Worthy FM is the onsite radio station of

The Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

. It broadcasts on 87.7 MHz FM and online for one week only during the Festival, operating under a

Restricted Service Licence A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL), is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. Licences are granted by the broadcasting authority Ofc ...

(RSL). The station features interviews and music from across the entire festival site, promoting the festival's good causes, as well as providing important information on traffic congestion, camping availability and any lineup changes. The station caters for members of the public as they arrive at, stay at and leave the festival site, as well as the many crew members on site, and those who listening at home who cannot attend the festival that year. The station is run by a team of 30 volunteers, many of whom have been working on the station for a number of years. In addition, the station reserves a number of crew places each year for new volunteers, who are chosen through a national competition judged by festival organiser

Emily Eavis Emily Rose Eavis (born July 1979) is co-organiser of the annual Glastonbury Festival, and the youngest daughter of the festival's founder and organiser Michael Eavis and his second wife Jean. Early life Eavis grew up on Worthy Farm, Somerset, t ...

Programming

Worthy FM broadcasts from the Saturday before the festival opens to the following Monday when the festival closes. One of its main functions on-site is to provide news and information for people attending the festival. Throughout the week, the station broadcasts regular news bulletins, containing information on traffic around the site, space availability in the campsites, what to bring to the festival and anything else festival goers need to know to make the most of their time on site. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, and features a range of different shows and presenters. The shows mix discussion and music with features recorded around the festival site. The station also actively encourages listener participation through

SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...

and

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

. The station's longest running show is Daddy Teacha's Reggae Show, which previously appeared on

Radio Avalon Radio Avalon was a pirate radio station set up at the Glastonbury Festival near Glastonbury, England, in 1983. It later became a legally recognised station. In 2007, Radio Avalon was replaced with Worthy FM. The beginning The idea of launching a ...

before Worthy FM. Worthy FM always features the finalists of the Festival's Emerging Talent Competition, inviting them up to the studio for interviews and live performances.

History

Worthy FM was launched in 2007 to replace the festival's previous onsite station,

. The name Worthy FM was chosen by festival organiser

Michael Eavis Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis (born 17 October 1935) is an English dairy farmer and the co-creator of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place at his farm in Pilton, Somerset. Personal life Eavis was born in Pilton, Somerset and grew up ...

and is named after Worthy Farm, Eavis' farm and the home of the festival.

2007

Worthy FM started life in the same location as its predecessor, Radio Avalon, on the upper western edge of Big Ground field, near Worthy Farm. It featured a number of different presenters and shows, many focussing in on one particular aspect of the festival, such as its emerging talent competition and the Elemental tent. Many guests came to the station to perform on its outdoor stage, including Bible Code Sundays, Small White Light, The Beathovens and Bluebird Kid Clark, whilst interviews included

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul m ...

Seasick Steve Steven Gene Wold (né Leach, 19 March 1951),/nowiki>freight_trains.html" ;"title="freight_trains.html" ;"title="/nowiki>freight trains">/nowiki>freight trains">freight_trains.html" ;"title="/nowiki>freight trains">/nowiki>freight trains/nowiki> fo ...

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and Bob Wilson from

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

2008

2008 saw Worthy FM return for its second year, again with an outdoor Wireless Stage open to members of the public. The stage featured performances from

The Levellers The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its popul ...

The Bluetones The Bluetones are an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members are Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Mark's brother Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth me ...

Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She has released seven critically-acclaimed studio albums. Wainwright is the daughter of musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III a ...

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has ...

and

Seth Lakeman Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. Ac ...

, as well as interviews with Katy Melua,

Daddy Freddy S. Frederick Small (born 1965), better known as Daddy Freddy, is a Jamaican ragga vocalist. Early life Small was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in the city's Trenchtown district.Huey, SteveDaddy Freddy Biography", Allmusic, retrieved ...

and

Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and " Get Down". O'Sullivan's s ...

whilst pre-recorded features covered she-pees, solar showers and 'green' tent pegs.

