Patchy reception, low battery, limited wifi – this is how you cover a music festival

The culture desk is currently gearing up for Glastonbury next weekend, writes Charlotte Cripps

After two years of cancellations and chaos, festivals are back on track (SWNS)

It’s the UK festival season. I might not be packing my rucksack and heading off to Glastonbury next weekend like many of my colleagues are – but there’s a feeling of jubilation in the air.

After two years of cancellations and chaos due to the Covid-19 pandemic, festivals are back on track. The big hitters, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, are already sold out. The much-loved Secret Garden Party, which returns next month to celebrate its 20th anniversary after closing in 2017, broke record sales when 70,000 fans applied for the 20,000 tickets made available in late September 2021 – they were sold out within minutes.

Festival boss Freddie Fellowes said in an interview he had thought that “after such an isolating grim couple of years there might be some interest”, but “the love and enthusiasm ... has quite taken our breath away”.

It’s not the case across the board, according to the live music industry magazine IQ, which reports that the smaller festivals are struggling with flatlining ticket sales, the cost of rising production costs, the trend for festival-goers to jet off to festivals abroad, and the cost of living crisis. But one thing is agreed – it’s wonderful that we can all enjoy live music again.

The culture desk is currently gearing up for Glastonbury next weekend. Our writers stationed at Worthy Farm are dab hands at writing music reviews on their phones and sending copy across to the team manning the desk back in London, despite well-known “in the field” issues such as patchy reception, low battery and limited wifi. We’ll also be live-blogging the festival.

We’ve already done festival guides – not just covering the UK but also Europe. The Independent has once again partnered with Hertfordshire’s Standon Calling in July, to host the Laundry Meadows stage, where those performing include Self Esteem, Ezra Furman, Dry Cleaning and Bimini.

The great thing is that it’s not about Covid this year, but the music. I might not be camping at Glastonbury next weekend, but I won’t be missing the headline acts, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar, either – I’ll just watch them on TV.

This year, it will feel closer than ever in the comfort of my living room. For the first time the BBC will broadcast sets live from the Glastonbury Pyramid Stage in Ultra HD. I may only be dancing with my two kids without a tent in sight – but what’s wrong with that?

Yours,

Charlotte Cripps

Senior culture writer