A local council report has identified nine ways in which Glastonbury Festival 2020 needs to improve on previous years’ events, including late night noise levels and public health and safety.
Mendip District Council, who are responsible for the licensing of the festival to ensure the health and safety of attendees, have published a “de-brief report” looking at how successfully the event was managed in 2019, and discussing potential improvements, SomersetLive reports.
Claire Malcolmson, the council’s group manager for community health, said it was important to make sure the event works to the benefit of the local community as well as festival-goers. “The Glastonbury Festival has a worldwide reputation – and as such it means that we have a huge responsibility in ensuring that it undertakes its statutory duties.
“The purpose of the licence, the licensing objectives and other legislation is to ensure event organisers provide a safe event whilst minimising disruption and nuisance to the local community.”
Although council said the 2019 festival had been generally “well-planned and -managed,” with most of the changes proposed in 2017 being successfully implemented, there were still several areas of potential improvement: alcohol, bars and taxi provision; camping capacity; crowd safety; food safety and hygiene; general health and safety; noise and nuisance; toilets and sanitation; security checks; and water supply.
One of the most detailed focus points was on the subject of noise levels, particularly as a total of 37 noise complaints were made during the 2019 festival – higher than both of the two previous festivals. The council has said more must be done to prevent “low frequency noise propagation” (i.e. bass) from becoming a problem, particularly after curfew.
Last week (January 5), it was reported that Glastonbury 2020 could get even bigger, with plans underway to increase the capacity of the festival this June.
While a massive 203,000 attended the legendary event in 2019 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, SomersetLive reports that the local council have confirmed that plans are being reviewed to allow for thousands more in to the 50th anniversary of the festival this summer – with extra camping provisions currently under discussion.
The camping would be both on and off site, with a public consultation is set begin in the coming months. This comes after Mendip City Council had already allowed Glastonbury permission to allow some 210,000 punters in 2020.
Glastonbury 2020 will take place from June 24-28, with Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney already announced as headliners, along with Diana Ross already confirmed to fill the Sunday legends slot.
