Published: 08:00 am, 30 May 2024
The BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury is one of the biggest jewels in the BBC’s pop crown and we’re evolving our programming to bring audiences many ways to enjoy the festival across our platforms – it’s their Glastonbury on the BBC.
The BBC, Glastonbury’s exclusive broadcast partner, brings audiences its longest celebration of the festival yet in 2024, with six weeks of build-up and coverage from Monday 3 June – Sunday 14 July across TV, BBC iPlayer, radio and BBC Sounds.
Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music says: “The BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury is one of the biggest jewels in the BBC’s pop crown and we’re evolving our programming to bring audiences many ways to enjoy the festival across our platforms – it’s their Glastonbury on the BBC.
“This year will see the debut of Glastonbury Channel II, a welcome addition to our multiple BBC iPlayer streams, giving viewers a rolling round-up of the key moments from each day.
“We’re also proud that for the second year, Pyramid Stage – Signed returns, with performances from Glastonbury’s most iconic stage in British Sign Language, bringing the Glastonbury experience closer to all viewers.
“This is in addition to over 90 hours of live performances from the five main stages on BBC iPlayer, extensive coverage on TV, 90 hours of radio broadcasts live from the festival, plus much more to discover on BBC Sounds – including Sidetracked by Glastonbury, presented by Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw, which will also be available on BBC iPlayer from the first week of June.
“I would like to thank Emily and Michael Eavis once again for allowing us this exclusive access to Glastonbury, as only the BBC can bring the nation together to enjoy their unique festival.”
Emily Eavis says: “We’re incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with the BBC and always look forward to hearing about the exciting developments in their coverage each year. I’d like to thank Lorna Clarke, Alison Howe and their team for celebrating our festival so brilliantly and for sharing the special spirit of Glastonbury with an audience far beyond these fields. We’re so looking forward to welcoming them back to Worthy Farm in June.”
Broadcasting from Glastonbury to you this year across the BBC’s platforms are: Annie Macmanus, Arielle Free, Cerys Matthews, Clara Amfo, Craig Charles, Danny Howard, Deb Grant, Dermot O’Leary, DJ Target, Emily Pilbeam, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders, Jamie Laing, Jamz Supernova, Jo Whiley, Katie Thistleton, Lauren Laverne, Matt Everitt, Nathan Shepherd, Nick Grimshaw, Sarah Story, SHERELLE, Tom Ravenscroft, Vick Hope, Zoe Ball and more.
New additions for 2024
- Glastonbury Channel II – bringing viewers a round-up of the unmissable moments from each day of the festival, Glastonbury Channel II isBBC iPlayer’s new companion stream to The Glastonbury Channel Live (Friday 28June, 6pm-midnight, Saturday 29and Sunday 30 June, 10am-late).
- Dua Lipa, Coldplay and more share their Glastonbury stories with viewers in new 30-minute specials for BBC Two.
- BBC Sounds’ Sidetracked with Annie and Nick presents a series of weekly Glastonbury specials ahead of the festival from Monday 3 June, featuring interviews with Emily Eavis, Shania Twain and more. Episodes will be available on BBC Sounds and also in vision on BBC iPlayer the same day. There will also be another three Sidetracked programmes broadcast live on the radio home of Glastonbury, BBC Radio 6 Music. Nick and Annie will wrap up with a bonus episode for BBC Sounds, Glastonbury According to Sidetracked, after the event.
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TV & BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, the number one viewing destination for Glastonbury fans each year, will bring audiences over 90 hours of live performances across the five main festival stages – Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodies and The Park - including from Pyramid Stage headliners Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, Shania Twain, as well as Anne-Marie, AURORA, Baxter Dury, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Declan McKenna, Dexys, Ghetts, Headie One, IDLES, James, Jordan Rakei, Justice, Kenya Grace, Kim Gordon, NewDad, Nia Archives, Nitin Sawhney, Nothing But Thieves, Olivia Dean, Otoboke Beaver, Paloma Faith, Remi Wolf, Soccer Mommy, Soft Play, Squid, Tems, The Mary Wallopers, The Vaccines, Yard Act and more.