2009

In 2009, the Worthy FM compound was moved to the top edge of Big Ground field, closer to Worthy Farm. This placed it behind a security cordon for the first time, meaning members of the public could no longer walk up to the station itself. The station's live performances returned to being fully acoustic, and featured appearances from guests such as

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

, The Travelling Band and Atilla the Stockbroker. Interviewees that year included

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and ...

Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian, actor and satirist. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows. Early life Brigstocke is th ...

, Madness,

Horace Andy Horace Andy (born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951) is a Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", as well as "Angel", "Spying Glass" and "Five Man Army" with English tri ...

Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ron ...

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

and

Nick Clegg Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British media executive and former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who has been president for global affairs at Meta Platforms since 2022, having previously been vicepr ...

Dreadzone Dreadzone are a British electronic music group. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations. Career Dreadzone were formed in London, England in 1993 when ex- Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts teamed up ...

claimed to have performed their first ever acoustic set live on the station that year.

2010

Emily Eavis drops into the Worthy FM studio for a chat

Glastonbury 2010 was the 40th anniversary of Glastonbury Festival, and much of the station's content reflected this, with shows covering various aspects of the Festival's history. The festival also linked up with

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...

on-site, with Worthy FM crew co-presenting shows on 6 Music with the likes of

Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock ba ...

and

Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academy ...

. Guests interviewed that year included

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...

Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters were an American pop rock band formed in 2001. Its members include Jake Shears and Ana Matronic as vocalists, Babydaddy as multi-instrumentalist, Del Marquis as lead guitar/bassist, and Randy Real (who replaced Paddy Boom) as dr ...

Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...

Toots Hibbert Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, (8 December 1942 – 11 September 2020), better known as Toots Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he perform ...

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

Gentleman's Dub Club Gentleman's Dub Club are a British dub band, originating from Leeds, Yorkshire. Biography Having built a reputation for delivering energetic live shows, the group has played for crowds from Goa to Glastonbury, Bestival, V Festival, Secret Ga ...

and

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British politician, writer and diarist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

2011

Guests and interviewees this year included

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. ...

Noah and the Whale Noah and the Whale were a British indie rock and folk band from Twickenham, formed in 2006. The band's last line-up consisted of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar), Tom Hobden (violin/keyboards), Matt "Urby Whale" Owens (bass guitar), Fred Abbott (g ...

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 Pop Idol (series 1), inaugural series of the ITV (TV network), ITV talent contest ''Pop Idol'', making him the f ...

Pixie Geldof Little Pixie Geldof (born 17 September 1990) is an English model and singer. She is the third daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates. Early life Geldof is the third daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates.

and Guy Garvey. The station also introduced a dedicated Kids' Show, focussing on the Kidzfield section of the site, and presented by two children under 10. The Kids Show also featured the station's first marriage proposal live on air, which happily resulted in an engagement. With the introduction of a one way system to access the south-east corner of the site at night, Worthy FM also carried regular updates on queuing times and alternative things to do for those not wishing to queue.

2012

There was no Glastonbury Festival in 2012, so Worthy FM took a year off. Taking advantage of this break, the station arranged a fact finding crew swap with BMIR, the official onsite radio station of the

Burning Man Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred ...

Festival, Nevada, USA

2013

Worthy FM commenced broadcasting for the 2013 festival on the morning of Monday 24 June. This year, the station has a second studio located in a public area in Arcadia, inspired by the 2012 Burning Man exchange visit. This enabled the public to walk straight into live broadcasts and appear on air themselves. Guests and interviews this year included

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and aga ...

The Orb The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 19 ...

Sir Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series ''Sunday Nigh ...

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...

, Portishead,

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

The Congos The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica) and Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), later becoming a trio w ...

and Bez.

2022

After two forced cancellations of the festival due to Covid, Worthy FM returned in the 2020s, broadcasting two day earlier than usual on the Saturday prior to the festival, and also for the first time on

Digital_Audio_Broadcasting Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. Types In digital broadcasting syst ...

in the Somerset area.

References

External links

Official Worthy FM Website
{{coord, 51.1584, -2.5802, display=title, region:GB_scale:10000 Radio stations in Somerset Glastonbury Festival