'It feels like we're making history, it really does.'
Those were the words of multidisciplinary creative and DJ Almass Badat, who spoke to M at this year's Glastonbury about the introduction of Arrivals, the festival's first dedicated South Asian space.
Located in Shangri-La, Glastonbury's celebrated radical area, and designed in collaboration with the South Asian cultural organisations Dialled In, Daytimers and Going South, Arrivals was conceptualised and curated — from the stunning artwork and vibrant stage design to its DJ line-up, which included Nabihah Iqbal, DJ Ritu and Anish Kumar — by an entirely South Asian team.
To celebrate Arrivals' inaugural year at Glastonbury, M caught up with Almass, BBC broadcasting legend Bobby Friction and Lila's Vikram Gudi — all of whom performed DJ sets at Arrivals in 2024 — to discuss what was a hugely significant moment for both Glastonbury and South Asian music.
You can watch our special mini-documentary, Arrivals: inside Glastonbury's first dedicated South Asian space, below or by heading here.
