Beyond the acts: Glastonbury Festival after dark

The Glastonbury sign lit up at night. Each letter is a different colour of the rainbow and covered in patchwork. There are people in dark in the foreground.

People head up to the Glastonbury sign to enjoy the festival views

Emma Hallett
BBC News, Glastonbury Festival

Beyond the big acts and stages, there is much more to Glastonbury Festival – a place peppered with art installations, unique bars and random encounters.

The festival has a Dragon's Tail for people to find, wood-top walks and hillside views, as well as campfires and late-night performances.

With so much on offer, we take a look at Glastonbury after dark.

A view across Glastonbury Festival taken at night. There are lights as far as you can see. In the centre is the ribbon tower.

What a view: People who make the climb up to the Glastonbury sign are rewarded with sprawling views of the festival site.

A mechanical dragonfly sculpture lit-up at night in purple, green and blue colours. Lasers of light are coming out of the top and shooting into the dark sky.

The dragonfly: Arcadia is one of the festival's most popular late-night venues. Its dragonfly, made from an old helicopter, made its debut at the festival in 2024.

A crowd gathers underneath a dragonfly which has a helicopter as a body. Lasers shine from the dragonfly's body and there are flames burning around the edge of the crowd. The flames are so strong, they are leaving an orange glow above the crowd.

Flames and lasers: While acts perform from the head of the dragonfly, festival-goers are treated to a sensory display of fire and lights.

A wicker arch spans across a walkway in a wooded area. It is night-time and green lights are shining on the arch and trees. About a dozen people walk along the path.

On a dark, dark night in a dark, dark wood: Nestled on the north side of the festival is Woodsies - a nature-rich sanctuary with a platform high up in the trees

A man in a black suit and hat is standing next to a dog made of paper and lit up from within. Festival-goers can be seen lounging on the floor in the background, with a few stopping to look at the man and his dog lantern.

Impromptu performances: During a night-time wander, festival-goers are likely to come across a number of astounding street performers.

People walk along a tree-top bridge through the woodland canopy. It is lit up with fairy lights and the trees are lit up with blue and green lighting.

The magic of the woods: People take a stroll along the bridge through the tree-top canopy. Part of the woodland has interactive elements, with instruments people can play as they walk.

Three large paper trees lit up in red in the Shangri-La area of Glastonbury Festival.

The South East Corner: The so-called 'naughty corner' is a place where festival-goers can continue the party until when the sun comes up and beyond. It is filled with quirky instillations, including these lit-up paper trees.

Unfairground at Glastonbury Festival. There is a carousel of skeletal horses high in the air while on the left is a grimacing head gripped from above by a large hand.

The Unfairground: This is a popular late-night area full of the weird and sometimes downright scary.

A monster's head that has a lower jaw similar to that of a T. rex with wings and a human leg. Lighted up at night in blue, green and pink colours.

Monsters in the night: An installation at the Unfairground, in Glastonbury's South East Corner.

Five children stand next to Glastonbury's Dragon's Tail - a 40m long art installation of stained glass. The children are next to the Dragon's head which is lit up in red, yellow and green.

The Dragon's Tail: The 40m (131ft) dragon installation is made of stained glass and attracts old and young festival-goers alike.

The Rum Shack - a building lit up with purple and pink lighting with the words Rum Shack in green on the roof.

The Rum Shack: A glowing beacon of the South East Corner, the venue is one of Glastonbury's essential after-hours destinations.

A girl stands with her arms outstretched in front of large, rainbow-coloured angel wings made out of stained glass. The wings are taller than her and span for metres on either side. The girl has ear defenders on and is wearing a blue dress.

An angel: These rainbow wings are a big attraction for little angels at the festival.

A multi-coloured sign in the darkness says Glastonbury on Sea.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside: Glastonbury may be miles from the coast, but it has its own pier with plenty of entertainment.

About six flower-themed lanterns can be seen dotted around an area of Glastonbury Festival. They are about the height of a street light, with green "stems" and yellow flowers. There is an under-tree canopy in the background with a disco ball hanging for it, with revellers dancing underneath it.

The Glade: Just off the festival's railway track sits the Glade area, which sees DJs play long into the night and early hours.

Revellers at the Stone Circle enjoying Glastonbury Festival. There is a fire in the foreground which people are gathered around. PA Media

The Stone Circle: Many festival-goers will end their night at the Stone Circle, perhaps even staying to watch the sun rise around the campfire.

Get in touch

Tell us which stories we should cover in Somerset

Contact form

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Related topics