Glasto ticket price hike causes backlash – but how much have they changed over time?

Glastonbury’s latest ticket hike is proving controversial

Organisers have confirmed that a weekend ticket will cost £408, including the £5 booking fee. This marks the first time the price has passed £400 and represents a £29.50 increase compared with 2025.

The rise has already frustrated festival goers, with many questioning whether the extra cost can be justified.

The controversy comes before the 2026 line-up has even been announced.

The festival is due to take place from 23 to 27 June, while rumours have linked major names such as Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Fontaines D.C. and Stevie Wonder with headline slots. None of these artists have been confirmed by organisers.

Tickets will become available in October. Coach packages will go on sale at 18:00 BST on Thursday, 1 October, followed by general admission tickets at 09:00 BST on Sunday, 4 October.

The eye-watering rise in Glastonbury ticket prices

Glastonbury’s ticket prices have come a very long way since the festival first welcomed crowds, and the latest increase has made that history particularly noticeable.

The original Glastonbury Fair charged visitors just £1, while paid tickets were introduced in 1979 at £5. That money was donated to the UN Year of the Child, meaning the festival was still a very different affair from the huge event it has become today.

Prices eventually climbed above £100 in 2003, when tickets sold out in less than 24 hours and the festival was widely praised as its “best yet”. By 2010, the cost had reached £185, with Stevie Wonder, Gorillaz and Muse among that year’s performers.

Another significant increase came in 2022, when tickets became around £100 more expensive. That year’s line-up featured major stars including Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross.

The rises have continued since then. When prices increased again in 2023, co-organiser Emily Eavis blamed soaring costs for running the festival, alongside the financial damage caused by having to cancel two consecutive events during the COVID pandemic.

Tickets became more expensive again in 2025, and the latest increase means a 2026 weekend ticket now costs £408.