Glastonbury Festival has often celebrated its opening ceremony with a firework display that welcomes punters. This year, organisers treated festivalgoers to a debut drone show 15 minutes beforehand. The display showcased famed Glastonbury iconography, which closed with a 3D peace symbol standing high above the green site, underlining the festival’s ethos. A key figure in the delivery of the spectacle, John ‘JP’ Partridge, Head of Production at Celestial, reflected on the project and considers what events like these mean for the future of drones in the live entertainment sector.
How did this project come about?
“I’ve spent much of my working career attending Glastonbury Festival with touring artists, and now with Celestial’s office being just 15 minutes away, collaborating with the festival was a dream myself and many others had. After a couple of years of discussions and meticulous planning, I am incredibly proud that we made that dream a reality. This year’s festival was officially opened for the first time with a drone display.”
What was the creative brief for this show?
“The creative brief was to craft a celebration of the festival, telling its story through some of its most iconic artwork while emphasising key messages of love, hope, and peace. We incorporated key imagery and local landmarks such as the Glastonbury Tor, the Pyramid Stage, and the iconic festival logo, culminating the show with a giant 3D peace symbol that was visible from miles away. We used 576 drones for this show and a team of 10 including myself and a drone camera pilot.”
Did the site pose any challenges?
“Anyone who has been to the festival, or indeed any festival in the UK, knows that nearly every square inch of space is occupied by people or infrastructure. So, finding a suitable and safe take-off and landing zone, while staying close to the iconic Pyramid and ensuring the animation was suitably large enough in the sky, was initially challenging. However, through collaboration with local landowners and the entire festival team, we managed to create the perfect spot to accommodate the drone swarm.”
What has the feedback been from the festival?
“It was incredibly positive. There are always challenges when doing something for the first time, and with that comes many unknowns. But on the Wednesday night a huge crowd filled the Pyramid Stage arena to witness something completely new, and they erupted with excitement when we suddenly appeared in the sky. It felt as though Celestial had headlined the festival!”
How does it feel to be involved in the first drone show at Glastonbury?
“Personally, it was an absolute honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to work with Emily Eavis and the rest of the festival team, as well as the incredible Patrick Woodroffe as our Creative Director. I believe this project truly demonstrated that drones are increasingly being accepted as the next piece of technology to integrate into live performances and events and with careful planning and coordination, drones can successfully operate within busy and complex festival environments.”
Words: John ‘JP’ Partridge
Photo: Matthew Cardy
