Glastonbury Festival 2024… it’s nearly here!
If like us, you’ve been counting down the days before we’re back on the farm, well there’s not too long to wait! But in the 11 months since the curtain came down on Glastonbury 2023, we’ve been busy working with the Festival to explore more ways we can continue to fight together for a more equal world.
So, what have we been up to?
Climate Campaign
In 2023, 15,000 people at Glastonbury Festival signed our petition to demand that the world’s biggest polluter’s pay into a Climate Loss and Damage fund to help the people most affected by the climate crisis. We continued to campaign into the Autumn and delivered a 139,000 signature-strong petition to Downing Street.
The movement for Climate Justice continues to grow with support from Glastonbury Festival-goers at its heart.
Ellie Gomez-Price (Campaigns Officer, Oxfam), Muhammad Qasim (Constituency campaigner) and Natalie Shortall, (UK Government Relations Advisor – Climate Justice, Oxfam) hand in petition at 10 Downing Street, London.
Fully Funded Volunteer Scheme
As planning for 2024 began with gusto, we partnered with Glastonbury Festival in support of their ‘Volunteer Scheme’, which was aimed at giving those without the opportunity to buy tickets, the chance to visit the Festival as a volunteer. We’re hugely excited to have 50 volunteers from Safe Passage, The Hub, Young Bristol, Young Women’s Trust and Youth Connect South West as part of our Stewarding and Campaigns teams this year.
Oxfam volunteer stewards start their shift at Pedestrian Gate C at Glastonbury Festival.
Prize Draw
In March, the Glastonbury offered 10 pairs of Festival tickets for a prize draw aimed at raising vital funds for Oxfam, WarChild and The Red Cross, and support those affected by conflict around the world. This raised over £600,000 in a matter of weeks – an amazing amount, which even more incredibly, the Festival MATCHED! The Prize Draw raised a total of £1,278,000. These funds will be used to help those affected by conflict around the world, including supporting our work in Gaza. The horrendous situation in Israel and Gaza has dominated the world agenda. Oxfam has been attempting to provide aid to the people of Gaza whilst calling on world leaders to secure a ceasefire in the region, as well as a halt to arms sales to Israel.
Oxfam’s partner staff from the Palestinian agriculture Relief Committee (PARC) preparing food parcels (vegetables) being distributed in Southern Gaza Strip as part of Oxfam’s emergency response to the crisis in Gaza.
Glastonbury Town Shop Support and Collaborations!
In January our iconic shop in Glastonbury Town Centre (where the Oxfam/Glastonbury partnership began!) faced several challenges. After partnering with the Festival, who offered exclusive merchandise, our sales are up 20 percent in just four months and the future of the shop is looking considerably brighter. Don’t forget to nip in for your last-minute Festival outfits!
We’ve also partnered once more with both Tony’s Chocolonely and Barbour through our ticket competitions and thousands of you have got involved and found out more about Oxfam’s work in the process. You can also find limited edition Barbour pieces in our shops at the Festival this year!
Oxfam Shop at Glastonbury Festival 2022
Donations funding Oxfam’s work
To cap it off, we continue to receive generous donations from the Festival. Oxfam’s work spans across emergency response, women’s rights and gender justice, climate adaptation to find long-term solutions for food and water shortages, and campaigning for systemic change to tackle inequality and poverty. We couldn’t do this without the support of partners like Glastonbury Festival and everyone that attends and supports the Festival.
From everyone at Oxfam, thank you.