year, Glastonbury saw The Cure and The Killers serve as fantastic headline acts. The 2020 instalment of Glastonbury was supposed to have the likes of Dua Lipa, Sir Paul McCartney and Supergrass perform. Kendrick Lamar and Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift were also confirmed for the 2020 lineup.
It is unclear whethere these artists will roll over onto the 2021 lineup. We can only hold out hope that the momumental Glasonbury festival will return safely next year.
