BBC iPlayer viewers will be able to stream continuous live action from the five main stages from midday until past midnight – letting them see more from home than they would if they were there
Folks will be able to see more of Glastonbury from their sofa than at the festival itself – after the BBC expanded coverage to make it as big as Wimbledon and the World Cup. Jonathan Rothery, the Beeb’s head of popular music for TV, said this year’s Glasto will be getting more coverage on BBC One than ever.
On iPlayer viewers will be able to stream continuous live action from the five main stages from midday until past midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Due to gig clashes and the sheer size of the festival site that means telly viewers can see more performances at home than they would if they were there.
The upscale in coverage comes after BBC chiefs detected all generations were interested in watching the mammoth music bash.
Rothery said of the festival: “It’s a beast. The interest in Glastonbury has extended over time with people wanting more leading into the festival and more after it.
“It’s almost becoming a Glastonbury season now – more akin to a sporting event like Wimbledon or a World Cup. Linear TV is still the main go-to for our broad audience.
“The numbers continue to be really strong which I think is partly to do with Glastonbury becoming our sort of Wimbledon of music.”
Rothery said he put the mounting interest down to an evolution in the festival’s appeal.
“It’s gone from the 1990s, when it was a brilliant festival but had a very specific demographic, to now being a very broad church reflective of everybody,” he said. “It’s multigenerational. Even my dad watches it and he wasn’t aware of it 10 years ago.”
Rothery said mainstream TV would carry full performances and ‘longer sections of sets’ instead of previous bite-sized highlights.
“That is a big shift,” he said. “There is a confidence that we can put a full set out and it will sustain a good audience.
“In the old days to reach a young audience we would normally want to put a young pop star on a stage to reach that demographic. That has totally changed. My 15-year-old daughter is a massive Billy Joel fan and loves the Clash.
“Audiences don’t know or care how long these songs have been around. They are just great songs.”
Headliners at this year’s festival – which starts on Wednesday – include Neil Young, The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo with Sir Rod Stewart performing in the Sunday legend slot.
Tickets for the festival – costing £378.50 – sold out in less than an hour. Re-sale tickets went in 20 minutes.
Bookies reckon revellers could be in for a sticky time with temperatures hitting at least 25C every day – but a 73% chance of rain on Wednesday.
William Hill spokesman Lee Phelps said: “Festival-goers look set to sizzle in 25C temperatures this week but don’t rule out the threat of a sudden downpour.
“We make it even-money that temperatures of 25C or above are recorded at Worthy Farm this week.
“But the festival could get off to a wet start and we’re 4/11 about rain falling on Wednesday.”
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