Anyone get the sense the end of Glastonbury is nigh?

[CaledonianGonzo]

Maybe they're just a little spooked this year after the death threats. I dunno if it's in the public domain what shape or form they took, but you're more than entitled to get the heebie jeebies if someone or someone are wishing you or your family ill.

[stuartbert two hats]

That's a bit of a problem with almost everywhere at the festival now - it's so big and busy pretty much everywhere is at least 15 minutes away.

Although I don't have much love for Silver Hayes either I think if you asked 1000 people what they'd remove to make Glastonbury a little smaller you'd get 1000 different answers.

Well, maybe not 1000 different answers. Everyone seems to have said Silver Hayes on here. But yeah, I never go to the acoustic tent, and some never go to the SE corner or The Park.

[bamber]

I too was at the Eavis Q&A. His own Wife asked him where he got his shirt from the news report was so old.

[eFestivals]

Maybe they're just a little spooked this year after the death threats. I dunno if it's in the public domain what shape or form they took, but you're more than entitled to get the heebie jeebies if someone or someone are wishing you or your family ill.

 

yep, I've thought of that one too - but nothing of that changes via the festival moving, so I don't think that's of much relevance.

 

From the snippet Emily said to my face about death threats I got the impression her shock was about someone going that far rather than any personal fear from it.

[themuel]

So Neil, your feeling on Glastonbury potentially coming to an end is.....?

[paulmuchmore]

In terms of the Festival's ownership, here's what I found.

 

There are several companies involved.

 

Glastonbury Festivals Limited: 

 

Alison Brooksbank 3.54%

Athelston Joseph Michael Eavis 71.7%

Emily Rose Eavis 3.54%

Patrick Michael Eavis 3.54%

A.J.M Eavis Life Interest 17.68%

 

Current Director

 

Michael Eavis (1992 - present)

 

Current Secretary

 

Emily Eavis (1999 - present)

 

Previous Directors

 

Melvin Benn (2002 - 2005)

Jean Eavis (1992 - 1999)

 

Previous Secretary 

 

Jean Eavis (1992 - 1999)

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Then there's Glastonbury Festivals 2015 Ltd. This is the main company where the money flows.

 

Shares are all held by Michael Eavis, 100%

 

Current directors

 

Michael Eavis (2002 - present)

Paul Robert Latham (2012 - present)

 

Current Secretary 

 

Elizabeth Ann Eavis (2002 - present)

 

Previous Director

 

Melvin Benn (2002 - 2012)

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Then there's a third company registered to Michael Eavis. Manorborder Ltd. Its ownership is largely similar to the first company.

 

A.J.M Eavis Life Interest 17.68%

Alison Brooksbank 3.54%

A.J.M Eavis 68.16%

Emily Eavis 3.54%

Patrick Eavis 3.54%

Sandra Lord 3.54%

 

Current Director

 

Michael Eavis (1991 - present)

 

Current Secretary

 

Emily Eavis (1999 - present)

 

Previous Director + Secretary

 

Jean Eavis (1991 - 1999)

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

So what can we read from this? Basically that Emily has no more stake in the ownership of the Festival than the other Eavises, despite her position as secretary in all of the involved companies. We don't know, however, how Michael's shares would be re-allocated if he retires/passes away.

 

Hopefully someone found this post useful

Edited July 4, 2015 by paulmuchmore

[stuartbert two hats]

Fascinating summary of the situation.

[arcade fireman]

It does seem like there's a lot to count against the Festival itself moving site in the near future. Building new offices on the current site, Michael's comments last week, the continued success of the festival.

 

It also seems like this talk of a new festival would make sense given the fact Emily's main passion is events and festivals, as opposed to her father whose biggest passion has always been farming. But it makes much more sense they might want to hold a festival with its own distinct identity but still with the Glastonbury branding elsewhere, rather than move the site of arguably the world's most successful music festival. 

[kingbadger]

The more I think of it, the more this 'new' festival sounds like Emily potentially building upon Silver Hayes and the SE Corner to re-create this on top of the original festival, having seen the success and popularity of Boomtown and the like. In doing so as well this will likely take away a bit of the demand for the main festival, and might even see the removal of Silver Hayes or similar from the main Glastonbury.

 

Just pure speculation entirely, but would seem to make sense.

[frostypaw]

Hopefully someone found this post useful

Fascinating! Good hunting

I suspect however the official roles/structure are merely theoretical. There are names we never hear there, can't help but wonder if they'd mind us looking

[paulmuchmore]

For those interested, the Paul Latham listed as a director of Glastonbury Festivals 2015 Ltd is the Chief Operating Officer of Live Nation and is also involved in Festival Republic and Reading Festival.

[eoJ]

RE Silver Hayes being removed, while I agree that it's a bit overkill, it's a good crowd splitter, which you do need (admittedly, there is Arcadia). I disagree with the comments about nighttime and daytime people, there've been years where I've been in bed by 2:30 AM every night, this year I think 4:30-5:00 was probably the earliest (excluding Wednesday, and possibly Thursday?) with many 6/7AM bedtimes. Sure, I missed the Dalai Lama, but I'd still say I got a fair amount of experiencing the festival in the daytime. You just make up for it with less sleep and eating out instead of at the tent.

