Off The Beaten Track: Guide to Glastonbury Festival 2024
Schedules are being made, stages constructed and ponchos bought, it can mean only one thing: festival season is upon us once again. As music fans take to the parks and farms of the world, armed with tents and a worrying lack of sanitation, the world is reminded of the true beauty of live music. For many, that beauty is never more prevalent than at the ultimate music festival destination, Glastonbury. The five-day arts festival is known the world over for its incredible atmosphere, unparalleled lineups, and celebrated history, which goes all the way back to 1970 on the sacred land of Worthy Farm.
With hundreds of artists performing across multiple stages, it can often be difficult to decide just what to see at Glastonbury, for those lucky enough to have bagged tickets. While the truly iconic Pyramid Stage is probably your best bet if you’re in it for the big hitters and established stars like Shania Twain, Dua Lipa and Coldplay, there are countless up-and-coming and obscure gems to be heard on the many other stages that make up the festival. People travel from all over the world to congregate with other music obsessives at Glastonbury, so it only makes sense that the festival’s line-up should reflect that fact.
So, while many other festivals across the United Kingdom focus predominantly on home-grown talent, you can effectively travel the world through music at Glastonbury. The days of Glastonbury being an exclusively ‘Pop, Blues & Folk’ festival are long behind us; nowadays, you can find everything from pounding breakbeat DJ sets to the calming sounds of Malian kora music. Of course, not all of these acts make it to the live BBC broadcasts, but those who have attended the festival before will know that there is only so much that can be translated onto the small screen.
So, for the more adventurous festival goers out there, we have chosen to highlight some of the finest musical acts performing at Glastonbury 2024 that might have slipped under your radar thus far. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it is essential reading for anybody hoping to hear something a little different than the usual rock and pop offerings at Glastonbury this year.
An off the beaten track guide to Glastonbury:
Fulu Miziki – Carhenge – Wednesday – 22:30
The first night at a festival is always an important one, as it tends to set the tone for the rest of the weekend. So, once you have your camp set up and some ludicrously overpriced festival scran down you, it is worth checking out the Carhenge stage for some infectiously energetic Afro-futurism. Formed in the Democratic Republic of Congo before relocating to Uganda, Fulu Miziki is an endlessly innovative collective using homemade instruments coupled with electronica to create some pretty unique compositions.
Fulu Miziki are the perfect act to start off your Glastonbury experience, putting you on a positive track for the rest of the weekend. However, if the journey to Somerset had resigned you to an early night, do not worry. The Congolese collective are performing seven times across the weekend, including a Saturday evening slot alongside Notting Hill Carnival.
Indira Roman & Aji Pa’ Ti – Glasto Latino – Thursday – 21:30
Everybody is praying for sunshine at Glastonbury this year, but even if the skies are grey and the fields are muddy, the fantastic tropicália duo of Indira Roman and Aji Pa’ Ti are sure to bring a little slice of sunshine to the weekend. The husband-wife team fuse the euphoric sounds of cumbia, salsa and tropicalismo with Roman’s roots as a gifted Cuban vocalist. As you might expect, the resulting sound is enough to get even the most miserable festival-goer in the mood for grooving.
Glastonbury regulars might already be familiar with Indira Roman Y Aji Pa’ Ti, as they first performed on Worthy Farm back in 2013 and have returned multiple times in the intervening years. With years of experience under their belt and a captivatingly joyous, skilled live set, the duo are certainly not ones to miss. If you fancy something a little more low-key, the pair will also be performing an acoustic set at 20:00 on Wednesday too.
Asha Puthli – West Holts Stage – Friday – 12:30
Although advertised as playing on the West Holts Stage, Asha Puthli could just as easily fill the Sunday afternoon ‘legends’ slot. After giving up her life as a flight attendant for British Airways, the Indian singer has spent over 50 years as one of the greatest South Asian vocalists of all time. It may be a struggle to drag yourself out of your tent so early on a Friday morning, but this set is a rare opportunity to see a truly groundbreaking artist in the flesh.
Enticed initially by jazz and avant-garde composition, Puthli’s music began to take on a wide range of influences as her voice progressed. Over the course of her long and illustrious career, the Bombay-born singer has drawn upon funk, soul, disco, jazz, and even glam rock, finding that delicate balance between innovation and pure, unadulterated talent.
