Glastonbury Festival to move from Worthy Farm in 2019, founder Michael Eavis says

Plans have been outlined to move the site up to 100 miles away

(Getty Images)

Glastonbury Festival will be moved from Worthy Farm to another location in 2019 in a bid to protect the site, founder Michael Eavis has said.

Plans have been outlined to move the event to a site around 100 miles away to protect its current location.

Eavis, who began hosting the festival at Worthy Farm in 1970, said that he has identified a spot in the Midlands, but did not specify where.

"I am arranging for one year off, say every fifth year or so, to try and move the show to a site that's more suitable, I have to say. But it would be a huge loss to Somerset if it went there forever, would it not?" he said.

Eavis told the BBC: "We've got a wonderful product, what we do, and we can do it almost anywhere. I love my own farm... I might have to move it eventually.

"Most people are on side now and it's a wonderful, wonderful boost for the whole of Somerset and beyond as well."

Eavis was keen to reassure festival-goers that the move will not be permanent: "I don't want to lose it forever, no way."

Glastonbury has been given a fallow year in order to give the land it takes place on, along with local residents, time to recover from the disruption. The next scheduled one takes place in 2018.