Glastonbury Festival organisers have released the line-up poster for Woodsies, set to be a centrepiece for the festival’s summer solstice celebrations. Taking its name from the Worthy Farm fields it will occupy, the renaming is claimed to be unrelated to a petition to remove John Peel’s name from the stage amid the furore over his sexual relations with girls then aged 13 and 15.
The organisers explained, “In 2023, the summer solstice falls on the opening Wednesday of Glastonbury Festival and the sun will set at its highest azimuth in the North West right over this brand new area”. The Woodsies area will feature bars, cafes, decor, a campfire, installations and aerial walkways, making it an inviting alternative for festival-goers to explore throughout the day and after the main stages close.
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Emily Eavis told the Guardian the renaming has nothing to do with a petition which called for the stage to be renamed following a series of allegations about the former BBC Radio 1 presenter. She said: “I haven’t got involved in that because it’s not our area. We’ve had 20 years of John Peel and it’s been an honour to use his name. We’ve had a really good relationship with the Peel family and everyone’s on board.”
The Woodsies Stage, despite its new name, promises to continue the tradition of its predecessor, offering the same “raucous, effervescent and gloriously sweaty vibes” as when it was known as the John Peel and the New Bands Tent. The line-up ranges from new acts such as Ukrainian female rockers The Sixsters, to well-established bands like the eclectic French pop-rock heroes Phoenix.
Away from the main stage, areas including the Wicket Ground campsites, Webbs Ash, Spring Ground and Michael’s Mead will host a variety of entertainment, including cabaret and burlesque shows. The Once in a Blue Moon Cafe and Tolpuddle Bar will provide late-night entertainment, offering a mix of rare grooves, world and acoustic sounds, with the backdrop of a feathered Mexican ritual solstice celebration.
According to the press release, attendees can enjoy the view of Glastonbury Tor and Woodsies Main Stage from the ship-shaped platform ‘Union Castle’, named after the ship that took festival founder Michael Eavis on his seafaring adventures.
In keeping with the festival’s commitment to nature, organisers have planted more than 1,000 new trees in the Woodsies area. “We want to recreate a 300-year-old Oak tree as a symbolic totem to our connection with nature and the wild spirit of place”, Glastonbury organisers said.
The Mexican travelling troupe Xicome will bless the Woodsies site on solstice eve and will perform their ritual concert The Call Of Quetzalcoatl. Circus Caravan Of Lost Souls will also contribute to the vibrant atmosphere with walkabout, fireshows, music, busking and performance burlesque.
Festival founder Michael Eavis will officially open the new area at midday on the summer solstice, making it an auspicious start for this year’s Glastonbury festivities. As the organisers stated, “So that’s Woodsies. And we can’t wait to see you there.”
Image credits:
Anna Barclay
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