Let’s travel together.
Events

Glastonbury Annual Events

By Tom
0

If you are planning on visiting (or avoiding!) Glastonbury for one of the many colourful and interesting events then here is what to look out for.

Many events were hit by COVID so where dates for the next event have not been published check with organiser, or where available the organiser’s web presence, if the event is going ahead and if so on what date, before making plans.

January

February

  • Imbolc (Candlemas) – 1st – 2nd February beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day.
  • Glastonbury Calling – A two-day celebration of music with multiple acts performing across multiple venues giving up and coming acts a chance to perform in front of crowds of music fans.
    WWW: Glastonbury Calling – Facebook

March

  • Spring Equinox (Ostara) – Events at various locations most notably Chalice Well, the Glastonbury Goddess Temple and the Assembly Rooms.

Chalice Well Trust – Events

Glastonury Goddess Temple – Event Calendar

The Assembly Rooms of Glastonbury – Upcoming Events

April

  • Glastonbury Road Run – ‘Round the Tor 10K’ run with 5K and 3K events and a junior school fun run that takes place on the Sunday prior to the Early May Bank Holiday each year.
    WWW: Glastonbury Road Run

May

  • Meglithomania Conference – Conference about megaliths, lost civilisations, and earth mysteries.
    WWW: Megalithomania

June

July

  • Glastonbury Pride – Glastonbury Pride celebrates a day of visibility, spirituality and community cohesion for LGBTQ+ people in the town and beyond with events and quiet spaces in and around the town centre.
    WWW: Glastonbury Pride – Facebook
  • The Glastonbury Symposium – The UK’s leading annual alternative conference covering truth issues, mysteries, new physics, conspiracies, crop circles, consciousness, UFOs, metaphysics, health and spirituality.
    WWW: Glastonbury Symposium
  • Lughnasadh (Lammas) – 31st July – 1st August beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day.

August

  • Glastonbury Extravaganza – A spin-off from the Glastonbury Festival, two acts from the previous year’s Glastonbury Festival perform an open-air concert in the historic grounds of Glastonbury Abbey with an amazing fireworks finale. A good excuse to dress up, have a picnic and a dance on a summer evening.
    WWW: Glastonbury Abbey – What’s On
  • Glastonbury Pilgrimages – Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association Annual Pilgrimage (Anglican) held on a Saturday and the Clifton Diocese Annual Pilgrimage (Catholic) held on the Sunday of the same weekend.
  • History of the Anglican Pilgrimage: On 3rd August 1897, an event unique in the history of England took place within the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. The Bishop of Bath and Wells held a service to which he invited all the Bishops of the English-speaking world to celebrate the thirteen hundredth anniversary of the coming of St Augustine to this country. Over 100 Bishops, 6 Archbishops and around 1000 dignitaries and clergy from the Anglican Church took part in a procession from St John’s Church to the Abbey. It has been said that such an imposing procession was never seen, and probably never will be again in the history of the world.
  • History of the Catholic Pilgrimage: On 12th September 1895, the first religious pilgrimage for 356 years was seen on the streets of Glastonbury. Over 1500 Catholic pilgrims walked from the railway station through the town to Glastonbury Tor where a service was held in honour of the last Abbot of Glastonbury Richard Whiting and the two monks John Thorne and Roger James who were also executed on that fateful day in 1539.
  • RITS Day – Riders In The Sky was formed after popular local Lee Baker was tragically killed in a motorbike accident in 2010 and organise several events to raise money for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. The RITS Day is a day of fun and games and the highlight is a ride out of several hundred motorbikes from Tor Sport and Leisure Centre and adjacent fields.
    WWW: RITS Day – Riders In The Sky and Riders In the Sky – Facebook

September

  • Tor Charter Fair – Glastonbury has a long history of fairs dating back to Saxon times with the first Royal charter granted by Henry I in 1127. It was to last 6 days, 5 before the feast of St Michael, and on the feast day itself. Whilst the traditional fairs are no longer held, the ‘Tor fair’ continues and has evolved in many ways over the years, most notably the location – from the early fairs held on the Tor to St John’s car park where it is held today. Until 1825 a fair was held at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in Fair Field – the first field you enter as you climb the Tor from Wellhouse Lane. In the past Tor fair was a hugely anticipated event, a gathering, a marketplace, a time to meet your first boyfriend/girlfriend and schools would close on fair day (second Monday in September). Today the fair is a shadow of its former self and is great if you want to ride a Waltzer or enjoy hook-a-duck. Tor fair lends its name to the local phrase ‘Tor fair weather’ used the describe the weather between the last day of Summer and Tor fair day when a chill in the air, an earthy dampness that has its own special aroma and cold dewy weather marks the change of seasons.
    WWW: Glastonbury Tor Charter Fair – Facebook
  • Glastonbury Harvest Show / Community Harvest Feast – Highlights the importance of local food and community, and celebrates the joy and benefits of growing your own produce.
    WWW: Glastonbury Harvest Show – Facebook
  • Somerset Art Weeks – Over 300 artists and over 100 artists provide a host of visual arts experiences across the county for 2 weeks.
    WWW: Art Weeks – Somerset Art Works

October

  • Glastonbury Dragons Wild Hunt – The Wild Hunt is a folklore idea occurring across various northern European countries. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by a ghostly or supernatural group of hunters in pursuit. The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves. Held around the same time as Samhain, the Glastonbury version is a pageant featuring the Glastonbury Red and White Dragons and with Gwyn Ap Nudd parading down High Street pursued by the ‘Horde’ and culminates in a battle of seasons between the Dragons, the white represents winter and the red summer. Legend tells how Gwyn Ap Nudd, lives under Glastonbury Tor and emerges around Samhain time to ride with the Wild Hunt across the land, riding with his warriors and hounds. He re-enters his underground home each Beltane before emerging again near to the following Samhain. Gwyn is the King of the Fae, the folk who live under the hill with him and if you enter his realm you need not eat or drink anything offered or you would not be able to leave. The Glastonbury Dragons also emerge from their secret lair underneath Glastonbury Tor for the battle the seasons. Morris dancing, belly dancing, drumming and Druids add to this unique and colourful event.
    WWW: Glastonbury Dragons’ Samhain Wild Hunt – The Guardian and Glastonbury Dragons – Facebook
  • Samhain – 31st October – 1st November beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day – Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31st October to 1st November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice – Events at various locations most notably Chalice Well and on Glastonbury Tor.

November

  • Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival – The first record of an organised procession in Glastonbury was in 1854. The Somerset Carnivals are widely regarded as the largest illuminated processions in Europe and Glastonbury Carnival is one of the best on the circuit.
    WWW: Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival

December

The world-famous Glastonbury Festival is not in fact held in Glastonbury. This festival of contemporary performing arts takes place in the village of Pilton almost 13 km away. What started in 1970 as the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival was rebranded to incorporate the name of the more well-known town.

What’s On In Glastonbury ……

What’s On In Glastonbury

Can you recommend any Glastonbury annual events?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here

image_pdfPrint to PDFimage_printPrint to Printer
Tom

Seasoned traveller who has walked the ley lines of Glastonbury since 2001

Leave A Comment

Your e-mail address will not be published.

css.php
Translate »