Glastonbury plans a silent disco

Glastonbury Festival will hold a silent disco for the first time in its 35-year history, in an attempt to limit the noise.

Two thousand dancers will enjoy the disco by wearing headphones, enabling them to gyrate into the early hours without causing a disturbance.

Residents have complained repeatedly about noise levels at the music festival at Pilton in Somerset.

Mendip District Council agreed in January that the event could go ahead on 24 to 26 June, as long as organisers met new restrictions, such as employing "noise monitors". They will patrol the festival grounds, silencing loud sound systems before residents complain.

Emily Eavis, the festival's co-organiser, told Time Out magazine: "The council have really stressed that noise pollution is the number one thing they're looking out for. Imagine a couple of thousand people dancing in absolute silence!" Organisers have also promised improved crowd supervision, better ticketing security, improved transport management, more facilities for the disabled and improved waste recycling. There will not be a festival next year, to give neighbours a break.

Bands rumoured to be playing this year include Coldplay, the White Stripes and New Order.