BBC iPlayer will allow viewers to experience the festival their way, with 10 streams – including the brand new Glastonbury Channel II - across five weeks (Monday 10 June – Sunday 14 July), in addition to over 90 sets and key tracks from the five filmed stages, as well as themed compilations, which will be available on demand for 30 days after broadcast.
This is in addition to extensive coverage on the BBC’s TV channels, which will be presented by Clara Amfo, Jack Saunders, Jo Whiley and Lauren Laverne.
The live streams on BBC iPlayer for 2024 are as follows:
Glastonbury Channel Live – the ultimate guide to Glastonbury returns, with presenters guiding you through the best live performances and highlights, meeting up with special guests and sharing the festival with viewers at home, as it happens (Friday 28 - Sunday 30 June, 12pm-late).
Glastonbury Channel II – new for 2024, this will be the place to catch up on Glastonbury’s most talked about performances and moments every day (Friday 28 June, 6pm-midnight, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June, 10am – late).
Pyramid Stage – Signed –after its success in 2023, Pyramid Stage – Signed returns this year, bringing audiences performances from Glastonbury’s most iconic stage in British Sign Language (Friday 28 – Sunday 30 June, times may vary)
Five live streams from each of the main festival stages - Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park– allowing viewers to choose their Glastonbury experience as if they were there, moving between the five main festival stages at the click of a button. Pyramid Stage sets will also be available to stream live in Ultra High Definition (Friday 28 – Sunday 30 June, times may vary).
Classic Glastonbury Channel – viewers can kickstart Glastonbury early from Monday 10 June with an extensive selection of classic performances from previous festivals. Sets include Elton John’s instant classic headline performance from 2023, Kylie Minogue’s unforgettable Legends slot from 2019, Dave’s famous 2019 performance – including that Thiago Silva moment - on the Other Stage, Ed Sheeran (2017) and Fred again.. (2023), as well as themed compilations and documentaries. Classic Glastonbury continues throughout the weekend itself, until Sunday 30 June, allowing viewers to move between the years as well as the stages.
Glastonbury Highlights Channel – for those wanting to catch up on the sets they missed, or to relive those memorable moments they experienced in the field, Glastonbury Highlights will provide a 24 hour stream, featuring a range of artists from 2024 (Monday July – Saturday 14 July, midnight-midnight).
In addition, Sidetracked by Glastonbury – Annie Macmanus’ and Nick Grimshaw’s Glastonbury specials of Sidetracked for BBC Sounds - will be visualised in full for BBC iPlayer for the first time and available on Mondays throughout June, featuring interviews with Shania Twain, Emily Eavis and more.
On the BBC’s TV channels, coverage begins in the week leading up to Glastonbury, as BBC Two follows the journeys of artists including Dua Lipa and Coldplay, from the first time they set foot on Worthy Farm, right up to performing on the Pyramid Stage this year. Each of the 30 minute episodes will see these artists talk about their Glastonbury stories, alongside archive of their key performances from over the years, as well as some of the other artists they’ve enjoyed. In addition, BBC Two will broadcast Reel Stories: Shania Twain, which sees Shania in conversation with Radio 2’s Dermot O’Leary about her life and career. The channel then opens live proceedings with its first show from Worthy Farm on Thursday 27 June, warming viewers up for the festival and looking ahead at what’s to come.
Also on Thursday 27 June, CBeebies Bedtime Stories kicks off a weekend of Glastonbury specials with Joe Talbot, vocalist of Grammy-nominated band IDLES. From the CBeebies studio, Joe reads The Boy with Flowers in his Hair by Jarvis, a beautifully-illustrated story about friendship. Then throughout the weekend, a host of stars will bring some more CBeebies Bedtime Stories magic from on-site at the festival.
The One Show helps kick off the Glastonbury weekend on BBC One on Friday 28 June (7pm), with a special celebration of Glastonbury through the years, and links up live to the 2024 event.
