All Access To The Goodies

With Glastonbury approaching there is one unusual product that comes to mind, sky lanterns. They have, in recent years, become an integral part of any Glasto-goers experience. In an interview in 2008 the headliner’s, Kings of Leon, cited the release of sky lanterns from the Stone Circle as their most powerful memory of the festival. If you do not directly launch one from the tranquil Stone Circle you are likely to witness their ghostly presence as they drift up and across the rolling Somerset landscape. It is no surprise that the release of the lanterns, with their connotations of peacefulness and hope, have become intrinsically linked with the Stone Circle. This area is where festival goers seek respite in the dark of the night, sitting and talking communally around fires in the open spirit that remains at the heart of the festival. As is traditional with sky lanterns, a wish is made with each one released. It is a close to numinous experience to watch from the hillside of the Circle as the wishes rise across the vast festival, oblivious to the chaotic crowds beneath them, up in to the sky and out of sight. Watching the sky lanterns take this journey in to the clouds is a divine moment to ponder and escape. It is one of the reasons that in spite of its ever sprawling size, Glastonbury remains unequaled.