There are many notable music festivals in the United Kingdom, covering a wide variety of genres. Some are world-renowned and have been held for many years, including the world's largest greenfield festival, Glastonbury, which has been held since the 1970s. Large-scale modern music festivals began in the 1960s with festivals such as the Isle of Wight Festival and following the success of Woodstock
in the United States[citation needed] and free festivals. Some began as jazz festivals such as the Reading Festival which began as the National Jazz and Blues Festival in the 1960s and the first Glastonbury Festival was the 1970 Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival. In the 21st century the number of festivals has grown significantly,[1] particularly with the emergence of smaller-scale "boutique" festivals. However, in 2011 and 2012, several festivals were cancelled at short notice - some due to weather conditions and some due to poor sales - prompting fears that the festival market is saturated.[2] In 2020 the number of UK festivals was approximately 241.[3]
