A major clean-up operation has begun at Glastonbury to return the site from a pop-up city of 200,000 people to a Somerset dairy farm.
Volunteers began shifting rubbish strewn across the 800-acre site as revellers began to make their way home following headline performances by Billie Eilish, Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar.
They began picking up thousands of discarded items including paper cups and food containers after around 200,000 people descended on Worthy Farm for the festival.
The clean-up crew tackled over-flowing bins with waste and big items such as camping chairs, blow-up mattresses, slippers, flip-flops and shopping bags needing to be disposed of.
Volunteer Sean Kelly, 32, told the PA news agency: “I’ve been litter picking every day for hours. In the whole recycling team there is 2,500 of us and I’ve done it 10 years on the trot.
“It’s very similar to 2019 because it is dry, it is a lot easier to pick when it is dry.
“As a rule, everything is pretty much done early this year. There’s been a huge reduction in gas canisters this year, but there’s been a lot of vape bars and they are the only things you can’t recycle.
“Most things get recycled here.”
Campers packed up their belongings and left in a steady stream from the Somerset site on Monday morning as the rain descended following a festival that had defied ominous forecasts of thunderstorms and a yellow weather warning from the Met Office.
Highlights from the festival’s special 50th year include history-making headline sets from Sir Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish as well as Lamar’s dramatic demonstration for female rights.
Meanwhile, Diana Ross reeled off hit after hit when she took to the stage for the Sunday teatime legends slot.
The soul singer treated the crowd to a selection of classics including I’m Coming Out, Baby Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, Stop! In The Name Of Love and at the conclusion of Chain Reaction pink confetti was launched from the stage.
Another standout moment was Sir Paul’s Saturday headline show where he wowed the crowds with a show-stopping setlist which included surprise guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
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