Glastonbury Festival and Festival Republic split

Festival Republic have confirmed that their partnership with Glastonbury Festival has come to an end.

Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn agreed to undertake the licensing and operational control of Glastonbury Festival a decade ago before the 2002 festival, after Glastonbury hit licence problems. Benn held the licence in a personal capacity but his company Festival Republic got a share of Glastonbury Festival (Year) Limited in return for his assistance.

A statement from Festival Republic said,

"Time moves on and now is the time for Michael and the Glastonbury team to pick up the reins again and build for the future. This will then allow Melvin and the Festival Republic team to focus on growing new Festival Republic events and the existing FR owned festivals here in the UK as well as internationally in Ireland, Germany and Norway as well as the time required of Melvin as Chairman of Wembley Stadium."

"The separation has been mutual and cordial and Melvin will oversee the change and the selection of the new Operations Director (yet to be appointed). The Festival Republic interest in GFL 2011 (the operational company of Glastonbury Festival) will be passed on to LNG, Festival Republic's parent company, in a long term arrangement that genuinely secures the future of the Festival. (The Workers Beer Company interest in the same company remains unaffected)."

Melvin Benn spoke more about his departure from the Festival's set up to Music Week in an article (here), saying, "From an operational point of view, myself and my team have taken the Festival as far as I can and it is time for a change I think. It has been a wonderful journey with Michael but Latitude, Berlin, Hove and Electric Picnic, none of which existed in 2002, are my priorities, alongside maintaining Leeds and Reading as the bastions of the festival calendar they are, not to mention my demands at Wembley.

"That said I am committed to ensuring as smooth a handover as possible to the new team in Pilton and enjoying Glastonbury for many years to come as a festival goer myself."

Festival boss Michael Eavis added, "Melvin definitely earned his stripes running the gates for us during the Eighties. This was a difficult time dealing with the closure of Stonehenge, the Battle of the Beanfield and the travellers and my attempts to accept them here at Worthy Farm was exciting but very challenging.

"We both learnt a lot about festivals then, and Melvin and I have managed to put together what is the Glastonbury we have now..

"I'll be sorry to see him go but he has masses of responsibility with all of his shows across the world and now is a good time to part company. I've got just about the best team in the business and Emily and Nick are heading up the next generation to take on more responsibility as well.

"Looking across the farm at the moment I think we were very lucky to choose a good wet year to take out - amazing bit of luck!.

"See you all next year with a very promising line-up."

Glastonbury Festival is taking a year out this year, and would have been happened last weekend - in dreadful weather. The festival will return next year from Wednesday 26th until Sunday 30th June 2013. There are no acts confirmed yet for 2013.

Everyone who plans to the come the Festival must register in advance in order to be able to obtain their ticket, and that includes children aged 13, 14 and 15. All ticket holders (not just the person who purchases the tickets for a group) MUST register in advance so that their ticket can have their photo printed onto the ticket.

Registration does not reserve or guarantee you a ticket, but if you don't register you will not be able to buy a ticket for Glastonbury Festival 2013.

Online registration for 2013 can be carried out by clicking here.

If you have registered to buy tickets to the Festival before, you may well still be registered (you now only need to do it once), but it's advisable that you check your registration now by clicking here. If you can't find it, the best bet is to re-register - much better to get it all sorted not now than to discover your registration has expired on the day of the ticket sale.

You can also now edit the details of your existing registration (for example if you need to change your address) by clicking here.

Tickets will go on sale on Sunday 7th October 2012 at 9am, and eFestivals will have links to buy them then.

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