Glade Stage
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BSU’s Tech Team lights up the Glastonbury Glade Stage
Monday, 23 June, 2025As Glastonbury Festival returns for 2025, the legendary Glade Stage stands as one of its most iconic and evolving dance music hubs. Nestled among trees in the heart of the festival, the Glade roots back to the 1990s when it was born from experimental dance and electronic sounds.
This year, alongside an eclectic lineup of artists including household names such as Skepta, Goldie and Annie Mac, a skilled team from BSU’s technical department is once again behind the scenes, bringing the stage to life.
BSU’s involvement with the famed music festival spans over a decade. The team has played a vital role in the creation and operation of various stages within the Glade Area, including Glade Dome – the dance-heavy sister stage known for showcasing boundary-pushing talent.
But it’s not just the Glade Stage where you’ll find BSU represented. The University has made its mark across the entire festival, with staff and alumni repping the BSU name at many of its other stages, including Avalon, Arcadia, Pyramid, and West Holts.
Discussing the University’s involvement in the festival over the years, Music and Performing Arts Technical Demonstrator, Kyle Roberts said:
“The team has been working at Glastonbury for over 10 years now, and although the members have changed over time, ex-colleagues are still involved. There’s definitely the spirit of BSU there.”
Music Technology Team Leader, Tom Turner said:
“There’s quite a legacy of BSU at Glasto. It feels like a reunion at some points. I'm really lucky to work with such a great team and courses. To see so many brilliant students enjoying our spaces is very rewarding. The Music Tech Team are also all BSU alumni, so we have the mutual enjoyment of seeing the University blossom.”
While festival-goers soak in the sounds and visuals, the BSU team is behind the curtain making sure everything runs smoothly. From the earliest stages to the late-night final sets, the team is responsible for the design, setup, operation, and teardown of the stage.
Rumoured to be planted on lay lines, the stage brings the magic to festival goers, running high-energy shows from dusk to dawn. Tom described the team’s role at the stage:
“We see it as our stage as we have a great amount of creative control over how it looks, feels, and sounds. It's our job to bring the party as we’re one of the first stages open on Thursday and keep running through until 4 am every day.
“My day can be anything from getting up in a cherry picker, rigging lasers, running lights and sound, to being a stage manager by night.”
The University’s involvement at Glastonbury isn’t just a staff endeavour. In previous years, the team has bought BSU students in to learn hands-on and even incorporates student work into their visuals.
Expressing his excitement for this year’s Glastonbury festival, Tom said:
“It still amazes me how it comes together, no major sponsors, all independent, and just the effort that people put in. It’s astounding. Wild ideas, amazing themes, and always something new and refreshing! It feels like the most incredible collection of things and people. I'm very happy to be a small part of such a legendary legacy.”
Glastonbury Festival takes place from 25 - 29 June 2025. You can find out more and view the entire festival lineup on the Glastonbury website.
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