It’s Friday, the world’s biggest festival has just officially kicked off, and I’m here on a press pass, representing Creative Boom. That might sound a bit weird to some because we’re an art and design website, not a music blog. But I’m here to tell you there’s far more to it than that…
Watch the TV coverage of Glastonbury, and you may get the impression that it’s just two or three big stages hosting pop stars like Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Shania Twain. But once you actually get here, you realise that’s just the tiniest tip of an enormous iceberg.
To give you a sense of it, the entire site is a whopping nine miles in perimeter, and looking down from the hills above, it looks like a bustling city. Which it basically is. In terms of population, it’s essentially the biggest town in Somerset right now.
Photo by George Harrison
Photo by George Harrison
Photo by George Harrison
Photo by Jody Hartley
There’s a LOT to see, and it’s near-impossible to see all of it. This year, though, there’s one corner of the sprawling site that we’re particularly interested in.
In fact, I’d argue this is the most important art show in the world right now. And that’s not hyperbole. Read on as I explain why.
Epicentre of counterculture
First launched in 2008, Shangri-La is about a half an hour walk from the Pyramid Stage. But for many, it’s well worth the trek. Because this radical area doesn’t just host some of the coolest bands and DJs at the festival on its small stages. It also summons the energy of outsider art and the underground culture. And that incendiary mix makes visiting here quite an intense, even life-changing experience.
Photo by Jody Hartley
Photo by George Harrison
Photo by Jody Hartley
Photo by Tom May
Launched in 2008, it has renewed itself annually ever since. Each year, fresh collaborators bring their ideas to the table, ensuring the space constantly changes and offers a new experience for visitors.
Decorated with countercultural poster art, performance art and art installations, Shangri-La aims to be a mirror reflecting social issues, sparking conversations, and encouraging activism in a playful and thought-provoking way.
And this year’s incarnation, themed “Everything (Still) Must Go! Part 2, The Sequel” is its most ambitious and provocative yet.
Why it’s important
“In 2024, we’re really exploring alternative currencies, exchanges and values,” explains Shangri-La creative director Kaye Dunning. “As a new political future approaches, and everyone has the opportunity to cast their vote, Shangri-La is a space to stop and to think. ‘What would happen if we ripped it up and started again?'”
Photo by Tom May
Photo by Jody Hartley
Photo by Jody Hartley
Photo by Tom May
In an era of increasing political polarisation,
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