Musicians won't let it drop at Glastonbury

Musicians at this year's 40th Glastonbury Festival are rallying behind charity WaterAid's Don't Let It Drop campaign to send a message to world leaders ahead of an important UN summit on global poverty this September.

	Image: WaterAid/Philipp Ebeling

The campaign calls on leaders not to let their promises on safe water and sanitation drop and is supported by Michael and Emily Eavis, Faithless, Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, The Cribs, Foals, Joshua Radin, Ricky Wilson and Nick Hodgson from the Kaiser Chiefs, Salif Keita, Emmanuel Jal, The Duke Spirit, Goldie, Amadou & Mariam, and Biffy Clyro.

WaterAid is one of the festival's official charities and the artists appear in a campaign film which will be online and screened at Glastonbury on big screens above the Pyramid and the Other Stage over the festival weekend. Each artist wears a temporary WaterAid tattoo and pledges not to let the issue drop. Festival goers and people at home are encouraged to add their voice to the campaign by signing the WaterAid petition and wearing the specially designed tattoo which will be available at Glastonbury.

WaterAid is holding world leaders to the promises they made ten years ago when they first came together at the UN to agree the Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets to tackle world poverty by 2015. There are just five years to go and targets in Sub-Saharan Africa for water continue to fall behind, but most shockingly the aim of halving the proportion of the world's population without adequate sanitation is almost 200 years behind target.

Festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis said: "We hope everyone at Glastonbury and everyone watching at home signs up to the Don't let it Drop campaign. Water and sanitation are vital in getting people out of poverty and we all need to put our voice behind this message to world leaders."

According to Sister Bliss of Faithless, "These promises have to be followed through with actions. Sanitation and water are so precious, we're so lucky to have them in this country. Imagine for one minute what it's like not to have sanitation or access to clean water where you live, to do all the things you need to do. It's beyond my ken how we can allow this situation to happen."

Corinne Bailey Rae: "I've seen first hand how important water and sanitation are in helping people out of poverty - sign up now to show your support."

WaterAid will be providing Glastonbury goers with new composting toilets in the King's Meadow, the famous women's urinal (the she-pees), as well as handing out water at the WaterAid stand by the Pyramid Stage. The ever popular giant poo and toilet costumes will also be making their annual appearances at the festival.

WaterAid has been an official charity of Glastonbury since 1994 and over this time the festival has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for clean water and sanitation projects for some of the world's poorest communities. In 2006 Michael and Emily Eavis visited WaterAid's work in Mozambique to see first hand the difference that donations from the festival make.

Anyone wanting to sign up to the Don't Let It Drop campaign and view the film can do so at www.wateraid.org/glasto.



Gorillaz, Muse, and Stevie Wonder headline a bill which also includes Dizzee Rascal, Vampire Weekend, Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Orbital, Shakira, Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters, Seasick Steve, Jackson Browne, Faithless, Jack Johnson, Ray Davies, Slash, The Flaming Lips, Hot Chip, Florence And The Machine, and many, many more.

To see the line-up in full, along with the latest rumours for some of the other stages, click here >> or to view it on as a list click here.

The SOLD OUT event will mark the 40th anniversary of the Music and Arts Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, where Michael Eavis first opened his gates for business in September 1970. Glastonbury Festival runs for five full days from Wednesday 23rd until Sunday 27th June 2010 across over a 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside.

eFestivals' Glastonbury World Cup 2010 in support of WaterAid

Once again this summer players, mainly members of the eFestivals forums, are coming together to be part of the England vs The Rest Of The World football match, which which will also be raising funds for WaterAid on Thursday 24th June at the Festival.

Michael Eavis has challenged us to raise £6000 for WaterAid and thus provide enough money to provide the cost of building three water wells. You'll be drinking loads of water at the festival, so why not treat someone else less fortunate than yourself, to the the chance to drink clean water as well.

The event on Thursday 24th June begins at 1pm at the Pyramid Stage field with prematch entertainment from Hobo Jones & the Junkyard Dogs who will be doing a 40 minute set with the World Cup match starting after that. The game will then finish around 3 o'clock when once again Michael Eavis will present the trophy to the winning team.

In conjunction with eFestivals, the Endorse it in Dorset Festival will be providing the half time entertainment for the WaterAid World Cup. Endorse it is already supports several charities and is proud to be able to help out in this Water Aid fundraiser.

To this end they are forming The Endorse it supergroup Wronghorn, featuring members of the following bands - top punk band P.N.U.K., ska supergroup Guns of Navarone, mighty hoedowners The The Boot Hill All Stars & kings of cowpunk Pronghorn. There may even be a certain punk poet/musician joining the throng...

Post match entertainment will be provided by The Supernovas.

You can help us raise money for WaterAid by making a donation at http://www.justgiving.com/glastoworldcup2010.

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