This is a page for Salsa and Latin dance - and related stuff - in and around Glastonbury (UK), and at the Glastonbury Festival. In 2007 we created the Latin Dance tent at Glastonbury Festival, which has gone from strength to strength, and is now one of the UK's top live Latin music venues. Every night of the festival features a major international band, with music carrying on till 3am. In the day
time, dance classes with top teachers are interspersed with more live performances. See below for a history of previous years
History of Salsa at Glastonbury Festival:
2007
Bands: SUR CARIBE (Santiago de Cuba); THE ALEX WILSON SALSA ORCHESTRA; SALSA CELTICA; ORQUESTA MONTPELIER
Teachers: Nigel May, Moe Flex & Helena. Resident DJ Felix El Gato
Our first year, we were in the Cabaret Field, just over the hedge from the Jazz World Stage, sharing the venue, with every day one class in the tent, and two more at locations around the main site. Salsa club with live music and DJ midnight-3am daily.
2008
Bands: LA CHARANGA HABANERA (Cuba); RUMBA CALIENTE; MANTECA; ORQUESTA MONTPELIER
Teachers: Nigel May (Salsa and Reggaeton), plus Bollywood, Hip-Hop and Samba from Sadlers Wells teachers
Shows from Cuban performers, hip-hop, breakdancers and more. Resident DJ Felix El Gato, plus El Dablito, and DJs from Sadlers Wells. Following the previous year's success, we were given our own venue, this time in the Dance Village (which normally specialises in rave music). A wide range of dance performances and workshops, again with our nightly salsa club from midnight.
2009
Bands: LA EXCELENCIA (New York); ALEX WILSON'S SALSA CON SOUL ORCHESTRA; THE ELEPHANTS
Teachers: Nigel May (by now resident) & Kash Murray; Nicolai & Helena. Resident DJ Felix El Gato
Due to festival budget issues (it had lost money the previous year) once again a shared venue, the Dance Village's wonderful P***y Parlure, a wood and glass German circus structure from the 1930s. Again one class a day in-house, and two around the site, with a big rueda at the Greenpeace mass wedding on Sunday afternoon. And our ever-successful late-night club with live music and DJ.
2010
Bands: TO'MEZCLAO (first gig outside Cuba); DEL CAMINO, CUBAN COMBINATION. LOS CHINCHES, LOKANDES, Jardares Por Fuera, Wara
Teachers: Nigel May & Kash Murray, Moe Flex
Resident DJ Felix El Gato, plus DJs Alx Alfaro, Cal Jader, Ojah
Relocated to The Common, a brand-new festival area, this time in association with Cubana Restaurant, a dedicated Latin tent with bar and food, classes 3 times a day interspersed with the smaller bands, and our hoppin' club at night.
2011
Bands: ROBIN JONES & KING SALSA, RUMBA CALIENTE, TO'MEZCLAO, WARA, CUBAN COMBINATION, LATIN DUB SOUNDSYSTEM
Teachers: Nigel May & Kash Murray; Nicolai & Helena. Resident DJ Felix El Gato, + DJs Jose Luis (Candela), G Die, Cal/Arias (Movimientos)
This time right in the middle of the festival, between Leftfield and West Holts, with huge 20 x 30m marquee, again sponsored by Cubana, whose mojito bar certainly added some sabor to the proceedings. Classes and nearly all the bands packed out...
No festival in 2012
2013
Bands:
ONDA TROPICA, GERARDO ROSALES Y SU COMBO MUNDIAL, ROBERTO PLA & HIS LATIN ENSEMBLE, LOS GUANCHES, AJÍ PA' TÍ
Teachers: Rohan Brown, Nigel May & Jo Mendez
Barely any time for DJs, as Los Guanches came on after the main band at nights, but Rohan did a great job...
