BBC pop controller Lorna Clarke has said that summer wouldn’t be complete without a celebration of Glastonbury across the BBC, as the corporation unveils its plans to celebrate the festival later this month.

The Glastonbury Experience 2021 will run across BBC television, radio, iPlayer and BBC Sounds from Friday, June 25-Sunday, June 27. Like last year, this year’s event was called off due to the Covid pandemic.

The iPlayer will house a pop-up channel streaming a mix of classic sets, documentary films and curated programmes from Clara Amfo, Jo Whiley and Lauren Laverne. Each day’s programming will focus on a different theme: the 1990s, the 21^st century and legendary performers.

Over 50 Glastonbury sets from the BBC archives will be available on the iPlayer from June 21, with and over 30 performances to listen to on BBC Sounds. Performances from last month’s virtual Live At Worthy Farm event will be streaming on iPlayer from June 24.

Live At Worthy Farm: Backstage, a new hour-long BBC Two documentary presented by Jo Whiley, will tell the story of the event, while Live At Worthy Farm: Highlights features a selection of performances from the show.

Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2 and 6 Music will air themed programmes across the weekend.

Glastonbury is truly a part of our DNA

Clara Amfo

Lorna Clarke, controller, BBC Pop Music, said: “Summer wouldn’t be complete without a celebration of Glastonbury on the BBC and this year will be no exception. We’ll be making many of the spectacular performances that the BBC and Glastonbury Festival have worked together to capture over the years available across TV, radio and digital platforms. I’m also delighted that Emily and Michael Eavis have allowed us to broadcast highlights from Live At Worthy Farm, for listeners and viewers to enjoy whenever they wish and wherever they are.”

Clara Amfo said: “As a nation of music lovers, Glastonbury is truly a part of our DNA. Whether it’s two or 20 performances, we all have a collection of them seared into our memory from many a previous weekend on this Somerset farm! Sharing some of my personal faves is a real treat and a testament to the hard work from the Eavis family and these brilliant artists.”

Lauren Laverne said: “Bringing the world’s greatest festival into viewers’ homes with the BBC Glastonbury team is pretty much the best job in the world. A close second, however, is being given access to the archive to help curate a selection of performances by some of the many music icons to have graced the Glastonbury stages. I’ve got a line-up of legends for your living room on Sunday and I can’t wait to share it with you. See you down the front!”

Jo Whiley said: “Whilst we can’t be together in the fields of Pilton just yet, I can’t wait to go back in time and share a selection of my favourite Glastonbury memories and performances with you all. I have incredibly fond memories of the 90s at Glastonbury, so join me on Friday 25^th June to relive some of the very best moments from that unforgettable decade. I had a fantastic time at Live At Worthy Farm in May, so I’m also really looking forward to showing viewers exactly what went on behind the scenes.”

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