Glastonbury’s Shangri-La Space Undergoes Dramatic Reinvention for 2025
In a bold move, Shangri-La, Glastonbury Festival’s iconic field of counterculture and alternative music, is reinventing itself under the theme of ‘The Wilding’. This year’s transformation marks a significant shift from previous years, with creative director Kaye Dunnings and her team starting from scratch to create a new and exciting experience.
According to Creative Boom, the team has taken the slogan ‘Everything Must Go’ to its logical conclusion, effectively resetting the space. “When we said Everything Must Go, we meant it; everything has gone,” explains Kaye. “This is a chance to start over and make everything new and exciting. And while ‘Everything Must Go’ was about critiquing capitalism and pointing out the problems with it, this new era will be about giving some answers and sharing solutions.”
As reported by Creative Boom, the new theme will be reflected in the space’s communications, with a focus on one-on-one, real-life and analogue connections. Rather than announcing The Wilding on social media, the organisers sent out hand-crafted packages to press and artists, featuring limited-edition risograph posters and packets of sunflower seeds. This approach is a deliberate attempt to move away from the noise and chaos of online life and create a more personal connection with festival-goers.
Creative Boom reveals that the 100 limited-edition Shangri-La Line-up packages were all handmade in the South West, riso-printed by Josh at 16 Tonne Press, and feature artwork designed by Rosie Lee Wilson. The paper was made by Bristol-based paper company Arboreta Papers and is 160gsm recycled and acid-free. Shangri-La will exclusively be sharing announcements and images via a new mailing list titled Sign up for joy!, allowing festival-goers to stay up-to-date with developments in a calm and curated way.
Kaye, as quoted in Creative Boom, reveals that the new direction has been in the planning for the last two years. “It’s almost like a pilot episode, an introductory year because the festival will be taking a year off in 2026 to let the farmland recover. Then, in 2027, we’ll go really deep into the themes we’re covering this year.” The reimagining of Shangri-La will partly be informed by how visitors have interacted with the space in the past, with a focus on recapturing the feeling of genuine discovery that modern technology has largely eliminated.
The Shangri-La space will feature four completely new music stages: the Shangri-La Main Stage, Lore, Luna, and Azaadi, with only Nomad surviving from previous years. The line-up includes Fatboy Slim’s 100th Glastonbury show, a celebration of jungle pioneer DJ Randall, and the return of Joy (Anonymous) with a Joyous People takeover. As Creative Boom notes, Kaye emphasises that the Shangri-La experience is about far more than just fresh beats, with a focus on community and interactivity.
As reported by Creative Boom, the essence of Shangri-La is about the community and the fact that it’s been created by so many different people. While everything will look and feel different in 2025, the area should still have that same Shangri-La vibe that people have come to know and love. “In the last couple of years, Shangri-La’s been more like a town; this year, it’ll be more like a village,” Kaye adds. “And while everything will look and feel really different, the humour will still be there, the interactivity will still be there, and the theatricality will still be there. We’re trying to make this new show as authentically Shangri-La as possible. In fact, it might even feel more Shangri-La, in terms of capturing its true essence.”
The changes to Shangri-La reflect a broader shift in the way festivals approach promotion and communication. Kaye, as quoted in Creative Boom, expresses her disillusionment with social media and its impact on society. “I’ve been increasingly disillusioned by social media and what it does, how divisive it can be, and how you can’t really avoid adverts anymore,” she explains. By focusing on physical connections and analogue experiences, Shangri-La is setting a new precedent for festivals and events.
The redesign of Shangri-La is a bold experiment, but one that could pay off in the long run. As Creative Boom reports, Kaye and her team are committed to making the space a true reflection of the Shangri-La ethos. With its focus on community, interactivity, and discovery, The Wilding promises to be a unique and unforgettable experience.
According to Creative Boom, the new venue will be physically bigger, allowing more people to enjoy the brilliant, talented artists without having to queue. The South Asian programming introduced by last year’s Arrivals stage will continue in 2025 in the form of Azaadi, programmed by Going South and Lila Music.
Overall, Shangri-La’s dramatic reinvention for 2025 is set to be a game-changer for Glastonbury Festival. With its bold new theme, innovative approach to promotion, and focus on community and interactivity, The Wilding promises to be an unforgettable experience. As Creative Boom notes, it’s a development that festival-goers and industry professionals alike will be watching with great interest.
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