Following a weekend of performances across the BBC’s TV channels, BBC Two will round up the best of Glastonbury 2024 with a highlights programme.
The full TV schedule from Saturday 22 – Friday 28 June will be announced on Wednesday 12 June and the TV schedules from Saturday 29 June – Friday 5 July will be confirmed on Wednesday 19 June.
Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer is part of BBC iPlayer’s summer of sport and music – the best place to enjoy all the sports and music moments that bring the nation together this summer.
Radio and BBC Sounds
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music – the radio home of Glastonbury and the UK’s biggest digital-only radio station with an audience of 2.5 million listeners (RAJAR, Q1 2024) – extends its celebrations for an extra day this year, hosting All Day Glastonbury from Wednesday 26 June – Monday 1 July.
The station will be broadcasting over 54 hours of live shows from Glastonbury and for the first time, joining forces with BBC Sounds’ Sidetracked, broadcasting three Glastonbury specials of the podcast on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 6-7pm.
On Wednesday 26 June, Lauren Laverne (7.30-10.30am) will be broadcasting live from Worthy Farm as the Glastonbury gates open and festival-goers pour in. Lauren will be speaking to Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, exploring the history of the festival site and hearing from campers who have just arrived. Later, Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant (7-9pm) update listeners on the atmosphere in the fields just before sunset on the first night.
Lauren, Tom and Deb will be back at the same times on Thursday 27 June and joined on Worthy Farm by Craig Charles (1-4pm). The four presenters will be getting listeners in the mood with classic Glastonbury sets, themed playlists, interviews and more.
Elsewhere on the Wednesday and Thursday, Chris Hawkins (5-7.30am), Mary Anne Hobbs (10.30am-1pm), Craig (Wednesday, 1-4pm), and Huw Stephens (4-7pm) will be bringing listeners the spirit of Glastonbury from London, Salford and Cardiff, with a mix of music from this year’s artists and those who have played Glastonbury before, including tracks recorded live at the festival over the years.
On Friday 28 June, following All Day Glastonbury shows from Chris Hawkins (5-7.30am) and Mary Anne Hobbs (7.30-10.30am), 6 Music brings listeners broadcasts from Worthy Farm, as the festival prepares to welcome its first headline acts across the five main stages. The shows are: Lauren Laverne (10.30am-1pm), Jamz Supernova (1-4pm), Huw Stephens (4-7pm), Sidetracked (6-7pm), Tom Ravenscroft & Deb Grant (7-9pm) and Indie Forever with Nathan Shepherd and Emily Pilbeam (9pm-12am).
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June see Amy Lamé (6-8am) and Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie (8-10am) warm up for 14 hours of live-from-Glastonbury coverage each day - including performances, news and interviews - from: Craig (Saturday, 10am-1pm), Cerys Matthews (Saturday, 4-6pm and Sunday, 10am-1pm), Jamz (Saturday and Sunday, 1-4pm), Huw (Saturday, 9pm-12am, joined by SHERELLE for the first hour and Sunday, 4-6pm), Sidetracked (Saturday and Sunday, 6-7pm), Tom & Deb (Saturday, 7-9pm), Matt Everitt & Friends (Sunday, 7-9pm) and Deb Grant (Sunday, 9pm-12am).
On the Monday, the station eases listeners’ post-Glastonbury blues with The Morning After Glastonbury, featuring hours of perfectly curated restorative music, highlights from the weekend, exclusive guest mixes from special guests and more. Music begins at 5am, with Mary Anne Hobbs broadcasting the show live from 7am-1pm.
BBC Radio 1, Radio 1 Dance and Radio 1Xtra
Presenters Arielle Free, Danny Howard and Sarah Story are live from Worthy Farm on Radio 1 and Radio 1 Dance from 6pm on Thursday 27 June. They’ll be warming up for the BBC Radio 1 Dance Takeover on the BBC Music Introducing Stage, which kicks off at 7pm with sets from Radio 1 presenters, as well as a mix of emerging and established DJs that the station loves, and will be simulcast live and in full on Radio 1 and Radio 1 Dance until 11pm.
