2026 is a fallow year — there is no Glastonbury this June. The festival returns to Worthy Farm in late June 2027, sitting on 900 acres of Somerset cow pasture for five days that the weather will define. From hot, dry years to legendary mud baths, the Pilton valley delivers everything. Here's why 2026 is fallow, the confirmed 2027 dates, the climatological forecast for late-June Somerset, year-by-year weather history, and the definitive packing guide.
📊 Glastonbury 2026 vs 2027 at a Glance
- 🌾 2026: Fallow year — no festival. Worthy Farm rests.
- 📅 2027 dates (confirmed): Wed 23 – Sun 27 June 2027 · Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset
- ✅ Status: Dates officially confirmed; check glastonburyfestivals.co.uk for ticket and travel details
- 🌡️ Average highs: 21°C (70°F) day · 11°C (52°F) overnight
- 🌧️ Rain risk: ~8 rainy days across June — expect 1–2 wet half-days at the festival
- 🥾 Mud risk: Even in dry years, paths near stages get muddy from foot traffic and dew
- ☀️ UV Index: Peaks at 7–8 — minimal shade across most of the site
- 🎒 Must pack: Wellies, waterproof, fleece, SPF 30+, 5°C sleeping bag, dry bag
🧭 Decision Snapshot
Go ahead → Warm dry days (20–25°C) — wear trainers, sun hat, SPF; the site is at its absolute best
Proceed with caution → Showery days — wellies on, waterproof packed, plan flexibility for set timings; mud builds fast on main walkways
Reschedule → Sustained rain or storms — full waterproofs, accept the mud, prioritise indoor venues (Theatre & Circus tents, Avalon)
Why 2026 Is a Fallow Year (and When Glastonbury Returns)
Glastonbury operates a "fallow year" roughly every 5 years — a deliberate gap to let the Worthy Farm land recover from 200,000+ feet trampling cow pasture for five days. Previous fallow years include 2012 and 2018. 2026 is the next confirmed fallow year — there is no Glastonbury Festival this June. Michael and Emily Eavis confirmed the pause to give the land, infrastructure and local Pilton community a year to reset.
The festival returns in 2027, with officially confirmed dates of Wednesday 23 June – Sunday 27 June 2027 — the traditional last-week-of-June slot that aligns with the summer solstice for maximum daylight. Ticket, resale and travel details are announced on glastonburyfestivals.co.uk; always check there before booking travel or accommodation.
- 🌾 2026: Fallow year — no festival, no tickets, no music at Worthy Farm
- 📅 2027 dates (confirmed): Wed 23 – Sun 27 June 2027
- 🎟️ 2027 tickets: Standard ticket sale typically opens November 2026; resale usually April 2027
- 🌾 Why fallow years exist: Land recovery, infrastructure refresh, community breathing space
- 📅 Previous fallow years: 2012, 2018, 2026 — roughly every 5–6 years
The Pilton Microclimate
Worthy Farm sits in a shallow Somerset valley near the Mendip Hills, drained by the River Whitelake. This setting matters more than people realise: cool air pools overnight (overnight lows often 2–3°C colder than nearby Bristol), morning fog is common, and rainfall from passing fronts often lingers because the Mendips force air to lift and cool just upstream.
Late June Somerset is generally one of the better weather windows of the British year. The jet stream often tracks north of the UK, summer pressure builds, and high-summer rainfall is below the late-July/August peak. But the festival's reputation for mud is earned: even 5mm of rain across 200,000 feet on cow-pasture clay turns walkways into deep, sticky mud within hours.
- 🌡️ Average daytime high: 21°C (70°F)
- 🌙 Average overnight low: 11°C (52°F) — valley pooling can drop to 8°C
- ☀️ Sunshine hours: ~7 per day — long evenings, sunset around 21:30 BST
- 🌧️ Rainy days in June: ~8 across the month (≈ 27% chance any given day)
- ⛈️ Thunderstorm risk: Low–moderate, mostly afternoon-evening
- 🌫️ Morning fog: Common — usually burns off by 9 AM
Glastonbury Weather History: Year by Year
Looking at the last 15+ festivals shows just how variable the Pilton microclimate can be. Use this as climatological context:
- 2024: Largely dry, warm and sunny.
- 2023: Hot and dry for most of the weekend.
- 2022: Mostly dry and warm.
- 2019: Hot and largely dry.
- 2017: Mostly dry, following a national June heatwave the week before.
- 2016: Heavy rain before and during the festival; deep mud across the site.
- 2015: Mixed, with showers.
- 2014: Thunderstorms and heavy rain early on; muddy.
- 2013: Largely dry and sunny.
- 2010: Hot and sunny throughout.
