
Some of the many, many "wacky" people at Glastonbury 2009. This year's
festival sees more sideshow attractions than ever, including theatre
and circus fields, Trash City and of course the Shangri-La area. The
theme there for this year is 'Dyscotopia'. Pic: Andy Whitton

A Glastonbury reveller heads for the dance area, Saturday June 27. The
Dance Village first opened in 1995, and now comprises six stages. It
holds a massive 20,000 people and hosts the Silent Disco as well as DJs
24 hours a day. Pic: Tom Martin

Glastonbury in full swing, Sunday June 28. The major talking point of
the day was the man with the jet-pack who kept flying over the Pyramid
Stage, distracting the bands and delighting onlookers. Pic: Tom Martin

More Glastonbury 'eccentrics'. In 1983, a local aviator flew his plane
over the site trailing a banner that read: "Help the Soviets, support
CND." Michael Eavis responded by firing a couple of fireworks at him. Pic: Joe Plimmer

More pasty flesh on display. Backstage celebrity spots over the weekend included
the omnipresent Andrew Marr, tubby astrologer Russell Grant, the actor Dominic West, Harry
Enfield (spotted chatting to Damon Albarn and watching Tinchy Stryder) and Mat Horne. Pic: Joe Plimmer

Party people soak up the anything-goes vibe at Glastonbury. The sunny
weather encouraged a large number of people to wear fancy-dress. Pic: Joe Plimmer

A pair of jokers arrive site. There were reputedly massive traffic problems
for arrivals on Wednesday (June 24th), with some punters reporting
horrific hold-ups of up to thirteen hours. Pic: Tim Cochrane

Danger Mouse chills out ahead of The Wonder Stuff's set on the Avalon Stage, Saturday June 27. Pic: Joe Plimmer

The first day of Glastonbury. The festival kicked off on Thursday (June 25th) with a 4pm appearance
from Maximo Park on the Queens Head Stage - attended by an audience
estimated at 60,000 people. The resulting crush forced the gig to be
delayed. Pic: Joe Plimmer

A Jack Sparrow impersonator backstage at the festival. He was later
seen heckling The Prodigy's Keith Flint as they arrived. Pic: Tim Cochrane

Punters near the stone circle at Glastonbury 2009. The circle is not as
ancient as you might think, having only been completed in 1990. Pic: Tim Cochrane

Glasto fans chill out on some rare dry ground on Thursday (June 25th).
The festival hit its stride on Friday, with performances from The Dead
Weather, Little Boots, The Horrors, The Streets, The Specials and
headliner Neil Young. Pic: Tom Martin

Punters gather on the Thursday of Glastonbury (June 25th). The evening
was marred by the news of Michael Jackson's death. He's not the first
star to die on the eve of Glasto though - Hendrix passed away just
before the 1970 weekend kicked off. Pic: Guy Eppel

He might look like a lunatic, but he was better prepared than a lot of people on site - torrential rain fell on Thursday night, ensuring a muddy start to the festival. Pic: Joe Plimmer

Late-night revellers embrace the madness of Saturday night at Glastonbury, traditionally the most debauched night of all. Pic: Joe Plimmer

Glasto fact: Keith Allen used to take his baby daughter, Lily, to Glastonbury to
help him sell drugs. Keith confessed this in 2007: "I didn't see what
was wrong with taking little Lily along with me as a sales tool -
rather like the homeless lads do with dogs." Pic: Joe Plimmer

A bloke in a green latex costume gets to grips with a giant flower - a typical Glastonbury scene. Pic: Joe Plimmer

Any hopes of a mud-free Glastonbury were crushed when stunning thunder
and lightning storms filled the skies over the site on Thursday
evening. A scorching week of sunshine ended and inches of rain pounded
the festival site - much to some punters' delight. Pic: Danny North

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More fancy dressed punters at Glasto 2009, who no doubt disagree with
Nicky Wire's oft-quoted dismissal of the place ("someone should build a
bypass over this shithole"). Pic: PA

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The sun sets on Glastonbury, Saturday June 27. Pic: PA

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A man in a pink body-stocking waits for The Dead Weather to come on stage.

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A dog shelters from the sun on Saturday afternoon. Clever dog. Pic: PA

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One of thousands of eccentrically dressed party people at Glastonbury
2009. Common themes this year included brightly-coloured Spidermen,
wedding dresses, and of course the ever-present luminous tutus.

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Bobby Gillespie once called the crowds at Glastonbury a "bunch of
fucking hippies". In truth, the hippy contingent is minimal these days.
The event continues today with live action from The Dead Weather, Lady
Gaga, Jack Penate and The Streets. Pic: PA

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For backstage video interviews with many of the key bands at Glastonbury - as well as a helicopter ride over Worthy Farm, and a video tribute to Michael Jackson by the stars of Glastonbury - head to NME.COM/video.

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For the definitive review of Glastonbury 2009, pick up the new issue of NME magazine, which is on sale from Wednesday July 1. Pic: PA

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Pink tutus are always popular at festivals - but it's usually teenage girls who wear them, not grown men. You'll find many more Glastonbury photos at NME.COM/photos. Pic: PA