Sunday 30th June 2013 by Adam Tait | Photos by Wenn

Tags: Glastonbury Festival

Prince Harry was at Glastonbury yesterday (June 29), and was advised by founder Michael Eavis to stay up all night to get the most out of his festival experience.

Giving his customary Sunday morning press conference this morning (June 30) the farmer and festival organiser said he’d advised the royal that he had to be there through the night to really get the Glastonbury experience.

“I recommended that he should go through the night, because the nightlife is really what Glastonbury is all about,” Eavis said.

“At three in the afternoon, you won’t get it, will you? So I told him to get his taxi driver to come back at five in the morning and you know what, he lasted until about four in the morning, so he saw all the best stuff. He had lots of mates with him and they were all having a good time I think.

He didn’t want to make a formal thing out of being here or anything. I didn’t have a drink with him because I don’t drink during the festival.”

Eavis also dubbed last night’s headliners The Rolling Stones as “brilliant”, saying their headline set was long over due.

“The Stones were the best thing - it had to be, didn’t it, 43 years of me, 50 years of them, we finally come together and we’re on the same page at last.”

The 77-year-old founder of the festival said he was impressed by the band’s energy on stage.

“Mick Jagger’s energy, leading that band with such a passion and so much skill was absolutely amazing. Seeing him moving... I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

“I’m quite a bit older but I couldn’t go like that - and I can keep going, but not at that pace!”

The Stones headlined Glastonbury for the first time this year

It was also revealed that the mechanical phoenix that came to life during The Stones’ set would spring into life twice more today, including during Mumford and Sons set, but Eavis confessed it had cost “more than I’d like to say” after taking a year to construct.

“I’ve got to get my money’s worth, haven’t I?” Eavis said.

And lastly the Glastonbury founder revealed that he had already booked three headliners for next year, but said they wouldn’t be revealed until tickets for the 2014 event went on sale.


Asked if any of the booked headliners were of the same veteran calibre as The Stones Eavis replied, “Ever so slightly, yeah.”

Below: Backstage with the bands at Glastonbury - The 1975, Bastille and more