Now with our own field! - Glasto Latino in Clapps Ground, at the entrance to the South-East (aka Naughty) corner, surrounded by Latin stalls, in a bigger marquee 35 x 25m. Roberto Pla's performance won Concert of the Year at the Annual LUKAS (Latin-UK) awards
2014
The great MAYITO RIVERA & THE SONS OF CUBA, EDWIN SANZ'S 'SAN AGUSTIN' SALSA ORCHESTRA FT ALEX WILSON, SALSA CELTICA, SON YAMBU, AJÎ PA TÎ
Teachers: Mauricio Reyes, Nigel May & Jo Mendez
Plus fantastic Cuban dancers from Cutumba performing every day... This time Salsa Celtica won the LUKAS Concert of the Year, and Edwin Sanz was runner-up in the International Concert of the year Category.
2015
Angolan superstar RICARDO LEMVÓ & MAKINA LOCA, MERCADONEGRO, ANGEL YOS Y LA MECANICA LOCA (replacing Elito Revé Y Su Charangon who had to cancel at the last minute), AJÎ PA TÎ. Teachers Robert Charlemagne, Nigel May & Jo Mendez, and introducing tango classes with Eduardo Bozzo from Buenos Aires. DJs Enrique Valdes & Nicolai V
2016
MAYKEL BLANCO Y SU SALSA MAYOR; THE EDWIN SANZ ALL STARS; RUMBA CALIENTE; SON YAMBU. Teachers: Kerry Ribchester, Nigel May & Freddie Garland, Eduardo Bozzo (Tango); Pilo Eglis Cerguera. DJs Enrique Valdes & Felix El Gato.
2017
ALEX WILSON’S SALSA SOUL ORCHESTRA; MAITE HONTELÉ; MECÁNIK INFORMAL; SON YAMBU. Teachers: Rohan Brown, Nigel May, Eduardo Bozzo (Tango); Pilo Eglis Cerguera. DJs Pilo Eglis Cerguera, Rohan Brown & Felix El Gato. No festival in 2018, and in 2019 we moved to our new central location in the West Holts field, with yet again a bigger marquee, and introducing our daily Cuban Carnival through the field.
2019
ALAIN PÉREZ Y SU GRUPO, ELIANE CORREA Y LA EVOLUCIÓN, GRUPO MAGNÉTICO, DOCKSIDE LATIN ORCHESTRA. Teachers: Nigel May, Edwin Rodriguez, Eduardo Bozzo (Tango); Pilo Eglis Cerguera. DJs Pilo Eglis Cerguera & Felix El Gato. No festival in 2020 or 2021, due to COVID
2022
CIMAFUNK; TELMARY & HABANASANA; EDWIN SANZ, ALEX WILSON,
OMAR PUENTE & ORQUESTA; INDIRA ROMÁN & AJÍ PA’ TI. Teachers: Nigel May, Mauricio Reyes, Eduardo Bozzo (Tango); Pilo & Ilaria. DJ Nigel, DJ Pilo, DJ Mauricio, & DJ Felix El Gato.
2023
MAYITO RIVERA & THE SONS OF CUBA; TELMARY & HABANASANA; MERCADONEGRO; DOCKSIDE LATIN ORCHESTRA. Teachers: Nigel May, Moe Flex, Eduardo Bozzo (Tango); Pilo & Ilaria. DJ Nigel, DJ Pilo, DJ Moe Flex, & DJ Felix El Gato.
2024
HAILA MOMPIE & ORQUESTA; ELIANE CORREA Y LA EVOLUCIÓN; TIMBA BRITÁNICA ft MAYITO RIVERA; INDIRA ROMÁN & AJÍ PA’ TI. Teachers: Nigel May, Nicolai V, Pilo & Ilaria, Ale Janssen (Samba). DJ Nigel, DJ Pilo, DJ Nicolai.
2025
HAVANA D'PRIMERA; INTERACTIVO; ÁLVAREZ FUNK; ORCHESTRA MAMBO INTERNATIONAL. Teachers: Nigel May, Rohan Brown, Pilo & Ilaria, Erica Da Silva (Brazilian Funk & Samba); Yandy Martinez. DJ Nigel, DJ Pilo, DJ Rohan, DJ A-lister. No festival in 2026
