Michael Eavis in new Glastonbury interview: “The only thing that will ever stop us is Chinese chicken flu”

With just over ten days to go until Glastonbury Festival returns after its 2018 fallow year, founder and curators Michael and Emily Eavis have opened up on the runnings of the mammoth event, alongside a further glimpse into the back-story as the annual soiree fast-approaches its fiftieth year.

Speaking to Caitlin Moran at The Times, Michael discussed candidly the difficulties in running the festival during 2016’s mudbath, citing how focused all the crew are in ensuring Glastonbury continues. “The only thing that will ever stop us is Chinese chicken flu” he says with determination – “That’s the only one. We never stop for rain. Nothing would ever, ever stop me.”

Elsewhere in the lengthy chat (which is well worth signing up as a free user of The Times for), daughter Emily discusses plans to expand the green credentials for Glastonbury 2019, the site’s 49th edition. “We usually use over one million plastic bottles per festival” Eavis says “this year, the target is zero.”. Meanwhile all vendors on the site will be banned from selling soft drinks in plastic bottles. Instead, they will sell drinks in cans which will be recycled at Glastonbury’s own forge. To encourage reusable bottles, the festival will also be installing 37 stainless-steel water kiosks, 60 water stations and 500 drinking taps.

Check the full interview here; it’s well worth 20 minutes of your time.

Glastonbury 2019 opens on 26th June.