Festivalgoers enjoy the sun and warm weather as they attend the Glastonbury festival. Photo: AFP
The UK's biggest music festival is back for 2024.
For five days in June, Worthy Farm in Sommerset will play host to more than 3000 acts, with almost 200,000 people on site for the Glastonbury Festival.
Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will be headlining the festival, while Shania Twain is set to take the Sunday teatime Legends Slot.
The official festival poster reveals an impressive lineup, including James Blake, LCD Soundsystem, Little Simz and PJ Harvey. Kiwi artists Jordan Rakei and DJ Messie have also been invited to play.
It's no wonder the festival has completely sold out - general sale tickets were snapped up within the hour when they were released in November last year, while the most recent run of resale tickets were gone in a mere 22 minutes.
If you've missed out on getting your hands on those golden tickets, worry not - you can still enjoy the UK's coolest festival from your couch in Aotearoa.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Glastonbury 2024.
A festivalgoer plays the guitar around a bonfire during the Glastonbury festival. Photo: AFP
What is Glastonbury?
Glastonbury Festival is a five-day performing arts festival. It's been going on since 1970 and has become a bit of a cultural institution in the UK.
The festival has a multi-stage set up on an open field, meaning a variety of acts can perform at once. Pop, rock, dance, jazz and folk music is big at Glastonbury, as is fringe theatre, drama, mime, circus, cinema, poetry, and all the creative forms of art and design, including painting, sculpting, and textile art.
Glastonbury 2024 is being held from Wednesday 26 June - Sunday 30 June, but the main action will kick off on Friday.
Why is it so special?
Glastonbury was inspired by the ethos of the hippie and the free festival movement. The festival has helped carve the UK's cultural and musical landscape over the decades, having witnessed a lot of creative, social, and political change in the country.
Glastonbury is special in that it's a large-scale production platforming a wide variety of genres and acts; the huge number of stages and performance areas means legendary headliners and more intimate acts have equal space to shine.
Fans at Glastonbury on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Is it the UK's answer to Coachella?
The two festivals are often compared, but they're quite different. Glastonbury is substantially larger than Coachella, and far less manicured. Mud, grime, and more basic camping is the norm in Somerset, unlike the guaranteed sunshine and glamour of California.
In 2023, RNZ's correspondent Ellie Jay reported from the mud-soaked tent zone at Glastonbury.
Jordan Rakei. Photo: supplied
Who are the Kiwi acts performing?
Two New Zealand acts are performing at Glastonbury 2024.
Wellington-based DJ Messie, AKA Tessa Hills, will take the stage this year after a thrilling three months supporting Fred again.. on his massive New Zealand shows. Messie was selected by the UK DJ after she sent him her mix - Fred again.. liked it so much that he invited her to Perth to close out the Australian leg of his tour in front of 35,000 people.
Joining her at Glastonbury this year is New Zealand-Australian soul singer Jordan Rakei. Now based in London, Rakei is preparing to embark on a two-month world tour following the release of his critically acclaimed album The Loop.
How can I watch the festival from home?
UK-based Kiwis can catch all the Glastonbury 2024 action on BBC iPlayer. The broadcaster will also provide its regular livestreams for the five main stages; the Pyramid Stage, Other Stage, Park Stage, West Holts, and Woodsies.
For Kiwis at home, keep an eye on the official Glastonbury Festival YouTube channel for livestream details and updates.
DJ Messie. Photo: @camdoink
Who should I keep an eye on?
K-Pop band Seventeen will make history as the first K-Pop act on Glastonbury's main stage this year. The boyband is made up of 13 members and has sold more than 10 million albums in the last year - the only artist to sell more is Taylor Swift. As Korean pop continues its rise, Seventeen are certainly ones to watch.
Messie is embracing "the opportunity of a lifetime"; the DJ is currently crowd-funding for a documentary crew to go over to Glastonbury and document her rise to fame on a global stage. Messie: A Feature Length Documentary has raised $9460, far surpassing its $7000 goal, thanks to 174 donors.
Jordan Rakei will take the West Holts stage on Sunday from 5pm - 6pm local time (Monday 4am-5am NZT).
Get acquainted with all the acts on Spotify - search 'Glastonbury 2024' for the official playlist.
