Overcrowding has become a problem at the smaller Glastonbury stages(Picture: BBC; Reuters)
There is a problem that’s becoming more and more evident at Glastonbury – overcrowding at smaller stages.
With more than 200,000 people descending on Worthy Farm every year to attend the festival, crowds are to be expected.
But in the past few days, it has become clear that the crowds have become dangerous, with some stages being closed off because of high attendance.
On Friday, Sugababes fans were fuming after massive crowds stopped them from seeing the popstars perform.
Many fans were turned away by security in an attempt to stop the show from becoming dangerous.
The band performed at the West Holts stage, one of the bigger stages at the venue. In 2022, the Sugababes performed at the Avalon stage, an even smaller venue that was also overcrowded because of the girl band’s popularity.
The Sugababes played at the West Holts stage on Friday (Picture: Kevin Hayes MET)
In a similar incident, on Friday night, huge crowds arrived to watch Charlie XCX’s DJ set at Levels.
The area was closed off after huge queues formed outside and the stage reached maximum capacity.
The same night, overcrowding at Bicep meant that the act was forced to pause the set and ask the crowd to step back, later halting the set after serious safety concerns.
Bicep said in a statement after the incident: ‘Apologies to everyone that came to see our CHROMA AV DJ Set last night in Block 9.
‘Due to crowd safety concerns our set was paused. We’re sorry to anyone who was disappointed by the situation night, which was completely outside our control. We hope to be able to come and play for you again soon.’
Charlie XCX performed on Friday during the festival (Picture: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
Addressing overcrowding in a statement to The Guardian, Glastonbury said it had ‘a robust, dynamic crowd management plan to protect the safety of its crowds, working closely with all of the relevant authorities, with measures put in place both in anticipation of and in response to crowd movements.
‘Our plans include close monitoring and the ability to pause and stop artists where appropriate, as was the case for Bicep’s set at IICON, where a swift show-stop was managed effectively.
‘Major artists wanting to perform at smaller stages with limited capacities is part of the magic of Glastonbury. This can mean some fans will be disappointed, but our crowd management plan always puts safety first.’
Tonight the headline act is American R&B singer SZA, while country star Shania Twain will play the coveted Legends slot.
Other acts playing on Sunday include: Paloma Faith, Burna Boy, Avril Lavigne, Two Door Cinema Club, who will be performing on The Pyramid Stage and the second largest venue, The Other Stage.
Across some of the smaller stages, acts such as Brittany Howard, James Blake, London Grammar, and The Feeling will be performing.
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