Glastonbury 2024: When the festival starts, how to watch on television, headliners, and presenters

Dua Lipa will be headlining Glastonbury on the Friday night. | Getty Images for The Met Museum/

More than 210,000 music fans are preparing to descend upon Worthy Farm, in Somerset, for this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

First held in 1970 as the Pop, Blues & Folk Festival - when just 1,500 people attended - the feast of music has grown to become a major event in the British cultural calendar, with most of the biggest names in music having played it at least once.

Tickets went on sale last November before a single act had been announced and sold out instantly.

But don’t worry if you’re not able to make it there in person - there will be a huge amount of coverage to catch on television.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Glastonbury 2024 taking place?

The 2024 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (to give it its full name) is scheduled to take place between June 26 and 30 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.

Who is headlining this year’s Glastonbury?

Friday night will see Dua Lipa headline the Pyramid Stage, from 10-11.45pm, with Coldplay topping the bill on Saturday, from 9.45-11.45pm. On Sunday SZA will be closing the festival, from 9.30-11.15pm. Meanwhile, the legends spot on the Sunday is taken by Shania Twain, from 3.45-5pm.

Bands headlining the smaller stages include Idles, Disclosure, The National, Jungle. Jessie Ware, Gossip, Fontaines DC and London Grammar.

How can I watch Glastonbury on televion?

The BBC’s extensive coverage will be available across iPlayer, BBC Sounds, TV, radio and online.

Coverage has already begun, with non-stop archive footage being streamed on the BBC’s Classic Glastonbury channel from now until Sunday, June 30.

There will also be a Glastonbury Channel on iPlayer from 12noon on Friday, June 28, until the end of the festival hosting a curated and continuous stream of live moments, interviews and behind-the-scenes clips.

During the festival, the BBC iPlayer will feature live streams from the five largest stages - the Pyramid Stage, Other Stage, Park Stage, West Holts and Woodsies.

And there will be live coverage of the headliners, and the acts leading up to them, on BBC One and BBC Two.

Who will be presenting the Glastonbury coverage?

The BBC’s Glastonbury coverage will be presented by Clara Amfo, Jack Saunders, Jo Whiley and Lauren Laverne.

They’ll be helped to cover every corner of Worthy Farm by Annie Macmanus, Arielle Free, Danny Howard, Dermot O’Leary, Jamie Laing, Katie Thistleton, Nick Grimshaw, Sarah Story, Vick Hope and Zoe Ball.

What’s new for this year Glastonbury coverage?

The BBC have announced some new strands for this year’s Glastonbury coverage, including:

Glastonbury Channel II

A round-up of the unmissable moments from each day of the festival. Glastonbury Channel II is BBC iPlayer's new companion stream to The Glastonbury Channel Live.

It will broadcast on Friday, June 28 (6pm to midnight) and Saturday 29 and Sunday, June 30 (10am until late).

BBC Two specials

Dua Lipa, Coldplay and more will share their Glastonbury stories with viewers in new 30-minute specials for BBC Two.

Sidetracked with Annie and Nick

The BBC Sounds podcast with Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw will present a  series of weekly Glastonbury specials ahead of the festival from Monday, June 3.

It will feature interviews with Emily Eavis, Shania Twain and more. Episodes will be available on BBC Sounds and also in vision on BBC iPlayer the same day.

There will also be another three Sidetracked programmes broadcast live on Radio 6 Music, before Nick and Annie wrap up with a bonus episode on Sounds after the event.

What has the BBC said about the coverage?

BBC director of music Lorna Clarke said: “The BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury is one of the biggest jewels in the BBC’s pop crown and we’re evolving our programming to bring audiences many ways to enjoy the festival across our platforms – it’s their Glastonbury on the BBC.

“This year will see the debut of Glastonbury Channel II, a welcome addition to our multiple BBC iPlayer streams, giving viewers a rolling round-up of the key moments from each day.

“We’re also proud that for the second year, Pyramid Stage – Signed returns, with performances from Glastonbury’s most iconic stage in British Sign Language, bringing the Glastonbury experience closer to all viewers.

“This is in addition to over 90 hours of live performances from the five main stages on BBC iPlayer, extensive coverage on TV, 90 hours of radio broadcasts live from the festival, plus much more to discover on BBC Sounds – including Sidetracked by Glastonbury, presented by Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw, which will also be available on BBC iPlayer from the first week of June.

“I would like to thank Emily and Michael Eavis once again for allowing us this exclusive access to Glastonbury, as only the BBC can bring the nation together to enjoy their unique festival.”

What have the Glastonbury organisers said about the television coverage?

Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis said: “We’re incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with the BBC and always look forward to hearing about the exciting developments in their coverage each year.

“I’d like to thank Lorna Clarke, Alison Howe and their team for celebrating our festival so brilliantly and for sharing the special spirit of Glastonbury with an audience far beyond these fields. We’re so looking forward to welcoming them back to Worthy Farm in June.”