AROUND 210,000 people are expected to descend on Worthy Farm in Somerset to attend Glastonbury Festival later this week. 

The festival will be held between Wednesday, June 21 and Sunday, June 25 at the farm in Pilton, located between Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet.

Fans who successfully bought tickets for the festival will see the likes of Sir Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, Lizzo, Guns N' Roses and Lizzo perform on the iconic Pyramid Stage.

There are plenty more acts to see across dozens of stages at the 900-acre site, which also boasts campsites, markets, a medical centre and police compound.

How many people attend Glastonbury Festival?

In January, Glastonbury Festival Events Ltd (GFEL) submitted plans to secure the long-term future of the events it holds at Worthy Farm. 

Planning permission was granted in April, allowing GEFL to continue hosting the festival and Pilton Party and use the land for camping events in fallow years.

The application revealed the festival's capacity and showed how many of its attendees are ticketholders or involved in running the event. 

Glastonbury 2022 saw a rise in its capacity for people with public tickets and staff, crew and artists, boosting the maximum attendance to 210,000.

In total, 47 per cent of attendees last year used “sustainable modes of transport”, which the festival says is a “much higher proportion than other large-scale festivals in rural locations”.

Festival organisers estimate this figure would have been 59 per cent had there not been a national rail strike in June last year.

The annual Pilton Party, which is organised as an annual ‘thank you’ fundraising event for local community and festival workers, has a capacity of 7,999.

How many people work at Glastonbury Festival?

When GEFL submitted its planning application, it said: “The economic impact of Glastonbury Festival on both the local and wider community is vast.

“Employing approximately 70 staff and contractors on a year-round basis, at a cost of over £2 million, consistent work is provided for people living in the local area.

“This is in addition to the thousands of paid staff and crew who are involved in building the festival site for months in the run up to the event each year.

“There are also a wide range of opportunities for volunteers to get involved, providing access to the festival without the need to purchase a public ticket.

“Many of these volunteers choose to raise much needed funds for local schools, sports groups and good causes.”

Former County Gazette editor and Glastonbury Festival devotee Paul Jones has written a book charting the first 50 years of the event’s history, featuring the memories and experiences of dozens of artists who have performed at Worthy Farm.

His book, View From The Stage: 50 Years of Glastonbury by the People that Played, has been described as a “brilliant collection of beautifully-written interviews” detailing some of the festival's brightest and quirkiest moments. Interviewees include members of Oasis, Status Quo, Napalm Death and Toploader.

You can buy the book online for £6.50 (including UK P&P) HERE.