In the English county of Somerset, the twice-delayed year of the famous Glastonbury festival kicked off on Friday, celebrating 50 years of existence with a delay caused by a pandemic. The first day of the main program in the evening will culminate with a performance by award-winning American singer Billie Eilish. During the noon opening of the largest stages, the organizers let the visitors appeal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenský, who called for Ukraine’s support for Russia’s continuing aggression.
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“Glastonbury has the greatest concentration of freedom these days. And I ask you to share this mood with everyone whose freedom is now the target of an attack, “Zelensky said shortly. speech recorded for the Glastonbury Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world. “Spread the truth about the Russian war. Help Ukrainians who are forced to flee their homes because of this war… And push on all the policies you know to help restore peace in Ukraine, ”he continued.
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Zelenskyj performed similarly last month at the beginning of the Cannes Film Festival. The organizers of Glastonbury gave his speech on large screens at the second largest stage, where a crowd gathered for a performance by The Libertines.
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“We in Ukraine would also like to live life as before (before the pandemic) and enjoy freedom and this great summer. But we can’t, because Russia stole our peace, “Zelenskyj said. “We want to stop the war before it destroys people’s lives in other countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America,” he added.
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Shortly afterwards, the performances of the biggest names of the long-awaited festival year began. Ziggy Marley, the son of the legendary Bob Marley, was the first reggae singer to perform on the largest Pyramid Stage. He was followed by rock veterans Crowded House and Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.
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The history of the festival has been written for more than 50 years. The first year took place on a family farm between the villages of Pilton and Pylle in 1970, and since then the festival has grown into an event with a capacity of around 200,000 spectators, music of various genres and a rich accompanying program in the form of theater, discussions and film screenings. The celebration of 50 years of its existence in 2020 was thwarted by a coronavirus and the festival did not take place even a year later due to the pandemic, so this week it returns after a three-year wait.
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The weekend will feature stars such as rappers Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion, another young pop sensation Olivia Rodrig or Paul McCartney, who will become the oldest performer to close the program on the main stage. The Sunday program will also have a Ukrainian track, during which the Ukrainian folk quartet Dakha Brakha will perform at the Pyramid Stage.
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