The Japan Times - UK's Glastonbury festival tickets sell out in 45 minutes

"Tickets for Glastonbury 2027 have now sold out," the organisers posted on social media, less than an hour after the general sale began.

The iconic festival held at Worthy Farm in southwest England has become a fixture of the international musical calender, after first launching in 1970 inspired by British hippie and counterculture movements.

Prices have risen steadily in the last decade, with standard tickets costing £408 ($539) for the June 2027 iteration, which follows the "fallow year" of no festival in 2026.

The performers for next year has not yet been announced, although organisers confirmed the recently reunited Britpop band Oasis will not play at Worthy Farm after months of speculation.

Once a mecca for legendary British rockers, Glastonbury's line-up in recent years has veered to include global pop stars alongside festival veterans, with the likes of Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo gracing the stages.

The festival, popularly known as Glasto, courted controversy in 2025 after two acts offered messages of support for Palestinians in Gaza, where the United Nations says there are "reasonable grounds" to conclude that Israel's authorities and security forces "have continued to commit the crime of genocide".

Police assessed comments made on stage by Irish rappers Kneecap and the London-based duo Bob Vylan -- but ultimately took no action against either band.

Frontman Bobby Vylan had led the crowd in chants against the Israeli army, sparking backlash against the BBC from some quarters for its live broadcast of the moment.

Last year's festival also saw singer Lewis Capaldi make an emotional return to the vaunted Pyramid Stage, two years after he stopped a performance on the same stage as he struggled to overcome his Tourette symptoms.

Glastonbury 2025, which was attended by some 210,000 people, featured veteran stars Neil Young and Rod Stewart, as well as performances by Raye, The Prodigy, Alanis Morissette and Snow Patrol.

The festival will take place from June 23 to 27, 2027.

K.Okada--JT