As festival-goers embark on the mighty road to Glastonbury 2025, campers have already started setting up for the five-day festival – but a dark side to the world-famous event lurks beneath the surface
With the first Glastonbury-goers descending on Somerset’s Worthy Farm today, another weekend of mesmerising chaos at the fabled festival is about to ensue. But underneath the hedonism and glitter lies a darker side to the world-renowned event.
Since its inaugural days in the 70s, the capacity has stretched from a humble 1,500, with 210,000 revellers now setting up camp at Glasto each year. But accommodating the population of a large town for almost a week has seen Glastonbury experience its share of tragedies and mishaps over the years.
While campers set up their home for the next five nights, world-famous acts prepare for some of their biggest gigs, including headliners The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Worthy Farm’s rigorous security and welfare operations have ramped up in recent years.
The organisers now have thorough bag-checks, a 7.8km four metre high fence, watchtowers to prevent fence-jumpers and overcrowding, and even the ‘Glastonbury Jail’, to house anyone caught breaking the rules. But they can only do so much – from bodies in tents and drug overdoses to a harrowing self-immolation, the Mirror looks back at some of the most devastating incidents of the famous festival.
Horror shooting spree
The 1994 Glastonbury line-up saw The Levellers and Rage Against The Machine headline, but away from the stages, a terrifying incident unfolded. On the Saturday night, a gunman started firing indiscriminately into the unsuspecting crowd.
Five people with shot, and at around 10pm, police were called as the emergency situation evolved. The man was discovered to be wielding an automatic pistol, and began to shoot fans who had innocently attended the festival to enjoy the music.
Two women and three men all sustained gunshot wounds before being rushed to hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the victims, aged between 18 and 44 only suffered minor injuries and recovered fully.
Multiple deaths
Over the years, multiple bodies have been recovered at the festival, with the most recent deaths being discovered in 2023. One was a a medical incident in which a man in his 40s was found fead on the old railway line.
The body was that of radio DJ Jason Winder, 48, who died in the early hours of Sunday at the 2023 festival. Avon & Somerset Police said he’d suffered a ‘medical incident’ on the old railway line footpath shortly before 4am and died at the scene.
His death was not treated as suspicious. The same year, a security guard was found in his tent, having died from pneumonia. He had not worked in the 24 hours before his death.
With measles cases currently rising in the South West, Dr Alasdair Wood, consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA South West, told ITV News that those attending the festival should be mindful of illness.
He said: “We want festival-goers to enjoy their time at Glastonbury and other festivals this year. Being aware of the current health risks will help those attending enjoy their time, as much as possible.
“Measles is circulating across the country, and festivals are the perfect place for measles to spread. f you’re not fully vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, please contact your GP to see if you can get an appointment before coming to the festival.”
Meanwhile, in 2014, a 67-year-old woman died of natural causes at the festival, while a 26-year-old man was suspected to have had a fatal reaction to the drug ketamine. The first drug-related death at Glastonbury was recorded in 1994, when a 23-year-old man died.
Michael Eavis, who founded the arts festival, said at the time: “In daylight we would have been more alert. We’ve had people overdose before, but we sorted them out.”
MP found dead in toilet cubicle
Christopher Shale, a senior Conservative, was discovered dead in a toilet at Glastonbury on the Sunday morning of the 2011 event. An aide and friend of David Cameron, Shale, 56, was found hours after describing the Tories as “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take” in a leaked strategy document.
Despite the unfortunate timing, an inquest found that the MP, who had no drink or drugs in his system, died from natural causes. Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the inquest at Wells town hall that the asthmatic’s weight had put “an excessive workload” on his heart.
Tragic suicide
In 2016, a heartbreaking incident saw a 27-year-old Bristol juggler, who taught young children circus skills, kill himself in a devastating incident. Ashton Launcherley, who was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, set fire to himself on the Glastonbury site, the Monday before the festival was due to start.
The inquest heard how Launcherley, who had been detained in mental health hospitals and previously sectioned, had been plagued by voices who spoke in strange accents. He was found crouching in the lotus position in a ditch, doused himself in petrol and deliberately set himself on fire.
He had previously bought a bottle of bleach and told his family he intended to drink it, Bristol Live reported. In the months leading up to his death, he had expressed his fear of the voices he heard.
Ashton told his mother: “I have to kill myself because of the voices. I’m fed up of hearing them.”
Her statement said: “I told him the voices would get worse after he died, that he would have to follow his family around and would not be able to say sorry.” In response, Ashton is said to have replied: “We are all dead. They are killing my family. They are killing all of us.”
Ashton suffered 95 per cent burns, and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham. He had multiple-organ failure and died a short while later.
Senior Somerset Coroner Tony Williams, sitting at Taunton, recorded a conclusion of suicide and the cause of death as burns and multiple organ failure. He said he was satisfied “beyond reasonable doubt” that Ashton had intended to end his own life.
Ticking time-bomb
A whistleblower has warned more deaths are to come, after the senior manager slammed the festival for their approach to security. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, the ex-manager said: “Worst-case scenario, people are going to die, I think we are going to have some massive issues this year.
“How has it [Glastonbury] survived this long without a major disaster? It’s got to be a mixture of luck and a mixture of good will, the jewel in the UK’s crown is actually something of a ticking time-bomb.”
Source: Mirror
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