I am very sad to be the bearer of bad news.

[mr_bizarre]

Considering this was the main place for music on the Thursday night, the 5 day festival 'myth' really does stick in the throat.

I don't know why this has happened, but it is a terrible shame. Last year's festival (music wise) was saved by this tent.

I may apply for a refund.

[The Nal]

Neither BWTUC or Glastonbury wanted to go into details about why the Left Field won't be at Glastonbury 2009. However, there's statements from both the Festival and the Left Field's organiser Geoff Martin in an article here:-

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/081205c.shtml

The article also contains some speculation on next year's headliners.

[eFestivals]

"eFestivals believes that things are close to being finalised"

How close Neil? In your honest opinion, should I add Thunder Road by the Boss on my "Glasto 09 Warm Up CD Im making"?

I strongly believe that headliners will be in place before Xmas.

HOWEVER, my belief that the headliners will include Bruce & Blur is not as strong as my belief over when the headliners will be finalised.

[504329lt]

You'll regret that so much! Get out there and experience another part of Glastonbury and stop being so close minded, no one within The Leftfield would want you to boycott Glastonbury, they to do a lot of work for charity and the community, not going because there is no leftfield is plain stupid and you'll be tarred with the same brush as the people who don't go cos 'they don't like the headliners'

[/quote

Don't think that I spend my whole time in the Leftfield!

It annoys me that this tent may be lost because of money, yet I look at some of the money wasted on bad acts on the Pyramid and Other stages. There is something very wrong in this.

[sifi]

It annoys me that this tent may be lost because of money, yet I look at some of the money wasted on bad acts on the Pyramid and Other stages. There is something very wrong in this.

[Alcatraz]

As a reasonably young person, the Leftfield was the key reason in making me politically active. This is a personal tragedy, and will be for the festival. It's a major recognisable face of the festival that has gone

[DiscoDolly]

Bloody shame bout the leftfield stage!

and as for Springsteen, well i suppose it was bound to happen one day, he doesnt float my boat enough to go watch him.

Is he enough to make the remaining tickets dissapear?, I have no idea how popular he is these days.

[504329lt]

I'm sure somebody out there liked them. Which acts were you thinking of?

[sifi]

James Blunt

[sifi]

Is he enough to make the remaining tickets dissapear?, I have no idea how popular he is these days.

[The Nal]

Bloody shame bout the leftfield stage!

and as for Springsteen, well i suppose it was bound to happen one day, he doesnt float my boat enough to go watch him.

Is he enough to make the remaining tickets dissapear?, I have no idea how popular he is these days.

[mr_bizarre]

James Blunt

[Chazeboy]

This is a bit sad to say the least, It was the place to give people a taste of political views, what they might not experience anywhere else or in "the real world", it will be a bugger now its gone, one of my highlights last year was Frank Turner, any way, reading the quotes from TUC guy, its not as if there wont be anything, just not The Leftfield Tent, so i guess it may be a little silver lining (sp)

Edited December 5, 2008 by Chazeboy

[pedmills]

It would be maybe acceptable to lose the Leftfield stage if they replaced it with things equally as good. But if its money that's the problem then that means they are going to spend less money on its replacements. Unless they get very good value for money that means the festival is going to be losing out.

[Alcatraz]

It would be maybe acceptable to lose the Leftfield stage if they replaced it with things equally as good. But if its money that's the problem then that means they are going to spend less money on its replacements. Unless they get very good value for money that means the festival is going to be losing out.

[eFestivals]

It would be maybe acceptable to lose the Leftfield stage if they replaced it with things equally as good.

around this time last year news leaked out about Lost Vagueness no longer being at Glastonbury and lots of people posted that the festival was ruined, that it couldn't possibly be as good any more. After people had been to Glastonbury 2008, I'm not aware of a single person that felt the festival had been ruined by LV's absence, and very many people commented on how Shangri-La was an improvement on LV.

I'm sure it'll be the same over the loss of the Left Field. Glastonbury is run by people who know how to put on the very best festival, and the loss of one smallish aspect that's only been a part of the festival for a few years and is likely to be replaced by something else doesn't6 destroy what the festival is. It's quite possible - likely even - that the change will lead to the festival being even better.

