Main content

Michael Eavis

Kirsty Young's castaway is the founder of the Glastonbury Festival Michael Eavis.

Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is Michael Eavis. It's more than 30 years since he launched the Glastonbury Festival at his dairy farm in Somerset. Back in 1970, the headline act was Marc Bolan. His fee for appearing was just 拢500 and party-goers were given all the milk that the farm's herd of Friesians produced.

Over the years Michael risked losing his farm in order to fund the festival, faced years when the event was mired in mud and was criticised for booking a hip-hop act to top this year's bill. But, he says, he always felt compelled to keep the Glastonbury Festival going and now it attracts 180,000 people each year and brings millions of pounds into the local economy.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: How Great Thou Art by Elvis Presley
Book: Blake by Peter Ackroyd
Luxury: A mouth organ with instruction book.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 5 Dec 2008 09:00
麻豆社 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Janet Street-Porter

Next

Marcus du Sautoy

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • T. Rex

    Children of the Revolution

    • The Very Best of Marc Bolan & T-Rex.
    • Music Club.

  • Pee Wee Hunt

    Twelfth Street Rag

    • Pee Wee Hunt-Twelfth Street Rag/High Society.
    • Capitol.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Elvis Presley

      How Great Thou Art

      • Peace in the Valley - The Complete Gospel Recordings.
      • RCA.

  • Grateful Dead

    Uncle John's Band

    • Uncle John鈥檚 Band/New Speedway Boogie.
    • Warner.

  • Bob Dylan

    I Threw it All Away

    • Nashville Skyline.
    • CBS.

  • The Smiths

    Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

    • Strangeways, Here We Come.
    • WEA.

  • The Stone Roses

    Waterfall

    • The Stone Roses.
    • Silvertone.

  • Coldplay

    The Scientist

    • The Scientist.
    • Parlophone.

  • Book Choice

    • Blake - Peter Ackroyd

  • Luxury Choice

    • A mouth organ with instruction book

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Michael Eavis

Broadcasts

  • Sun 30 Nov 2008 11:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 5 Dec 2008 09:00
    麻豆社 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast