Emily Eavis says Glastonbury Festival 'likely to take a year off in 2026'

Emily Eavis has said Glastonbury Festival is likely to take a year off in 2026.

The last official fallow year was in 2018, with a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Speaking to Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw on the BBC's Sidetracked podcast, Eavis said: "We are due a fallow year. The fallow year is important because it gives the land a rest, and it gives the cows a chance to stay out longer and reclaim their land."

“I think it’s important, I think it gives everybody time to just switch off and the public as well.

"Then you kind of go away for a bit and it feels lovely when you come back. And I think it’s quite good not to be seen to be cashing in.”

Glastonbury Festival started in 1970 and has seen rapid growth since. Now the pop-up city comes to life with around 200,000 music fans descending on the site at Worthy Farm each year.

After facing criticism last year for an all-white, all-male headline line-up, this year, the Pyramid Stage line-up has a 50:50 split between male and female artists.

The festival returns on 26 to 30 June with headliners including Dua Lipa, SZA, Coldplay and the likes of Shania Train, Little Simz, The Last Dinner Party and Arlo Parks.

Emily Eavis said she is already looking ahead to potential headliners for 2025.

"We are already talking about headliners, we do it so far in advance", she said.

"Especially if they're American artists planning on touring", she added.

When asked about her dream headliner for the world-famous event, Eavis named the music legend Kate Bush, who has not performed live since 2014.

“I hope it will happen one day. I mean, Elton (John) was a pipedream and it happened, so you never know,” Eavis said.