 

 

Whilst I take your point, I think you're underestimating what's involved with processing quite so many requests as See get on T-Day.  It's not just the number of tickets sold, or the number of people trying, it's the number of times F5 is pressed. It is rather a lot!

True enough, but I think they have it down now. I'd be surprised if they weren't using some kind of cloud solution, like AWS, especially for a business with so many rapid surges and long lulls. With that, more capacity shouldn't be much more than a flick of a switch.

Edited July 4, 2015 by eoJ

[bamber]

I too was at the Eavis Q&A. His own Wife asked him where he got his shirt from the news report was so old.

 

He also said that he was out partying until 4am Friday  with the Moody Blues at the Dragon Piano Bar, His wife asked him if he'd been to the loo, he told her he hadn't been to bed yet.

Edited July 4, 2015 by bamber

[bamber]

He rang Melvin early morning the week before the festival, He asked him if he was sitting down. Then he he asked him if the Libertines could play. Melvin said "Bloody Hell Michael" Adjunct: I was paying them a lot less than Melvin. It was sorted out within the hour. It all happened because of "friendship"

[august1]

I think not a competing festival but more of a spin off in August time, a smaller family festival with the good bits from the kids, circus, avalon etc, with some new unique ideas. Smaller, easier to get around site but with some of the Glasto spirit. It could see older people/families switch from Glasto, and allow the youth to come through in the main festival to ensure the crowd doesnt die off.  People who missed out go the second fest or someone with dig pockets who wants a second fix a few weeks later.

 

Thats what I'd do anyway...

[stuartbert two hats]

I think not a competing festival but more of a spin off in August time, a smaller family festival with the good bits from the kids, circus, avalon etc, with some new unique ideas. Smaller, easier to get around site but with some of the Glasto spirit. It could see older people/families switch from Glasto, and allow the youth to come through in the main festival to ensure the crowd doesnt die off. People who missed out go the second fest or someone with dig pockets who wants a second fix a few weeks later.

Thats what I'd do anyway...

That sounds lovely and I'd like to go, but... It's sounds like you could fit that in a reduced site on Worthy without having all the associated issues with the neighbours.

[Quark]

That's a bit of a problem with almost everywhere at the festival now - it's so big and busy pretty much everywhere is at least 15 minutes away.

Although I don't have much love for Silver Hayes either I think if you asked 1000 people what they'd remove to make Glastonbury a little smaller you'd get 1000 different answers.

I can honestly say that in 4 visits (check me out with my history!) I've never been to Sonic, Wow, Pussy Parlure or Blues.  The Gully, however, I would really miss.  Not necessarily because it's a great stage in itself (although I do like the layout) but because I really like the kind of music they have there.  But I think someone's already pointed out that it doesn't really fit in with the rest of SH, so if they lost SH and moved Gully elsewhere I'd cope.

 

SE corner is a tricky one, as it does offer a huge variety.  When you think you've got John Fairhurst playing Hell, Crag Charles in Heaven, Nicky Blackmarket in LU and whatever the hell's going on in Glasto Latino, there is a hell of a lot to get rid of if they lost it.

[august1]

That sounds lovely and I'd like to go, but... It's sounds like you could fit that in a reduced site on Worthy without having all the associated issues with the neighbours.

probably, but I think a second festival should do enough to scare off anyone milking the cashcow. I can see the vision being Emily wants to create a festival away from home, a festival that she'd like to take her young family to. And judging by the park she could pull it off

[august1]

how exciting would it be to build a new festival with the backing of Glastonbury/Emily behind it, dream job

[Field Commander Jefferson]

probably, but I think a second festival should do enough to scare off anyone milking the cashcow. I can see the vision being Emily wants to create a festival away from home, a festival that she'd like to take her young family to. And judging by the park she could pull it off

 

Although a lot of families come to Glastonbury as it currently is and have an amazing time

[kerplunk]

I think not a competing festival but more of a spin off in August time, a smaller family festival with the good bits from the kids, circus, avalon etc, with some new unique ideas. Smaller, easier to get around site but with some of the Glasto spirit. It could see older people/families switch from Glasto, and allow the youth to come through in the main festival to ensure the crowd doesnt die off.  People who missed out go the second fest or someone with dig pockets who wants a second fix a few weeks later.

 

Thats what I'd do anyway...

 

Plenty of fests around that already appeal to the older/family crowd. Why should another one have any effect on glasto? Do some people only go to festivals with an Eavis at the helm?

There may well be no glastonbury context to what Emily is planning whatsoever and she just wants to spread her wings a bit . There's a lot of joining of two stories going on - the one about the fest moving/ending/changing and Emily doing something somwhere else but they ain't necessarily related.

Edited July 4, 2015 by kerplunk

[neil999]

woud love a park/Avalon/glade festival

[tHomBleached]

woud love a park/Avalon/glade festival

Unless I'm detecting sarcasm (can never tell on the tinterweb), the latter already exists (though it got cancelled this year) Edited July 4, 2015 by tHomBleached

[5co77ie]

nice to see Glastonbury had a laugh about the housing being built in Dance village (I don't know where this photo was taken)




 

[Purple aki squat]

nice to see Glastonbury had a laugh about the housing being built in Dance village (I don't know where this photo was taken)

I kid you not, I heard a young group discussing the purchase of a flat in all seriousness.