“Glastonbury’s Shangri-La to feature festival’s inaugural South Asian area”

Glastonbury’s Shangri-La has revealed its 2024 line-up and introduced a new stage called Arrivals, which will be located in the South East corner field for the first time this year. The area will be managed by a team of South Asian creators from Dialled In, Going South, and Daytimers, promising an immersive sensory and audio-visual experience with a stage design that combines nostalgia with futurism.

Scheduled to take place from June 26 to June 30 in Somerset, the Arrivals stage will feature performances by artists like Anish Kumar, Baalti, Nabihah Iqbal, Gracie T, Nikki Nair, Bobby Friction, and Raji Rags in 2024. BBC Asian Network presenter Bobby Friction expressed excitement over the opening of Arrivals, describing it as a “dream come true” and highlighting its significance for UK festival culture.

The introduction of a dedicated space for South Asian music at Glastonbury represents a major milestone, according to Bobby Friction, who noted that while there have been smaller festivals and occasional Asian artist performances at larger events, having a full-fledged Glastonbury stage dedicated to South Asian music, beats, and DJs for the entire festival is groundbreaking.

In addition, London’s Southbank Centre recently announced a new South Asian music event series for the spring, featuring acts like Anu and Vedic Roots. The six-stage line-up for Glastonbury’s Shangri-La was unveiled on April 19, continuing the theme from last year titled “Everything (Still) Must Go, Pt 2, The Sequel.”