With Glastonbury Festival approaching there is one specific product that comes to mind, sky lanterns. They have, in recent years, become an integral part of any Glasto-goers experience. In an interview last year the headliner’s, Kings of Leon, cited the launch of sky lanterns from the Stone Circle as their strongest memory of the festival. If you do not directly launch one from the magical Stone Circle you are likely to witness their ghostly presence as they drift up and across the rolling Somerset landscape. It is no coincidence that the release of the lanterns, with their connotations of peace and hope, have become intrinsically linked with the Stone Circle. This area is where festival goers seek respite in the dark of the night, sitting around and talking communally around fires in the trusting spirit that remains at the heart of the festival. As is traditional with sky lanterns, a wish is made with each one released. It is a close to numinous experience to watch from the hillside of the Circle as the wishes float across the packed festival, oblivious to the frantic crowds beneath them, up in to the sky and out of view. Watching the sky lanterns take this journey in to the clouds is a pure moment to ponder and escape. It is one of the reasons that in spite of its ever sprawling size, Glastonbury remains unequaled.