On Radio 1 on Friday 28 June, Jamie Laing and Vick Hope (1-4pm) roam the farm to bring you all the Glastonbury stories you need to hear.
Later that night (Friday) Arielle, Danny and Sarah are back on Radio 1 and Radio 1 Dance from 6pm, as they get ready for the first Pyramid Stage headliner of the weekend, Dua Lipa, whose set will be broadcast on Radio 1 in a show presented live by Katie Thistleton.
On Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June, Katie Thistleton joins Jamie and Vick on Radio 1 as they explore what’s happening around the site with listeners from 1-4pm each day.
DJ Target’s BBC Radio 1Xtra Takeover of the BBC Music Introducing Stage returns this year on the Saturday and will be broadcast on 1Xtra from 7-9pm. It will feature sets from some of Target’s favourite artists and the 1Xtra family.
From 9pm on Sunday 30 June, Radio 1 and 1Xtra celebrate the final night of the festival together, simulcasting SZA’s Pyramid Stage set across both stations as part of a show presented by BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Nadia Jae, Chuckie and Melvin Odoom.
BBC Radio 2
Shania Twain will share her Tracks of My Years with Vernon Kay from Monday 24 – Friday 28 June (9.30am-12pm) and there will be another chance to hear Elton John’s Pyramid Stage headline show on Saturday 8 June (1am-3am and available on BBC Sounds from early June).
Zoe Ball takes her Radio 2 Breakfast Show - the UK’s most listened-to breakfast show with an audience of 6.6 million (RAJAR Q1, 2024) - to Glastonbury on Friday 28 June from 7-10am, with some special guests in tow, as well as live music from artists who will be performing over the coming days. Plus, Richie Anderson and Tina Daheley will be exploring the site as Glastonbury gets set for its first big day.
Dermot O’Leary takes the Radio 2 reins on the Saturday (3-6pm), chatting to some big name guests, before the station broadcasts Coldplay’s Pyramid Stage set that evening as part of a show presented by OJ Borg from 8pm.
On Sunday 30 June (12-1am and available on BBC Sounds from Sunday 9June), there will be another chance to hear Shania Twain – Still the One, in which Scott Mills introduces a celebration of Shania’s iconic 1997 album Come On Over, featuring interviews with Lewis Capaldi, Kelsea Ballerini and Shania herself.
Later that day, from 5-8pm, Jo Whiley will preview and present Shania’s debut Glastonbury performance on the Pyramid Stage.
BBC Radio 4
Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour will return to Glastonbury for 2024 on Friday 28 June, 10-11am. Anita Rani brings listeners special guests, live music and explores the women behind Glastonbury – including at the new Arrivals stage in Shangri-La – Glastonbury’s first dedicated South Asian space.
BBC Sounds
Glastonbury on BBC Sounds begins in the first week of June and across the month and beyond, brings music fans a range of specials, mixes and live performances they can hear wherever they are and whenever they wish:
Highlights include:
Sidetracked with Annie and Nick - As well as regular episodes every Thursday, there will be a series of Glastonbury-themed specials, called Sidetracked by Glastonbury, available weekly on BBC Sounds and in vision on BBC iPlayer from Monday 3 June. Episodes will see Annie and Nick in conversation with Shania Twain, Emily Eavis and more Glastonbury icons, to get the inside track on all the festival gossip. There will also be three Sidetracked specials, broadcast live on 6 Music from Glastonbury on Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June (6-7pm), with a special guest co-host for Saturday’s show. Plus, a final bonus podcast episode, Glastonbury According to Sidetracked, (available on BBC Sounds from Monday 1 July) will be recorded by Annie and Nick as they make their way back from the main stage to their car after the festival and reflect on the weekend, getting seriously sidetracked along the way.
