Winzum at Glastonbury 2022

After a three years absence from Worthy Farm, Glastonbury Festival returned in June, and Winzum was lucky enough to be in attendance. A beacon of community, tolerance, respect, and charitable values, the festival really is as close to a modern-day utopia as you can get. And this is without even considering the music, as the likes of Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, and Kendrick Lamar graced the Pyramid Stage alongside countless other performers.

A literal city of well over 200,000 people, there is something truly magical about Glastonbury. The 2022 edition was a belated 50th-anniversary celebration originally meant to be held in 2020. Worthy Farm brings people together in mutual love and joy every year, but this time carried even more weight after the last few years. The craving for community and shared experiences was evident across the weekend, and it got us thinking about our own integral values.

Winzum caters to a broad demographic of ages, professions, and interests. Whether you’re after a wellness hamper or exclusive one-off artwork by famous graffiti artist Cheba, we’ve got you covered. We also aim to give back to charities and local communities as much as possible, something Glastonbury’s steadfast dedication to charitable donations has hugely inspired.

All in all, our time at Glastonbury Festival 2022 was enriching and genuinely inspirational. It’s an energy we hope to carry forward into the next stage of Winzum’s evolution. Stay with us for a round-up of the festival itself and how some of its core values encourage our own pursuit of community-driven, charitable, and ludicrously exciting online competitions.

Glastonbury: A Modern Utopia?

Originating in the 1970s, Glastonbury was founded with utopian values at its forefront. Acting as a vital part of the counterculture and CND movement, Michael Eavis’ festival has become a crucial partner for organisations like Greenpeace and WaterAid.

And these partnerships don’t just result in a banner on the largest stages. Active demonstrations and volunteers are everywhere on a grassroots level, encouraging festival-goers to take action or educate themselves. On a more significant llevel, speakers like this year’s Greta Thurnberg take to the Pyramid Stage to spread their message. It’s a refreshing change from other more commercial festivals that can often seem like they are just there to make a quick buck.

Glastonbury’s commitment to utopian values is clear throughout the festival. Whether you are dancing the night away in the South East Corner or relaxing in the Green Fields, there’s no getting away from the messages of unity, love, peace, and ecology.

This utopianism borne out of the 60s counterculture can be hard to feel in today’s world, especially if you keep a keen eye on the news. Glastonbury is a welcome escape that can teach us so many vital things about how to better ourselves and the world. It’s something we couldn’t help but take notice of at Winzum.

2022’s Most Exciting Performances

By now, you can probably tell we love a good music festival, and there are numerous reasons why. Aside from the powerful sense of community and togetherness, being able to watch performances from some of the best musicians in the world is also a huge reason.

With so many incredible artists playing over the Glastonbury weekend, it’s hard to choose the best ones. Nevertheless, we’ve attempted a round-up below:

• Paul McCartney: Watching Paul McCartney on the Pyramid Stage felt like a truly historic moment. Mixing parts of the Beatles catalogue with newer Wings and solo material, the 80-year-old played to one of the biggest crowds in Glastonbury history.
• Billie Eilish: Paul was the oldest headliner in the festival’s history, which made Billie Eilish’s appearance on Friday even more special. She was the youngest headliner ever, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from her commanding and deeply inspiring performance.
• Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80: The youngest son of the legendary Fela Kuti, watching Seun Kuti continue his father’s legacy was beautifully touching and powerful.
• Overmono: Playing a live electronic set on the genuinely outrageous iicon stage, Overmono proved why they are the natural precursors to 90s phenomenons like Orbital.

How Glastonbury Helps Independent Businesses & Creatives

Going to Glastonbury is entertainment first and foremost. At the same time, it’s almost impossible not to take genuine lessons away from such an enriching place. For example, one thing that struck us over the weekend was the sheer amount of independent businesses and creatives being given the space and time to grow.

From blacksmiths and woodcarvers to poets, musicians and dancers, there was no limit to the different professions and creative endeavours on show. Things like the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition are also invaluable for aspiring musicians looking to play at arguably the biggest and most respected festival in the world.

Winzum wants to follow in Glastonbury’s footsteps in this regard. We love running competitions with independent artists or businesses and always encourage people to get in touch with any potential partnerships.

The Eavis’ Inspiring Drive Toward Charities

Charitable donations have been another key aspect of the Glastonbury Festival since its inception. Every year Michael Eavis and co. aim to give at least £2,000,000 to partners Greenpeace, WaterAid, and Oxfam. There are also other smaller charities on-site, either working in tents or walking around the festival looking to register festival-goers.

Glastonbury’s commitment to giving to charity is truly inspiring, especially as it can often be well over 50% of all profits. Winzum is also dedicated to giving back as much as possible. Last year we were able to donate £200 to the Bristol Children’s Hospital Cancer Unit, something we’re looking to replicate regularly in the future. Our commitment to donate at least 25% of all profits is a non-negotiable part of our ethos. We also collaborate with our wonderful community to choose charities and organisations to help out.

How Glastonbury Can Be A Modern Blueprint For 21st Century Community-Driven Change

Winzum was started to counter the complete lack of community-driven online competition platforms. Our delightful weekend at Glastonbury really got us thinking about this in more detail. The festival is a genuine beacon for community-driven grassroots action and a sense of mass togetherness that can be hard to find elsewhere in our modern world.

Whether it is supporting live music venues after lockdown or simply spreading community-wide tolerance and respect, Glastonbury can teach us all a thing or two. The Winzum ethos is driven by this feeling, which is why we’re so careful to get our competition community involved with things like charities or new and exciting brands.

All in all, our time at Glastonbury was enriching, joyful, inspiring, and educational. It truly is the best place on the planet, and as we move forward, we’ll continue to hold its quintessential essence very close.