Glastonbury 2024 announces stage dedicated to South Asian talent and culture

Glastonbury Festival 2024 is making history by introducing its latest stage, Arrival. This groundbreaking platform, located in the Shangri-La area, is the first in the festival’s long history to showcase South Asian performers exclusively.   

Glastonbury is one of the largest greenfield music festivals in the world. It aims to create a place where numerous people from different cultures can come together to celebrate their heritage through performances on any of the event’s stages, which are uniquely designed to celebrate the different cultures and people who come to the festival.  

The introduction of Arrivals marks a significant milestone in the festival’s history, as it becomes the first-ever dedicated South Asian space. This unique stage is the result of a collaborative effort by various South Asian organisations, including Dialled In, Going South, and Daytimers. The stage’s design, featuring the work of Shankho Chaudhuri, Esha Sikader, and Shirin Naveed, was further enhanced by the illustrations of Osheen Siva.   

Manara, a performer and DJ, said: “No one does it like these three organisations when it comes to championing underground British Asian culture. 

“The teams are unparalleled in their dedication to painting beige spaces brown, providing legendary settings to celebrate the full rainbow of South Asian music with no limits,”  

Organisers say that anyone who visits Arrival will be “immersed by an audio-visual world coded in solar punk, carnivorous plants, cyborg beasts and space pirates.”  

The inaugural line up for this revolutionary stage has been announced and includes hit stars such as DJ Rita, Aish Kumar, Manara, Gracie T and Nabihah Iqbal.  

Bobby Friction, presenter for BBC Asian Network, said: “This is a seminal moment for UK Festival culture. 

“South Asian and British Asian music have had their own small festivals over the years, and some Asian artists have performed in the big gatherings that are now a quintessential part of a British Summer, but a full-on Glastonbury space dedicated to South Asian music, beats and DJs for the entire festival? That’s just crazy, and a personal dream come true.”  

Glastonbury Festival will be held on Worthy Farm, Somerset, from June 26th to 30th for five days.