Back to Back Sounds: Glastonbury – From Monday 17 June, listeners will find a curated selection of Glastonbury-themed podcasts, music mixes, classic performances and programmes which will be updated throughout June and into July, including specials from on-demand music brands including 6 Music’s Morning After Mix, 1Xtra Salutes and 1Xtra’s Throwback Party.
Glastonbury Daily Playlist - Landing every morning throughout the festival, the Glastonbury Daily Playlist will offer a curated selection of live tracks from the most talked-about performances every day, starting on Friday 28 June with a look forward at the artists set to play on the five main stages, and continuing every morning from Saturday 29 June – Monday 1 July.
Over 30 live performances from the 2024 festival will be available to hear on demand over the course of the weekend, building from Friday 28 June.
BBC Introducing
The BBC Introducing Stage opens earlier than ever before this year at 1pm on Thursday 27 June.
Artists performing on the stage over the weekend include: Antony Szmierek, ARXX, August Charles, Chiedu Oraka, Chloe Slater, DEJA, Cousin Kula, FIZZ, GIRLBAND!, His Lordship, Jordan Mackampa, Kingfishr, Letisha Gordon, Lizzie Esau, Maruja, mary in the junkyard, Mary Middlefield, Maya Lakhani, Paris Paloma, Pixey, Sabiyha, The Parallels, Sam Evans, TIANNA and Tors. Plus, there will be a set from one of Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition finalists, Olivia Nelson.
In addition, for the first time, on Thursday 27 June (4.45-6.15pm), the stage will host BBC Introducing Open Deck - an open call for emerging DJs who are attending the festival to jump on the decks and play a set.
Later that night (11pm-2.30am) the BBC Introducing stage presents Celebrating Annie - remembering broadcaster and Radio 1 DJ, Annie Nightingale and celebrating her legacy with sets from DJs she loved and supported throughout her incredible career: Jon Carter (11pm-12am); Plump DJs B2B Krafty Kuts (12-1.30am); and Martha (1.30-2.30am).
There will also be surprise guests on stage throughout the weekend, which will be announced via @bbcintroducing on Instagram and X and on the BBC Introducing chalkboard at the stage itself.
Fans can watch highlights from the BBC Introducing stage on BBC iPlayer and BBC Music’s YouTube channel after the event. BBC Introducing shows from across the UK will be reflecting the action on-air throughout the weekend.
BBC Introducing is a one-of-a-kind platform which supports unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar music talent across the UK.
Since its launch in 2007, there have been more than 1 million tracks uploaded to the BBC Introducing uploader and there are currently over 300,000 registered artists.
BBC Introducing gives up-and-coming artists broadcast opportunities across BBC radio, television and online alongside the chance to perform at major festivals and showcases.
Credits
Glastonbury is commissioned for television and radio by Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music. The BBC’s Glastonbury TV coverage is produced by BBC Studios Music Productions. The Executive Producer is Alison Howe. The Head of BBC Pop Music TV is Jonathan Rothery. The Commissioning Editor for BBC Pop Music TV is Rachel Davies.
About Ultra High Definition
Viewers will be able to watch live performances from Glastonbury in Ultra HD and HDR on BBC iPlayer, the best picture quality they’ve ever been broadcast in. The BBC uses the Hybrid Log-Gamma version of HDR it invented with Japanese broadcaster NHK, which provides improved picture quality to Ultra HD HDR devices and the vast majority of Standard Dynamic Range devices too.
About BBC Pop Music TV
BBC Pop Music TV highlights over the past months have included 60 Songs: BBC Two at 60 (BBC Two); Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music (BBC Two); When ABBA Came To Britain (BBC Two); Highlights from the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival (BBC Four); Texas Live in the Piano Room (BBC Two); RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall (BBC One); and Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Change the World, a landmark four-part documentary series for BBC Two, which charted the history of the genre and which won the Arts prize at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2024. The current series of Later…with Jools Holland continues each Saturday on BBC Two until 22June, featuring performances from Elbow, Ghetts (and guest artist Sampha), The Black Keys (and guest artist Noel Gallagher), Sam Morton, Lainey Wilson and many more.
