Sun shines on Glastonbury

Fears of another mudfest, a headlining hip-hop act, and slow ticket sales fail to dampen the Somerset festival. Andrew Johnson reports

Thousands of Glastonbury revellers enjoyed the rare treat of blue skies yesterday and swapped Wellies and brollies for T-shirts and shorts.

Many feared the worst on Friday when a summer downpour brought the mud which has blighted the festival for the past three years, and which organisers blamed for slow ticket sales.

A handful of tickets were still available yesterday, the first time in several years the 900-acre festival – Europe's biggest greenfield site – has not sold out.

Michael Eavis, who organises the event on his farm in Pilton, Somerset, had implied that this year was a make or break for the festival, which has ridden a wave of bad luck in recent months, from the death of co-founder Arabella Churchill to the loss of festival highlight Lost Vagueness.

"There's a lot at stake," he said. "We really do need a good year."

Last night, all eyes turned to US rapper Jay-Z, whose appearance led to criticism that a hip-hop act was out of place and was also blamed for slow ticket sales.