Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has admitted that the festival may not be able to return until 2022

The 50th anniversary edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic this year, and Eavis admitted in an interview with ITV News West Country that the event taking place next year is “wishful thinking” due to the capacity of around 250,000 people meaning an outbreak of the virus would be a major concern,

He said: “500 people is ok, isn’t it. But my job – 250,000 altogether – is too many people I suppose, isn’t it really.”

Read this next: "Absolutely not a rave": We partied outdoors in the 'new normal' of coronavirus

Eavis added that he would do everything in his power to make the event go ahead next year if it’s possible to host safely: “I’m still hoping I’m going to be running next year and I’m going to be moving heaven and earth to make sure that we do. But that doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen. That is just wishful thinking really.”

He also assuaged fears about Glastonbury going under following recent comments he made that the festival could face bankruptcy if the 2021 edition doesn’t go ahead, saying: “I do not worry at all. I am so confident that it will survive. The only certainty I think is the year after, 2022, to be perfectly candid. So we might have to wait for two years maybe.

“But I am still hoping and we are fighting and working at it all the time to make sure it happens next year. You can’t kill it off just like that. It will come back. It will come back, probably stronger actually.”

[Via:]

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter

Read this next: Get the best of Mixmag direct to your Facebook DMs

Load the next article