The BBC has unveiled a raft of programming on TV and online to celebrate Glastonbury in 2021.
The BBC will bring the magic of Worthy Farm to viewers and listeners, with a musical extravaganza – The Glastonbury Experience 2021 – a celebration of Glastonbury Festival across BBC television, BBC iPlayer, BBC radio and BBC Sounds, from Friday 25 – Sunday 27 June
Highlights will include a popup channel on BBC iPlayer which will stream a mix of classic sets, documentaries and specially curated programmes from Radio 2’s Jo Whiley, Radio 1’s Clara Amfo and 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne. Each day of programming will focus on a different theme at Glastonbury – the 1990s (Friday), the 21st century (Saturday) and Legends (Sunday).
There will also be over 50 full Glastonbury sets from the BBC archives available to watch on BBC iPlayer and over 30 sets to listen to on BBC Sounds from Monday 21 June. This is in addition to individual Live At Worthy Farm performances which will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from Thursday 24 June.
Classic Glastonbury performances from artists including Radiohead (1997), Kylie (2019) and Fela Kuti (1984) – the latter of which has never been shown on TV in its entirety before – will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four across the weekend
There will also be an exclusive 60 minute BBC Two documentary – Live At Worthy Farm: Backstage (w/t) presented by Jo Whiley, which will tell the story of how this once in a lifetime event was put together. This will be followed by Live At Worthy Farm: Highlights (w/t), featuring a selection of performances from the artists who took part in the event
Lorna Clarke, Controller, BBC Pop Music, said: “Summer wouldn’t be complete without a celebration of Glastonbury on the BBC and this year will be no exception. We’ll be making many of the spectacular performances that the BBC and Glastonbury Festival have worked together to capture over the years available across TV, radio and digital platforms.
“I’m also delighted that Emily and Michael Eavis have allowed us to broadcast highlights from Live At Worthy Farm, for listeners and viewers to enjoy whenever they wish and wherever they are.”
Clara Amfo commented: “As a nation of music lovers, Glastonbury is truly a part of our DNA. Whether it’s two or twenty performances, we all have a collection of them seared into our memory from many a previous weekend on this Somerset farm! Sharing some of my personal faves is a real treat and a testament to the hard work from the Eavis family and these brilliant artists.”
Lauren Laverne added: “Bringing the world’s greatest festival into viewers’ homes with the BBC Glastonbury team is pretty much the best job in the world. A close second, however, is being given access to the archive to help curate a selection of performances by some of the many music icons to have graced the Glastonbury stages.
“I’ve got a line-up of legends for your living room on Sunday and I can’t wait to share it with you. See you down the front!”
Jo Whiley said: “Whilst we can’t be together in the fields of Pilton just yet, I can’t wait to go back in time and share a selection of my favourite Glastonbury memories and performances with you all.
“I have incredibly fond memories of the 90s at Glastonbury, so join me on Friday 25 June to relive some of the very best moments from that unforgettable decade. I had a fantastic time at Live At Worthy Farm in May, so I’m also really looking forward to showing viewers exactly what went on behind the scenes.”
More on: BBC iPlayer
