After a fallow year, Glastonbury is set to return next June, with tickets selling out in only 42 minutes. Still at the centre of the music festival zeitgeist, “Glasto” remains one of the biggest events in music... but with tickets costing around £400, is it still accessible for students and young people? And with North Shields own Sam Fender rumoured to be one of the headliners, what could this mean for the North East’s music scene.
Sam Fender headlining Glastonbury would do more than showcase his talent and success, it would inspire the next generation of North East musicians. Fender was discovered playing at North Shields’ Low Light Tavern; his journey would show aspiring artists that grassroots venues can be the beginning of a much bigger career and prove why the industry must invest in these venues. His 2022 critically acclaimed set, which earned a five-star review from The Guardian, proved Fender’s true showmanship and why he deserves the headline bill. With Newcastle being the new home for the Mercury Prize, the region is already gaining recognition from the music industry- and a Sam Fender headline slot at the world’s biggest festival would help put emerging talent on the map.
...Glastonbury can be a life- changing experience....
Research from the University of Bath suggests that attending Glastonbury can be a life- changing experience, and from stories shared across generations, it is easy to see why. From my mum’s memories in the 90s to footage of my friend’s parents in the field, Glastonbury feels almost like a rite of passage. Organiser Emily Eavis has often highlighted the festival’s ability to be a form of escapism and create a sense of community. But for today’s students, that experience comes at a very different price. A ticket costing £65 in the 90s is now around £400, making the festival increasingly difficult to afford. However, schemes such as volunteering with Oxfam or WaterAid offer a potential way in, exchanging work for a ticket and making the festival more accessible to those on a student budget.
Therefore, Glastonbury is still at the top of students’ life bucket lists- mine included. And if Sam Fender does, in fact, headline the Pyramid Stage, it could be a reminder to the music industry that the next big talent could be playing in a pub in the North East right now.
BBC (2019). Emily Eavis - eight things we learned from Emily Eavis’s desert island discs. [online] BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3hsk5TFxtTHGLhl2DGWz6NV/eight-things-we-learned-from-emily-eaviss-desert-island-discs [Accessed 11 Oct. 2026].
Beaumont-Thomas, B. (2022). Sam Fender at Glastonbury 2022 review – unforgettable emotional release. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/24/sam-fender-at-glastonbury-2022-review-unforgettable-emotional-release [Accessed 11 Oct. 2026].
Domb, A. (2025). Glastonbury ticket prices over the years. [online] The Standard. Available at: https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/glastonbury-festival/glastonbury-ticket-prices-over-the-years-b1234873.html [Accessed 11 Oct. 2026].
Prosser, A. (2024). Why go to Glastonbury? Research suggests it could change your life. [online] The University of Bath’s research portal. Available at: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/publications/why-go-to-glastonbury-research-suggests-it-could-change-your-life/ [Accessed 11 Oct. 2026].