Black at Glasto will have a new space at Worthy Farm

Glastonbury is just a few weeks away. If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket, you’ve probably reached the stage of relentlessly checking the Somerset Live weather forecast (there’s not much point worrying about it now, just have a look the week before) and debating the Doechii vs Charli line-up clash in your WhatsApp group. One festival goer who should be well-prepared is Elsie Cullen, a Glastonbury veteran and founder of Black at Glasto, which brings Black festival goers together to celebrate creativity and culture at Worthy Farm. Read on for the big announcement for this year’s event…

When did you get the idea to start Black at Glasto?
Black at Glasto started in June last year. As someone who’s attended Glastonbury every year since 2014, it was an idea that was slowly built year after year, whilst navigating my own experience attending the festival solo. I’m quite a shy person, and so making new friends is always something I’m quite hesitant about. Every year I spend the first day or two sheepishly exploring the festival on my own, hoping I’ll find my tribe…

And every year, it happens. I lock eyes with someone who resembles home and we immediately connect through our shared desire for familiarity and community. My very first year, I met Afronaut Zu, Sophia Thakur and Chantel out on the fields and we immediately became inseparable, attending all the same sets, bussing out similar skanks and rolling off shared banter. Every year since, I’ve managed to find home in other festival goers and last year, two weeks before the festival, I decided I wanted to create something that could help other Black people. I sense checked the idea with my friends Eug and Candice, who I’d worked with backstage on Lonely Hearts Club – before we knew it we had over 200 people joining our WhatsApp group, sending recommended artists and asking for edge control.

Funniest moment with the Black at Glasto crew?
I think there was one night where at least 20 of us were in the group chat searching for some dancehall, R&B and Afrobeats. We were spread out across the festival and everyone was pinging off IN the chat, scouting out the various soundsystems, trynna find the vibes. As soon as someone gave the bird call all of us would run to the stage in question, only for us to turn up and find that the DJ had switched up the sounds!

So how does someone get involved with Black at Glasto?
We have a WhatsApp group for festival goers that you can join to chat and connect with other ravers, artists, and crew. Last year we organised mini-link ups. We’re also really excited to share that this year we have a physical space, Glastonbury’s first venue dedicated to Black Creativity and Culture. The hub will be a safe space by day and an IYKYK club spot by night. We’re putting a call out to our wider community for mixes, artwork, books and more that we want to share within the space. We’ll also have slots available day and night for anyone who wants to run workshops, do an acoustic set, or jump on the decks.

I’m really excited for Black at Glasto to hopefully be able to offer a space for the diversity of Black African and Caribbean sounds to be played consistently throughout the festival, from Congolese rhumba, to amapiano and lovers rock. I can’t wait!