Glastonbury 2002 license submitted

The organisers of Glastonbury Festival have now submitted their license application for 2002, with an increase in license numbers to 135,000.

The Festival was prosecuted for having too many people on site in 2000, and so a complete review – which has taken most of this year - of the organisation and security has taken place. A package of measures has been put together to ensure that in 2002 only ticketed persons are able to gain entry. Unfortunately, the cost of these measures is around £1.5M, and a way has to be found to pay for them.

With more traders per person already on site compared to other festivals, and all acceptable sponsorship & advertising opportunities already exploited to the full, it came down to increasing ticket numbers or an increase in ticket price.

It was felt that a massive increase in ticket price wouldn't work as people wouldn't be able to afford, or want, to pay it, and so it has been concluded that an increase in the number of tickets for sale is the only way to fund these new measures. As the event normally sells out, the extra tickets on sale will satisfy the demand for tickets from those who haven't paid in previous years but decide to come – with ticket! - next year.

If the license is granted the number of tickets for sale will be increased to 100,000 (about 20,000 extra), with the remainder for "staff" (performers, site workers, traders, children, stewards, security etc, etc). Part of the reason for the substantial increase in staff numbers is the extra security, stewards, etc., required to ensure that only persons with tickets are able to enter. An increase is also needed because of a change in the way that the licensing numbers are to work - in previous years the license number was for those on site at any one point: it's now for the total number of access tickets. Around 10,000 of the total numbers won't be on site at any one time. This will mean the ratio of attendance numbers per acre will still be much lower than every other major UK festival.

Without this increase in numbers to fund the extra security measures, it's difficult to see how the Festival could continue. If a license is granted, Michael Eavis plans to hold festivals for four more years, before reviewing the situation.

Supporters of the Festival must tell anyone they know who previously jumped the fence that those days are over. There will be no more festivals if people turn up without tickets. The future of the Festival is in all our hands!

As part of the consultation process for local people, there is a public meeting at the Council Offices on 7th November at 6pm, before the meeting of the Regulatory Board to consider the license application on 29th November.

The Festival – license permitting – will take place on 28-30 June 2002. Tickets normally go on sale in April.

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