Few places are as closely associated with mud as the Glastonbury Festival. It’s not just bad luck or the odd rainy year—there are specific geographical and environmental reasons why the site turns into thick, clinging sludge with such consistency.
Worthy Farm, where the event is held, sits on low-lying land within the Somerset Levels and is underlain by clay-rich soil that drains poorly and becomes dense and sticky when wet. Summer downpours can quickly saturate the ground, and with around 200,000 people trampling the fields during the festival, grass is destroyed and the soil compacted, preventing water from dispersing. The result is churned, waterlogged earth that turns into the thick, persistent mud the festival is known for.