- 2007: Persistent heavy rain; one of the muddiest festivals on record.
- 2005: Flash flooding after torrential thunderstorms on the opening Friday.
Pattern takeaway: roughly 60% of recent years were mostly dry, 25% mixed, and 15% genuinely wet. Mud bath years are rare but unforgettable. Plan for variability and assume mid-festival rain regardless of forecast.
Day-by-Day: Festival Week 23–27 June 2027
Wednesday 23 June — Gates Open
The biggest weather-dependent day of the entire festival. Setup means walking from coach park or queue to your camping spot carrying everything — often 1–2 km on uneven ground. Rain on Wednesday means setting up a wet tent and starting the festival muddy. Best-case Wednesday: 22°C, light cloud, dry ground.
Thursday 24 June — Festival Opens Properly
No headliners, but the South-East corner (Block9, Shangri-La, NYC Downlow, Arcadia) opens. This is the wandering day. Weather impact is mostly comfort — wet Thursday means muddy walking paths for the rest of the festival, even if it dries.
Friday 25 June — Pyramid Stage Day 1
First main-stage headliners. Capacity at Pyramid Stage approaches 100,000. Weather matters most for crowd movement: muddy paths slow exits dramatically, and any thundery downpour during a headliner causes mass-shelter movements. Pack waterproofs in your day bag regardless of forecast.
Saturday 26 June — The Big One
Saturday Pyramid headliner is the festival's marquee moment. Climatological average: 22°C, 9 hours daylight available before sunset 21:30. If a thundery breakdown is forecast for the festival, Saturday afternoon is statistically the most likely slot — convective storms peak with afternoon heating.
Sunday 27 June — Legends Slot & Goodbye
The Sunday Legends slot at Pyramid is festival folklore. By Sunday, ground conditions reflect the cumulative week — even in dry weather, walkways are well-trodden. Final-day weather decides the leaving experience: dry Monday morning means easy pack-up; wet Monday means cars stuck in fields and 4+ hour exit queues.
🎪 See live 7-day forecast for Bristol (closest big city to Worthy Farm)
Check now →🧭 Continue Exploring
Related tools and guides based on what you're reading
The Definitive Glastonbury Weather Packing List
This list is built for the realistic scenario — some sun, some rain, cold nights, and 5 days without indoor refuge. Skip nothing in the "essential" section even if the forecast looks perfect.
Wet Weather Essentials
- Wellies — never optional. Test fit at home with festival socks.
- Lightweight waterproof jacket — packable, ideally with a hood and 5,000mm+ waterproof rating
- Waterproof trousers — only needed in deep mud or sustained rain forecasts
- Dry bag (5–10L) — for phone, wallet, layers when caught in showers
- Plastic groundsheet — under your tent, even if it has a built-in groundsheet
- Sealed change of clothes — kept in plastic bag for an emergency reset
Cold Night Essentials
- Sleeping bag — rated 5°C comfort or lower (not "season 1")
- Foam roll mat or self-inflating mat — ground steals more heat than air
- Fleece or hoodie — for evening sets when temperatures drop
- Warm hat & thick socks — sleep in them on cold nights
Hot Weather Essentials
- Wide-brim sun hat or cap — there is almost zero shade between stages
- SPF 30+ sunscreen — apply 2x daily, don't forget back of neck and ears
- Sunglasses — UV peaks 11 AM – 3 PM
- 2L+ refillable water bottle — free water taps across site
- Electrolyte tablets — sweating hard in 25°C+ depletes salts fast
☀️ Check the UV index for Bristol before festival week
Check now →What Tent to Bring to Glastonbury
Tent choice is one of the highest-impact decisions for a comfortable festival. The wrong tent in mud or rain ruins the week.
- ⛺ Recommended: 2-3 person dome or tunnel tent, 3,000mm+ hydrostatic head, taped seams, bathtub groundsheet
- ❌ Avoid: Pop-up tents (poor wind resistance, leak in sustained rain)
- ❌ Avoid: Festival-specific cheap tents (1,000mm waterproof — fails in any real rain)
- ✅ Pitch on slightly elevated ground — water pools in low spots within hours
- ✅ Bring extra guy lines — wind across exposed Pilton fields can hit 50 km/h
- ✅ Bring a mallet — pegs into hardened pasture clay are nearly impossible by hand
How to Stay Dry at Glastonbury
"Staying dry" at a 5-day camping festival in a famously wet climate is more about damage limitation than perfection. Here's what actually works:
- Layer your shelter: Plastic groundsheet UNDER tent + tent's own groundsheet + waterproof inner mat. Triple defence against ground moisture.