N’famady Kouyaté – The Hive – Friday – 00:00
There is no shortage of late-night activities at Glastonbury. Some legendary DJs and dance acts are ready and willing to make you dance the night away, but nobody will achieve that feat quite like N’famady Kouyaté. The Guinea-born, Cardiff-based multi-instrumentalist is dangerously effective in creating infectious modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue using a multitude of traditional instruments.
Mandingue culture and music dates back hundreds of years, spanning modern-day Mali, Gambia, Senegal and Guinea, so it is both fascinating and beautiful to hear that tradition being brought into the 21st century and shared with audiences across the world by a musician as talented as Kouyaté. For those of you who prefer an early night, the multi-instrumentalist will also be playing a 12:30 slot at the Glade stage on Saturday.
Suntou Susso – Croissant Neuf – Friday – 01:00
Sticking with the distinctive and timeless sounds of West Africa, Gambian multi-instrumentalist Suntou Susso will be playing a late-night spot closing out the Croissant Neuf stage on Friday night. The musician is perhaps best known for his skill in playing kora music, a traditional West African style that has witnessed something of a resurgence in the past couple of decades.
In essence, the kora is somewhere between a harp and a lute and is utilised in various different forms of music throughout West Africa, though it has strong ties to the Griots (storytellers) of the Mandinka people. Susso is one of the most noted kora players currently in operation, having dedicated his life to educating people about the instrument as well as performing his ethereal music to audiences across the world. In other words, it is worth staying up for.
Femi Kuti – Pyramid Stage – Saturday – 12:00
Back in 1984, the Afrobeat progenitor and political activist Fela Kuti performed one of the most legendary sets in Glastonbury history, playing on the Pyramid stage with his band Egypt 80. Now, 40 years later, his eldest son – who played with Egypt 80 that day – returns to the Pyramid stage for a set of his own. However, this is certainly not a tribute set. Femi has established himself as an essential jazz and Afrobeat star in his own right.
Since forming his own group in the late 1980s, Femi Kuti has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the greatest artists and saxophonists in the game. In fact, he once set the world record for the longest continuous note played on a saxophone, coming in at over 51 minutes. Without wishing to resort to sensationalism, this performance is set to be one of the most historically significant at Glastonbury 2024, just as his father’s was four decades ago.
Otoboke Beaver – The Park Stage – Saturday – 15:15
Let’s face it, by the time Saturday rolls around, you are going to be somewhat worse for wear. If the hangovers don’t get to you, then sleeping on the cold, hard ground of Worthy Farm certainly will. Luckily, Japanese punks Otoboke Beaver are on hand to give you the shot of adrenaline you will so desperately need.
From their formation in Kyoto back in 2009, the all-female band have blended influences of hardcore punk, garage rock, and riot grrrl, culminating in a defiant and unwaveringly energetic sound that seems like a perfect fit for Glastonbury. The whole zen spiritualism of the festival is not for everybody, so feel free to let your hair down and have a mosh at Otoboke Beaver.
Arooj Aftab – The Park Stage – Saturday – 16:30
Hot off the release of her stunning new album Night Reign, Pakistani-American composer Arooj Aftab is due to dominate the Park stage on Saturday afternoon. Her ethereal vocal performance and dedication to jazz-inspired minimalism are sure to enmesh Worthy Farm in a spaced-out, zen-like atmosphere in a way that only Aftab could. Admittedly, following on from the sonic chaos of Otoboke Beaver would not be an easy task for most artists, but Aftab certainly has enough experience and talent to pull it off.
Although Aftab is now based in the United States, she is certainly not ignorant of her roots in Lahore, Pakistan. Her music regularly touches upon the influences of her homeland, creating a unique and captivating sound that few other modern vocalists could hope to achieve.
Mdou Moctar – The Park Stage – Sunday – 15:15
The distinctive sounds of Tuareg guitar music have witnessed something of a renaissance in recent years, and a lot of that is down to the incredible artistry of Nigerien songwriter Mahamadou Souleymane – better known as Mdou Moctar. The Tchintabaraden-born musician has succeeded in educating audiences around the world about the joys of traditional Tuareg styles while simultaneously building upon those influences by incorporating modern styles of rock and blues.
Moctar’s music, which is performed entirely in the Tamasheq language, is imbued with a timeless quality, owing predominantly to its traditional Tuareg influences. While his guitar playing is undoubtedly the main attraction, the vocal performances have been particularly endearing in his most recent works. Ultimately, it is probably worth missing the start of Shania Twain’s set on Sunday to bask in the glory of Mdou Moctar.
