00:00Well, aside from this voice or AI, I'm pretty sure what the people want.
00:05Glastonbury.
00:06The name alone conjures images of iconic performances, mud and musical magic.
00:12But did you know that the festival we know and love today wasn't the UK's first outdoor music experience?
00:19Long before Worthy Farm became a cultural landmark, the UK's festival scene was taking shape.
00:25From humble beginnings to the dawn of the blues boom, these five festivals laid the groundwork for Glastonbury's legendary debut.
00:33The first built-in pop, folk and blues festival in 1970 was a far cry from the Glastonbury we know today.
00:41Just 1,500 people turned up, a stage made of hail bays and tickets for a single pound.
00:48That's right, a single pound.
00:50No dynamic pricing of 150 pounds included a pint of milk.
00:56Michael Evers, inspired by a Led Zeppelin concert, even let people in for free later that day.
01:02But what inspired him before that?
01:05Let's rewind to 1961.
01:08Richmond Athletic Ground.
01:10The National Jazz and Blues Festival.
01:12This was the UK's first organised outdoor music festival, the seed that grew into the Reading Festival we know and love today.
01:21Harold Pendleton of the London's Marquee Club brought the vibrant jazz and blues scene to the open air.
01:28From traditional jazz to the early sounds of rhythm and blues, this festival was a cultural turning point.
01:35Fast forward to 1968 and we go to the Isle of Wight.
01:39Now brothers Ray and Ron Folk organised a smaller, more intimate gathering, but it was the start of something big.
01:47Tyrannosaurus Rex, who would later go on to become T-Rex.
01:51The Pretty Things, Arthur Brown.
01:53This festival set the stage for the massive events that followed.
01:58Hidden away in West Yorkshire, the Crumlin Festival of 1968 was a true grassroots event.
02:06One of the earliest open air rock festivals, it reflected the rise of the counterculture at the time.
02:12A small village, a big spirit.
02:17Royal Windsor Racecourse, 1967.
02:20The Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival.
02:23Cream, Jeff Beck, Fleetwood Mac.
02:26This was the sound of the British blues boom, a pivotal moment in UK music history.
02:33Woburn Abbey, 1968.
02:36Another blues milestone.
02:38This festival captured the essence of the era, showcasing the influence of American blues on British musicians,
02:44a key player in the UK's growing festival scene.
02:48These five festivals, each with their own unique history, paved the way for not only the iconic Glastonbury Festival,
02:57but many music festivals that take place in the UK across the summer festival season.
03:02The five represent a key part of the rich history of UK music festivals.
03:08All that's left to ask you now is, what is your favourite UK music festival?
03:13And which ones are you heading along to this year?
03:16Let us know by dropping a comment wherever you find this video.
03:19I am off to try and rectify my voice.
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