- Always carry day-bag waterproof: Even on dry-forecast days. A surprise shower 2 km from your tent will soak you otherwise.
- Sealed dry bag for valuables: Phone, wallet, ID always in dry bag, separate from other contents.
- Microfibre towel: Dries 5x faster than cotton — essential for between-shower use.
- Sealed change of clothes: Kept in plastic bag at the bottom of your bag. The "emergency reset" if you get fully soaked.
- Indoor venue strategy: When rain hits, head to Theatre & Circus, Avalon Café, or Acoustic Stage — covered venues with good lineup.
- Boot-dry hack: Stuff wet boots/wellies with newspaper overnight — pulls moisture out by morning.
Glastonbury Car Park & Exit Weather
The festival car parks and live-in vehicle fields are open grass cow pasture with no hard standing. After significant rain, they become impassable for normal cars. Very wet years such as 2007 have left car parks deep in mud and slow to clear.
- Check Sunday-Monday forecast 5 days out: If heavy rain forecast for festival end, plan to leave Sunday night before the field churns up.
- Bring a tow rope: Tractor pulls happen but neighbouring cars can also help.
- Wait for grass to firm: If Monday morning is muddy, wait until afternoon — sun and wind firm grass surprisingly fast.
- Park in elevated lots: Lower-numbered car parks tend to be on slightly higher ground.
- Coach is safer in mud: Coaches use surfaced roads and are unaffected by mud. Worth considering for very wet years.
Reading the Forecast Like a Veteran
The biggest mistake first-timers make is checking the forecast once before leaving home. Veterans treat weather as a continuous decision input across the whole week. Here's the cadence that works:
- 10 days before: Check broad pattern. Settled high pressure or unsettled fronts? This decides whether you over-pack waterproofs or sleeping bag warmth.
- 5 days before: Daily forecast becomes reliable. Adjust packing — drop a layer or add gear based on dominant theme.
- 2 days before (Monday): Hourly forecast for Wednesday gates day. Reliable enough to decide trainers vs wellies for arrival.
- Each morning on-site: Check 12-hour radar at 8 AM. Decide footwear, day-bag contents, and whether to choose Pyramid Stage (open) or Theatre & Circus (covered) for the afternoon.
- Live radar before headliners: 60–90 mins before main set, check for incoming fronts. A waterproof in the day bag is worth more than every other festival accessory.
Bristol is the closest live-data city to Worthy Farm and a reliable proxy for festival weather. Weston-super-Mare and Bath are also close and useful cross-checks.
📅 Get the live 7-day Bristol forecast for festival week
Check now →Worst-Case Scenarios & How to Handle Them
Mud-bath conditions (2007, 2016 style)
Wellies on permanently. Stick to gravelled main thoroughfares between stages — never short-cut across grass once mud sets in. Use plastic bags inside wellies if your feet get wet (proper waterproof socks are better). Eat hot food often — calories help you fight cold and damp.
Heatwave conditions (2010, 2023 style)
UV is the silent danger. Apply SPF before leaving the tent, reapply at midday. Drink 4+ litres of water across the day. Avoid Pyramid Stage in peak afternoon — choose shaded venues like Theatre & Circus, Avalon Café, or trees in the Park area. Watch friends for early heatstroke signs (nausea, headache, stopping sweating).
Thundery breakdown
Most British thunderstorms last 30–60 minutes. Don't shelter under solo trees or stage rigging. Best shelter: large indoor venues (Theatre & Circus, Acoustic), the Glastonbury Free Press, or food vendors with overhangs. After the storm, mud will be at peak slipperiness — slow your pace.
Glastonbury Weather FAQ
When is Glastonbury Festival 2027?
Glastonbury Festival has officially confirmed that the 2027 festival will take place Wednesday 23 June – Sunday 27 June 2027 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, after the planned 2026 fallow year. Gates open Wednesday morning; the Pyramid Stage runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ticket and travel details are published on the official Glastonbury Festival website (glastonburyfestivals.co.uk).
Is Glastonbury 2026 happening or is it a fallow year?
2026 is a fallow year — there is no Glastonbury Festival in 2026. The Eavis family confirmed the 2026 fallow year to give the Worthy Farm land, infrastructure and local community a year to recover. Recent previous fallow years were 2018 and 2012. The festival returns Wednesday 23 June – Sunday 27 June 2027, dates officially confirmed by Glastonbury Festival.
What are the Glastonbury 2027 dates?
Glastonbury Festival has officially confirmed that the 2027 festival runs Wednesday 23 June – Sunday 27 June 2027 (the traditional last-week-of-June slot, aligning with the summer solstice for maximum daylight). Gates open early Wednesday morning. Pyramid Stage main programme runs Friday 25, Saturday 26, and Sunday 27 June. The site fully closes Monday 28 June at midday. Check glastonburyfestivals.co.uk for ticket, travel and lineup details before booking.
