BBC makes huge change to Glastonbury live music coverage affecting millions

The BBC's Director of Music, Lorna Clarke, writes in the Mirror about a big addition to their already extensive coverage of the biggest festival in the UK this year, which will mean even more will get to enjoy it...

This week, over 200,000 people have made their way to the temporary city of Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, but if you couldn't be there, the BBC has a ringside seat to all the action.

Glastonbury is the UK's biggest music festival and we want viewers and listeners to feel as close to being there as possible. From the moment the gates opened live on Lauren Laverne's show on 6 Music on Wednesday, the fun began.

This year we have 10 Glastonbury streams on BBC iPlayer - including our five live streams from the main Glastonbury stages, shot by 64 cameras, including up to 20 for the Pyramid Stage. For the first time, we have The Glastonbury Channel II, bringing viewers a round-up of the unmissable moments from each day of the festival. Music fans can watch over 90 hours of live performances, a huge effort from everyone involved.

Lorna Clarke

This year for the first time, millions of music lovers around the world will be able to watch Coldplay and Dua Lipa live via bbc.com, the first time that there's been a global live stream of performances.

For the second year, Pyramid Stage Signed returns, with sets from Glastonbury's most iconic stage in British Sign Language, ensuring more music fans can experience the magic of Worthy Farm.

Your trusted guides this weekend, whether you're watching on TV, watching or listening on your phone or listening on your smart speaker, include Clara Amfo, Lauren Laverne, Jack Saunders and Jo Whiley. It's a group effort to ensure we don't miss a thing for those at home or on the move, as it's your Glastonbury.

Chris Martin will perform with Coldplay

Dua Lipa

Over the weekend itself, footage is shared between teams so that all those unmissable moments can reach you. This joined-up approach can be seen on camera too. Our presenters might be broadcasting on radio in the morning, appearing on TV or radio later that same day. Almost 50,000 metres of fibre cable is used to join the stages together, plus additional cabling at each stage, which is enough fibre to run around the seven mile perimeter fence four and a half times. The BBC is at its very best at Glastonbury, huge thanks to Emily and Michael Eavis for allowing us to shine a light on their incredible festival.

Following last year's historic show by Sir Elton John, which saw the biggest crowd there's ever been at the Pyramid Stage, I know this year's headliners SZA, Coldplay and Dua Lipa will each bring something special to the weekend.

And the rumours are flying - will Shania Twain come on to the stage on a horse? What surprise guests will appear in whose sets? Of course the biggest topic of conversation is whether there will be rain or shine, but we know millions of viewers and listeners will be enjoying the BBC's homegrown coverage, whatever the weather.