ZapGossip

Michael Eavis in talks to move Glastonbury by 2019

Michael Eavis wants to move Glastonbury to Longleat.
The 80-year-old festival organiser has always staged the iconic festival at his own Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, South West England, but has been looking for a new home for the event and is now holding "very early" talks to move the musical extravaganza a short distance away to the 9,000 acre stately home estate in Wiltshire by 2019.
Michael said: "I’m talking to Longleat everyday actually, so I hope we can come to an agreement with them eventually. But we haven’t done so yet."
But Michael stressed the move would only be for a year.
He added: "That’s its home, that is probably the best place for it, Pilton is.
"Worthy Farm is very warm, it’s full of atmosphere and character and history as well.
"But I really do need an alternative site, no doubt about it."
However, at the moment nothing has been confirmed and he’s worried that the future of the festival is "unsafe" while they have no confirmed site.
He told ITV: "It really worries me it keeps me awake at night worrying that we won’t have anywhere else to go for the event because it’s so successful and so huge and people love it so much. It’s a bit unsafe at the moment."
Michael – who co-organises the event with his daughter Emily Eavis – insists they have a "long way to go" before they make a decision on where to move Glastonbury, but would love to see it at the Wiltshire park because there is more space out there and the setting is one of the most "beautiful" in the country.
Talking about Longleat, he said: "It’s the best site in the whole of England. I can see why they’ve built that house there and the hills and there is no industrial stuff around it. It’s all trees and forests and rolling hills. It’s the most beautiful site in England. There is loads of space and more room out there. We’ve still got a long way to go to make that happen."
Longleat have also confirmed they are holding "discussions" to temporarily hold the festival.
In a statement a spokesperson said: "We are in very early discussions with the festival team about the option of the festival moving to Longleat for a single year some time in the future. It is on a very, very preliminary level at this time though. We don’t have anything else to add."
This year will see the likes of Adele, Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, The 1975, Jeff Lynne’s Elo, ZZ Top and New Order take to the main stage.