9 Ways Politics Underpinned This Year’s Glastonbury Festival

Glastonbury festival may be all about music and escapism, but politics was a huge theme for attendees this year.

As the whole affair wrapped up just four days before the general election, it’s no surprise that commentary on UK politicians – and a few international figures – loomed over the country’s largest festival.

Here are nine ways public affairs cut through this year….

During two separate performances – Little Simz’s set on the Pyramid Stage and the Idles’ set on the Other Stage – an inflatable migrant boat filled with dummies was pushed around by the audience standing near the front.

Artist Banksy later took credit for the installation, according to Sky News, which alludes to the rising number of asylum seekers making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats.

PM Rishi Sunak has faced criticism for failing to fulfil his promise to reduce the number of crossings since taking office.

Home secretary James Cleverly later dismissed the move, writing on X: “Festival-goers cosplaying as migrants, and celebrating the actions of people smugglers, while they party is awful. Whatever your political views, this isn’t something we should trivialise.”

Towards the end of his DJ set, Fatboy Slim projected an image of Sunak onto the back of the stage, showing the PM as Pinocchio with an extended nose.

He also appeared to endorse Labour by putting the words, “Change will only happen if you vote for it,” against a red backdrop behind him as he performed.

People wearing masks meant to represent several prominent Tories politicians – including Sunak, Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and David Cameron – walked through the crowds at one point, carrying a black coffin which read “end of the Conservative Project”.

The box carried a list of the crises the UK has experienced under the Conservative government, while the satirical song ‘Fuck The Tories’ played in the background.

Blur’s Damon Albarn called on the public to vote on Thursday during a surprise appearance with The Bombay Bicycle Club.

He said: “Palestine. Do you feel that’s an unfair war? The importance of voting next week. Now I don’t blame you for being ambivalent about that, but it’s still really important. Thirdly, maybe it’s time we stopped putting octogenarians in charge of the world.”

Amid concerns of a low voter turnout as all indicators point towards a safe Labour victory, political posters everywhere also encouraged festival-goers to use “your superpower” and head to the ballot box.

A satirical sign, “Vote Out To Help Out”, echoing Sunak’s famous Covid scheme – “Eat Out To Help Out” – was put up above one of the festival’s walkways too.

It comes as tactical voting to remove the Tories from office has grown in prominence ahead of the election.

The PM’s attempt to seem more relatable by saying his family went without Sky TV when he was growing up came back to bite him during the festival.

A mock-up of him looking sad and holding an old TV was printed onto one festival-goer’s flag.

Another banner put a twist on a lyric from headliner Shania Twain with the words: “No Sky TV? That don’t impress me much.”

Starmer, meanwhile, seemed to barely get a shout-out on any flags, especially when compared to his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn whose face was printed all over supportive flags in 2017.

Still, there was at least one support banner for him which read: “A Sky full of Starms.”

Away from the General Election, festival-goers chanted “fuck the King” during the Idles’ performance after encouragement from the rock band’s lead singer, Joe Talbot who called it “Britain’s National Anthem”.

Flags showing support for Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza were also a staple throughout the festival.

Serbian artist Marina Abramović even led a seven minute silence for peace during her performance.

Shortly after the two US presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump went head to head in a debate last week, they were mocked by attendees dressing up and impersonating the elderly politicians.