What is the weather usually like at Glastonbury?
Late June in Somerset averages 21°C (70°F) highs and 11°C (52°F) lows, with about 8 rainy days across the month. Glastonbury sits in a famously variable microclimate — recent festivals have ranged from hot, dry years (2010, 2023) to mud-bath washouts (2005, 2007, 2016).
Does it always rain at Glastonbury?
No — but the legend persists because mud is dramatic on TV. In the last 10 festivals, roughly half have been mostly dry, three have been mixed, and two have been notably wet. Odds favour at least one rainy half-day across the five-day festival, but full washouts are rarer than you think.
Glastonbury weather history year by year
Recent years: 2024 largely dry and sunny; 2023 hot and dry; 2022 mostly dry and warm; 2019 hot and largely dry; 2017 mostly dry; 2016 heavy rain and deep mud; 2014 thunderstorms and mud; 2010 hot and sunny. The best-known mud years are 2005 (flash flooding) and 2007 (persistent rain).
Should I bring wellies to Glastonbury?
Yes — always. Even in dry years, the 900-acre site has poor drainage in cow-pasture areas, and overnight dew plus 200,000+ feet creates muddy paths near stages. Bring wellies AND comfortable trainers. Decide which to wear each day based on the morning forecast.
How to stay dry at Glastonbury
Pack a packable waterproof jacket (5,000mm+ rating), waterproof trousers for sustained rain, dry bag for valuables, plastic groundsheet under your tent, and a sealed change of clothes. During rain, head to covered venues — Theatre & Circus, Avalon, Acoustic Stage. After rain stops, mud is at peak slipperiness for ~2 hours; slow your pace.
What tent should I bring to Glastonbury?
A 2-3 person dome or tunnel tent with 3,000mm+ hydrostatic head, taped seams, and a proper bathtub groundsheet. Avoid pop-up tents (poor wind resistance, leak in sustained rain). Bring extra guy lines and groundsheet. Pitch on slightly elevated ground if possible — water pools in low spots within hours during rain.
What is the worst weather at Glastonbury?
2005 (flash flooding, tents floating), 2007 (persistent rain, deep mud), and 2016 (sustained rain, deep mud across all walkways) are the three modern benchmarks. Heat is the other risk: hot, sunny years such as 2010 and 2023 bring sunburn and heat exhaustion with limited shade.
How cold does it get at Glastonbury at night?
Overnight lows in Somerset late June average 11°C (52°F), but the Pilton valley regularly drops to 8–9°C in clear weather. After sweating in the daytime sun, this feels brutally cold. Pack a proper sleeping bag (rated 5°C or lower) and a warm fleece for evening sets.
What should I pack for Glastonbury weather?
Wellies, lightweight waterproof jacket, fleece or hoodie, sunscreen SPF 30+, sun hat, sunglasses, refillable water bottle, dry bag for valuables, head torch, sleeping bag (5°C rated), foam mat, and at least one full change of clothes in a sealed bag for emergencies.
Glastonbury car park weather: will I be stuck?
Yes if it rains heavily. Wet years such as 2007 have turned the car parks to deep mud. Tractors are deployed to tow cars. To minimise risk: check Sunday-Monday forecast before festival, leave Sunday night if heavy rain forecast, or wait until Monday afternoon for grass to firm up. Bring a tow rope.
When does the forecast for Glastonbury become reliable?
Five days out (Friday before festival starts) gives a reliable daily picture. The 14-day Met Office outlook is useful for broad pattern (settled vs unsettled) but not specific timing. Once on-site, hourly radar is the most useful tool — most Glastonbury showers are visible 60–90 mins before they hit.
Can you camp at Glastonbury without a ticket?
No. The festival site is fully fenced and ticketed. There are no public camping options nearby that allow festival-adjacent camping. Some local farms offer limited paid camping but are 5–10 miles away and require own transport. Live-in vehicle (campervan) tickets are sold separately and sell out fast.
What time should I arrive at Glastonbury?
Gates open from approximately 08:00 Wednesday. Arrive early (05:00–07:00) to beat the worst queues — peak queues hit 09:00–14:00. By Wednesday evening, queues drop to 30 minutes. Thursday morning is the quickest arrival window. Avoid arriving Friday: long queues and best camping spots are taken.
Plan Glastonbury Around the Forecast
Use Snap Weather's live Bristol forecast — the closest big-city proxy for Worthy Farm — to time your packing decisions, plan your day, and stay one step ahead of Somerset's famously variable weather.