A Midsummer Night’s Dance

Suzanne Mordue

Do you celebrate the summer solstice， the longest day of the year？ In the northern hemisphere， it falls on 21 June. It means that summer has arrived and it’s celebrated by different cultures all over the world. For the last 40 years a farmer in England has arranged a special celebration on his farm.

Each June thousands of people travel to a field six miles from Glastonbury， a small town in the south-west of England. That weekend the local population grows from about 10，000 to over 185，000， with many people travelling from abroad. You might think that the visitors were involved in some kind of traditional celebration for the start of summer. In fact they’re taking part in the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts， one of the biggest open-air festivals in the world.

Michael Eavis， a Glastonbury dairy farmer， did not imagine that his dream would become so large. He started the festival in 1970 and that year 1，500 people bought tickets， and free milk from his farm was given to all festival goers. The following year， 1971， tickets were free and although these days it is quite expensive， Eavis donates some of the money from ticket sales to charity. In fact， many performers take part for free so that the money goes to a good cause.

If you go， you will need to have a lot of energy as there is so much to do. You will have the chance to see famous performers and to enjoy lots of different activities. The main stage is called the pyramid stage and mostly features rock and pop acts. We don’t need to name them， but the biggest acts in world music have performed there over the years. Nobody refuses Glastonbury. There are over 15 stages where you can listen to all musical genres， such as jazz， hip hop， folk and Latin music. It is possible to dance in a club tent all day or to relax in a music lounge.

However， this is not just a music festival. There are so many different stages， tents and areas dedicated to other kinds of performing arts. Cirque du Soleil is a world renowned circus group that is loved by audiences at the festival. There is also a comedy stage， a cinema tent and a poetry area. You can watch a Shakespeare play or have your face painted. If you want to celebrate the start of summer in a more traditional way you can go to the stone circle on a hill above the festival and light a candle or lie down and look at the stars.

If you are not the kind of person who likes sitting still you can also join in. You can take part in art activities or learn how to juggle. The festival is also good for your younger brother or sister as children under 12 years old can get in for free. There is a large area for children where they can watch puppet shows， go into play-tents or enjoy a picnic.

It may sound perfect but don’t think this is a luxury weekend. It is difficult to travel to and from the site on the country roads and you can sometimes get stuck in traffic jams for hours. You have to camp so make sure you bring along a good tent. In bad weather the field can turn into a mud bath and in hot weather there is little shade.

Even though it can be difficult sometimes， it is an experience of a lifetime so start saving up to go now. Tickets are often sold out within a few days so make sure you book your ticket straight away if you fancy going！