Glastonbury Festival celebrates 40th anniversary of The Green Fields

  • ITV West Country presenter Sabet Choudhury went to find out what makes The Green Fields so special

The Green Fields at Glastonbury Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Over the years, the area has evolved and is often thought of as the "beating heart" of the festival.

At the top of the Green Fields is the Kings Meadow, a dedicated sacred space. At its centre, is the Swan Stone Circle which was created in 1992 and is aligned to the Cygnus star system.

People venture to the tranquil fields to watch the sunrise or sunset, and tune in to the "special energies" of the site.

Throughout the festival there will be peace parades, mass meditations and rituals, performers, dancers, speakers and the chance to get creative with arts and crafts.

The Green Fields area is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Credit: Glastonbury Festival

ITV West Country presenter, Sabet Choudhury, went to explore the Green Fields to find out what makes the area so special.

Walking alongside people hula hooping and doing woodwork, Sabet remarked: "It's unlike anywhere else. It's like calm and chilled carnival."

He then came across a couple who had just tied the knot. Newlyweds, Dave and Charlottte Violet-Sharpe, said Glastonbury Festival holds great significance for them.

Charlotte said: "We got engaged by the Pyramid Stage between Kylie Minogue and Miley Cyrus in 2019. It just made sense to come back here and get married!"

Newlyweds Dave and Charlotte Violet-Sharpe celebrating after getting married in the Green Fields. Credit: ITV West Country

The Green Fields is a haven of creativity, with a whole programme of activities for festivalgoers to take part in.

Mark Wilson, who is from the creative hub Rockaway Park near Bristol, said: "It's always been my favourite part of the festival.

"It's the future that we need. This represents that more than anywhere else.

"It's about belief and tis area represents where festivals originated from, in the fields"

Also in the Kings Meadow, you will find the Peace Garden. A chance for people to sit quietly with nature and listen to the bird song or watch the bats feed.

Flowers and shrubs are planted to bloom in June around the pergola which was built to host the Dalai Lama in 2015.

In the Peace Garden, he gave a message of peace which was broadcast across the world.

As well as it being the Green Fields' 40th anniversary, 2024 is also the year of the dragon which symbolises transformation, growth and balance.

In honour of this special year, organisers are holding a dragon hunt with people encouraged to find the colourful creations throughout the area.