Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis is set to receive a knighthood today (April 23). The 88-year-old, who hosted the first edition of the festival on Worthy Farm in Somerset in 1970, will be knighted by Anne, the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.

Eavis, who previously received a CBE in 2007, will be recognised for his work in the music industry and his charitable contributions. Speaking about the honour, Eavis said: “Emily came up with the official letter. I was really surprised to see it, actually. Why did they choose me, I wonder? What can I say, really? I’ve done quite a lot of stuff in my life and I’ve always been fairly sure that I was doing the right thing.”

Glastonbury Festival, which has grown into the largest greenfield festival in the world, attracts around 200,000 people annually and features some of the biggest names in music. The event raises approximately £2 million per year for charity, supporting causes such as Greenpeace, Oxfam, WaterAid, Centrepoint, and Mind.

In 2023 alone, the festival donated over £3.7 million to various charitable causes and campaigns.

Emily Eavis, who runs the festival alongside her father, celebrated the news by posting an archive photo of him from the ’70s with the message: “So proud of my dad today.”

 

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Alongside Eavis, former England cricketers Stuart Broad and Lydia Greenway will also be honoured during the ceremony. Broad, who announced his retirement from cricket last summer, will be made a CBE for his services to cricket. Greenway, who retired in 2016, will be made an OBE for her services to cricket.

Glastonbury Festival 2024 is set to take place from Wednesday, June 26, to Sunday, June 30. The lineup includes performances from Dua Lipa, Shania Twain, Coldplay, SZA, and more.