The line-up for this year's Glastonbury Festival has been officially announced. There is only one place in the world where you would find rock group Radiohead, chart-toppers Sugababes and the ageing Buena Vista Social Club on the same bill.
It is on a dairy farm in Somerset whose owner invited a few hippies onto his land in 1970 and ended up with the most famous rock festival on the planet.
With official confirmation of the line-up, farmer Michael Eavis has proved why Glastonbury is the festival that every band wants to play and every music fan wants to go to.
 REM last played Glastonbury in 1999 |
In its headliners, REM and Radiohead, it has two of the biggest bands in the world. But the event's charm and excitement always lie in the strength and variety of bands that occupy 11 stages for three days.
This year's schedule looks like being one of the strongest for years across the board.
Radiohead, whose new album will have been out for three weeks by the time they play, are bound to be the name on everyone's lips.
It is their first appearance since 1997, when they made the mudbath seem worthwhile.
It was one of the best sets in the festival's history, and Eavis still says it is his favourite festival performance.
REM, meanwhile, have not sustained their mid-1990s success - but are still huge among fans over the age of 25, which seems to be the festival's target audience.
 There are 11 stages to explore - if you can be bothered |
The Sunday headliner, Moby, is capable of producing a classic comedown performance, but it is a disappointment that neither the Rolling Stones nor Prince signed up. That means the Sunday "golden oldie" slot - previously taken by the likes of Rod Stewart, Tom Jones and Tony Bennett - will be vacant after organisers said they could not afford Bryan Ferry.
Other main stage performers range from Jools Holland to reggae legend Jimmy Cliff to De La Soul to crazy Texan rockers the Polyphonic Spree.
But anyone who stays in front of the Pyramid Stage for three days misses out.
As well as the Buena Vista veterans headlining the One World (formerly Jazz) stage, gems from the outer fields include Cerys Matthews and Beth Gibbons on the acoustic stage, Fatboy Slim and The Streets in the dance tent and, for some reason, former Velvet Underground bassist John Cale, 61, headlining the new bands tent.
The only musical style missing is heavy rock because Eavis does not want the safety headaches brought by moshing and crowd-surfing.
So it is a more sedentary, cerebral and mature line-up that will appeal to a more sedentary, cerebral and mature crowd - and the rest can go to Reading.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
