'I've been going to Glastonbury for 20 years - here's what you won't see on TV'

Glastonbury Festival is in full swing, marking its 52nd anniversary since its inception, welcoming familiar faces and newbies to its site. Worthy Farm has become a pilgrimage site for music fans and art lovers, with some veterans going for decades, including Dan Thomas.

Over the past couple of years Dan has cemented himself as a resident Glastonbury expert, going viral on social media for his insider knowledge, top tips and ‘everything-you-need-to-knows’ about the festival. Having started going to the iconic music festival 20 years ago, Dan has seen it grow into the event we all know today. But you can’t base your opinion on what you see onscreen, because only a snippet of the festival is covered on TV and radio.

Dan pointed to his early days at the festival, marking Muse’s headline in 2004, and Paul McCartney’s (which he saw twice at the festival, in 2004 and 2022) sets as his favourite acts, especially as a huge The Beatles fan. “He was fantastic on both occasions,” he said.

A special mention went to Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus and Stevie Wonder, which Dan explained surprised him the most. He claimed the country music legend attracted the largest crowd ever for the festival’s afternoon ‘Legend’s spot'. This year’s slot will be played by Shania Twain.

Despite Glastonbury’s cacophony of musical talent, it’s not all about the music at the Farm, most of which is not seen on screen. Areas like Theatre & Circus, Left Field, South East Corner, and the Healing Fields will be foreign to anyone who exclusively watches the festival from home.

Dan said: “I always get comments saying, ‘Oh I’ll just watch it on TV,’... it’s amazingly well televised, and there’s a huge amount that is on TV, but there’s a huge amount that definitely