Radiohead are confirmed as the Friday night headliners of this year's Glastonbury edition, but for a brief period on Tuesday, there was genuine concern online that they would be playing the final edition of the famous festival – as we know it – at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
The confusion arose due to founder Michael Eavis' comments on Glastonbury FM, when he seemed to suggest that the Glastonbury 2019 would be called "The Variety Bazaar" and be located "100 miles away, towards the Midlands".
"That's a good name, don't you think?" said Eavis. Social media did not.
The Variety Bazaar sounds like a Noel Fielding sitcom where he runs a market with a New Romantic raccoon called Cedric or something.
— Dan (@ThatConnArtist) January 17, 2017
It's not the same, is it?#varietybazaar #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/wyOslxEYW8
— The Glasto Thingy (@TheGlastoThingy) January 17, 2017
Glastonbury being renamed "Variety Bazaar" is a reminder that you shouldn't make business decisions on acid at 4am whilst AT Glastonbury.
— Tim Cocker (@cocker) January 17, 2017
His daughter – and Glasto co-organiser – Emily Eavis has moved to clarify the situation somewhat in the aftermath. Rather than replacing the decades-old music and arts extravaganza, Variety Bazaar will be very much its own thing:
— Emily Eavis (@emilyeavis) January 17, 2017
Glastonbury takes a year off every five years – it is located on a working farm – with the next fallow year set to be 2018.
Returning headliners Radiohead
It remains unclear whether the new festival will act as a placeholder for Glastonbury in 2019 or whether both will run that year but what is certain is that Worthy Farm will remain Glasto's spiritual (and actual) home thereafter. It seems likely that, if Variety Bazaar is a success, it will occupy that fallow year slot from then on.
Michael Eavis said of the new venture:
“I’ve been a risk taker all my life. In 47 years of taking risks, so far touch wood, I haven’t come unstuck. This might be one risk too far, I don’t know."
Glastonbury takes place from June 21st to 25th this summer and is already sold-out.
