The UK’s famed Glastonbury Festival is not letting the coronavirus pandemic get in the way of its plans. The annual festival unveiled its first wave of an extensive lineup that features headliners Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross.
Other notable artists comprising the lineup are Kacey Musgraves, Camila Cabello, Thom Yorke, The Isley Brothers, Cage The Elephant, Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa. 2020 marks the bash’s 50th anniversary, with the celebration set for June 24-28 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, England.
“As things stand we are still working hard to deliver our 50th anniversary Festival in June and we are very proud of the bill that we have put together over the last year or so,” reads an official statement from festival organizer Emily Eavis. “No one has a crystal ball to see exactly where we will all be 15 weeks from now, but we are keeping our fingers firmly crossed that it will be here at Worthy Farm for the greatest show on Earth! As always this is just a taste of what is to come, we plan to announce many more artists and attractions, area by area, over the coming weeks leading up to the full line-up in May.”
The festival’s uncertainty remains in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to the cancellation of major U.S. events including SXSW, Houston Rodeo and Ultra Music Festival, among countless others. April’s Coachella and Stagecoach festivals have been postponed to the fall, while gatherings like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza have remained mum on their 2020 status, insinuating they will take place as originally scheduled.
Glastonbury’s rich history began in 1970 just one day after rock icon Jimi Hendrix died and grew in both popularity and grandeur ever since. It notched a total attendance of just 1,500 festival-goers 50 years ago, while last year’s edition was a 203,000-person affair.
