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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jess Molyneux

Unforgettable and brilliant moments Scousers have had at Glastonbury

Glastonbury 2023 is officially underway and thousands from across the globe have already made their way to the world famous music festival.

Long before the Glastonbury Festival we know today, the first festival was held over a two-day period in 1970. It's gone on to attract incredible line-ups including some of the world's biggest musicians and coach loads of Scousers have headed to Glastonbury to witness it all.

The festival has also been the location for some unforgettable, brilliant and wholesome moments from the people of Liverpool. From local musicians wowing crowds to romantic gestures and Scouse humour at its finest, without a doubt festival-goers from the region make the most of their time at Glastonbury.

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And as this year's festival take places, we've revisited a number of incredible stories. Here, we take a look back at some of the best moments Scousers have had at Glastonbury in recent years.

This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, we've taken a look back at a number of hilarious and brilliant moments Scousers have had at Glastonbury in the last few years. But, if you feel there is something we should have included, let us know in the comments section below.

'Scouse lad' tries his luck dressed as a woman

Last year, people were loving the "scouse lad" who reportedly tried his luck getting into Glastonbury. According to reports on social media at the time, a man with a Liverpool accent using a "40-year-old woman's" ticket dressed up in a dress, blonde wig and sun hat to try and get into the UK's biggest music festival.

Posting on Twitter, @LoriHartx shared a tweet and a video of the man in the queue waiting to hedge his bets to try and get in. The tweet, which had more than 3,000 likes at the time, was then followed by a video that has had more than 121,000 views of the "lad" standing in the queue with his ticket.

In recent years, Glastonbury has issued tickets with photographs of the buyers on in an attempt to limit touting. People jumped into the replies, one person tweeted: "Haha yes lad." Another person wrote: "We need to know did he get in."

Romantic proposals

Beth Ryan shows her engagement ring following a proposal by partner Ben Keating (second left) at the Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Glastonbury Festival has also been a back drop for a number of romantic moments and engagements. In 2015, the ECHO reported how Ben Keating surprised girlfriend Beth Ryan by getting their friends to hold up letters that spelled out “Marry me princess” at the Somerset music festival.

After saying “yes” an emotional Beth – who had been tricked into following Liverpool FC fan Ben towards the waiting sign – was surrounded by the group who celebrated with the happy couple. They were then lifted onto their friends’ shoulders while a nearby brass band serenaded them as Beth showed off her ring.

What are your memories of Glastonbury through the years? Let us know in the comments section below.

In 2017, Kayleigh McBride said she was in "complete shock" when her boyfriend of four years, Liam Harkin got down on one knee in the mud at Glastonbury during what would be couple’s wedding song - Angels. Just as the songs chorus began to kick in Liam, 29, seized the opportunity to ask Kayleigh to marry him.

At the time, Kayleigh, 28, said: “I did not expect it at all, it was amazing.” The couple, who became first-time parents in the April, enjoyed the special moment in the crowd at the Pyramid stage surrounded by friends and family.

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Sean proposed during Paul McCartney's Glastonbury headline set in 2022 (Sean Warren)

And last year, a man who proposed to his girlfriend during Paul McCartney's Glastonbury set said he hid the ring in his man bag for the whole festival. In 2022, Sean Warren proposed to girlfriend Toni Lynn during the former Beatles star's headline Glastonbury show after two weeks of planning.

He told the ECHO as they both love The Beatles it seemed the perfect time to pop the question. The pair had been together for four years after meeting at Benicàssim festival and despite both originally being from Huyton they had never met before then.

Sean said the whole group apart from Toni were aware he was going to pop the question. He also checked what the predicted setlist was before the set began to find the right moment.

Kirkby mum smashes Glastonbury DJ set

Kirkby DJ Donna Walker at Glastonbury (Mike Walker)

In 2019, many will also remember the moment a Kirkby mum had her ‘dreams come true’ by playing a DJ set at Glastonbury.

The mum-of-two played a surprise set at The Open Arms tent in the Greenpeace field and won over crowds in front of her family and festival-goers. Donna entered a competition to play at the Somerset festival this year but was unsuccessful, however, she received a last minute text offering her a 45 minute slot.

Thankfully, she had gone to the festival for the fourth time prepared and had her music with her on a pen drive. Speaking to the ECHO, The 55-year-old, said: "It was unbelievable, just a dream come true and to have my family around me it was amazing, I’m still on a high to be honest with you."

Jamie Webster's Glastonbury Festival debut

Jamie Webster performing on the Left Field stage during the Glastonbury Festival (PA)

We know a number of Scousers have performed at Glastonbury through the years. But for many, nothing compared to Jamie Webster's debut last year at a jam-packed Left Field stage.

The first festival since before the Coronavirus pandemic, the singer-songwriter joined the huge line-up, alongside another Liverpool icon - Paul McCartney. Speaking before the festival, Jamie said getting asked to play by musician Billy Bragg, who co-curated the activist stage, was a "bucket list" moment.

It’s no surprise that the crowd was filled primarily of scousers and LFC-fans, but the magic of Glastonbury is that the audience is made up of people from all walks of life. Crowds flooded out from the red tent and gathered outside, with his fans clearly outnumbering the under cover capacity.

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