Glastonbury Festival fans were left scratching their heads over an update about a lesser-known stage. An announcement detailing tweaks to this year’s Shangri-La area line-up compared to last left some prospective attendees puzzled as organisers introduced significant changes to the area. The five-day festival at Worthy Farm boasts headline acts such as The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo, but it’s not just the main stage that’s drawing attention.
The Shangri-La stage is gearing up to welcome a host of performers, with news shared by fan page The Glasto Thingy on X. A freshly minted roster of stages, under the tagline “we believe in soil”, has left some festival-goers baffled. The area appears to have undergone a transformation, with creative spearhead Kaye Dunnings indicating a full-scale reinvention of the area will take place this year.
Curiosity peaked among fans, with one noting the absence of the familiar stage names from last year on the latest flyer. They wrote: “Renamed or complete changes?”
To which The Glasto Thingy replied: “Not certain yet. I had heard Nowhere and Peace were merging into one big stage but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
Artistic director Dunnings has confirmed that a previous theme, the ‘Everything Must Go’ zone, will not be present this year.
Dunnings stated: “This year, we want to celebrate one-on-one, real-life and analogue connections.”
In conversation with Creative Boom, Dunnings elaborated: “We’ve been planning this new direction for the last two years. It’s almost like a pilot episode, an introductory year because the festival will be taking a year off in 2026 to let the farmland recover.
“Then, in 2027, we’ll go really deep into the themes we’re covering this year.”
Dunnings hinted at an innovative theme that will define the future festivals, with a break in 2026 intended for ecological restoration.
Big names are gracing the Shangri-La stage – acts including Example, Fatboy Slim, and Kneecap are among those set to wow the crowds.
Festival-goers are already buzzing about what the refreshed stage and its theme promise. A punter commented on X: “Can see Luna being completely rammed for some of those.”
Another posted: “Marc Rebillet will be huge!” A third mentioned: “Boss line up but bad move putting Kneecap on Shangri La again, west holts will be busy enough (still be there regardless).”
Compounding the festival chatter, a notable absence in the roster has left fans stunned—they see it as a glaring oversight. Pulp, the iconic 90s outfit dropping their first record in over two decades come June, fails to make the bill. Frontman Jarvis Cocker has also dispelled any rumours of a gig.
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