[Chocscoffer]

I'm also one of the ones that is gutted it won't be back. I never got to experience Billy Bragg there (on my list of must experience!) and Tony Benn. Considering all year round i'm not one of those people who takes time out to look at important issues it was a nice place to go to talk to people without feeling threatened, pressured and made to feel stupid. I had a long chat with Shelter there last year and enjoyed a lot of the quirky bands that were playing there.

They will indeed be missed

As for Bruce Stringbean being a headliner I would welcome this, not as a must see but I think he would put on quite a good show. As long as there was nothing else I really wanted to see then I would certainly like to watch him.

[Peaceman]

I dont think its the same thing this time. Of course there is loads to see, lots of charities benefit and nobody spends the whole festival at Leftfield!

I've been working at the Festival since 1984 and in recent years Glastonbury has been seen as being more commercial. I think Leftfield acted as a balance and grew bigger each year as an alternative to the corporate stuff. In the main part of the festival (that is, not including the Greenfields) its the only section left for politics and in particular for people to be introduced to issues. Without it I think the festival loses a lot. The quality of acts there has increased year on year and it has also given many young people the opportunity to play at Glastonbury.

There is something wrong here and I'm not convinced that its just about money. We may not have heard the last of this yet. I really think this would be a bad move.

[Radar]

You may not like him (I don't particularly like his music) But he's still sold millions of records. Glastonbury is for everyone.

[pedmills]

around this time last year news leaked out about Lost Vagueness no longer being at Glastonbury and lots of people posted that the festival was ruined, that it couldn't possibly be as good any more. After people had been to Glastonbury 2008, I'm not aware of a single person that felt the festival had been ruined by LV's absence, and very many people commented on how Shangri-La was an improvement on LV.

I'm sure it'll be the same over the loss of the Left Field. Glastonbury is run by people who know how to put on the very best festival, and the loss of one smallish aspect that's only been a part of the festival for a few years and is likely to be replaced by something else doesn't6 destroy what the festival is. It's quite possible - likely even - that the change will lead to the festival being even better.

[Chocscoffer]

Was the Lost Vagueness/Shangri La switchover about money though?

[mr_bizarre]

I know this'll sound a bit nasty and I don't desperately like to disagree with you, but - no.

I'm of the opinion that the likes of J. Blunt should never play at Glastonbury.

The reason for this is that Glastonbury is not in my (less-or-more esteemed) opinion a place for people who purchase their music at Tesco's along with a jar of Mellow Birds and half-a-pound of sausagemeat!

_{It appears I have rediscovered my teenage music snobbery...}

[eFestivals]

Was the Lost Vagueness/Shangri La switchover about money though?

nope, but I've been told by someone in the know that the loss of Left Field isn't as given by Mr Bizarre in the first post of this thread, so that might not be about money either (I don't know, I wasn't told what's wrong with what he posted, just that it's wrong). Mr Bizarre has told me that what he's posted is memories from when drunk, so perhaps the errors (whatever they are) are due to his drunkenness.

The point I'm trying to make is that people should hold off forming opinions about this until more is known, about the whys and about what might replace it. I'd be exceedingly surprised if there was no "campaigning" angle to Glastonbury next year (even if a different form), as these sorts of things are very close to Eavis' heart.

[pedmills]

nope, but I've been told by someone in the know that the loss of Left Field isn't as given by Mr Bizarre in the first post of this thread, so that might not be about money either (I don't know, I wasn't told what's wrong with what he posted, just that it's wrong). Mr Bizarre has told me that what he's posted is memories from when drunk, so perhaps the errors (whatever they are) are due to his drunkenness.

The point I'm trying to make is that people should hold off forming opinions about this until more is known, about the whys and about what might replace it. I'd be exceedingly surprised if there was no "campaigning" angle to Glastonbury next year (even if a different form), as these sorts of things are very close to Eavis' heart.

[Joshuwarr]

I know this'll sound a bit nasty and I don't desperately like to disagree with you, but - no.

I'm of the opinion that the likes of J. Blunt should never play at Glastonbury.

The reason for this is that Glastonbury is not in my (less-or-more esteemed) opinion a place for people who purchase their music at Tesco's along with a jar of Mellow Birds and half-a-pound of sausagemeat!

_{It appears I have rediscovered my teenage music snobbery...}