Performance space ‘Terminal 1’ returns to Glastonbury Festival from 25th to 29th June

The immersive situationist artwork and performance space Terminal 1 returns to Glastonbury Festival 25-29 June with a dynamic programme of art, performance, music and talks. Celebrating migration as a vital and transformative force, Terminal 1 presents a bold and deeply moving vision brought to life by an international cohort of artists responding to one unifying message: NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL.

Originally launched in 2024, Terminal 1 was met with critical acclaim and emotional resonance, with festival-goers describing the experience as urgent, powerful, and profoundly affecting.  Built using salvaged materials from the demolished Heathrow Terminal 1, this site-specific installation reimagines the remnants of a transit hub as a place of solidarity, resistance, and celebration.

What makes Terminal 1 especially significant within the Glastonbury Festival landscape is its unique ability to gather all forms of art in one space. It is not simply a music stage, it is a multidisciplinary platform where visual art, theatre, spoken word, film, performance, and music converge. While music plays a decisive role in unifying the experience and drawing audiences together, it is one element of a broader artistic vision rooted in storytelling, empathy, and collective reflection.

This year’s programme features an impressive lineup including Greentea Peng, Goya Gumbani, and OneDa, among others, in a rotating daily schedule. The curation is a collaboration with leading cultural organisations including In Place of War, The Silhouettes Project, Bonita Worldwide, Jupiter Artists, Notting Hill Carnival, and St Pauls Carnival. This year’s edition also marks the return of CAIWU (Cleaners & Allied Independent Workers Union) who will be staffing and performing throughout the weekend with proceeds going directly to the union and the staff. La Linterna will also bring back their thought-provoking poster art which can be discovered at the experience.

Terminal 1 is curated by Oriana Garzón and produced by Paula Clark, with Miguel Torres Umba returning as creative consultant and performance director. His expanded vision introduces more theatrical interventions and live performance elements across the terminal and immersive spaces.

The walk-through installation features four cabins, each confronting a contemporary issue connected to migration. Designed by a range of national and international artists, the cabins are activated by live performers who guide visitors through the emotionally charged environment.

To enter the experience, participants must answer a question from the official UK Government Citizenship Test. Incorrect answers result in being sent to the back of the queue—simulating the uncertainty, frustration, and disorientation often experienced by migrants and asylum seekers.

Terminal1 will also be brought to life through the latest VR technology provided by technology partner Dimension Studio. This allows those with accessibility needs to experience the full walk through in Virtual Reality. The VR headsets are available at Terminal 1 throughout the experience to accessibility wristband holders.

More than just a stage or an installation, Terminal 1 is a convergence point for global artistic voices. It stands as a tribute to migration, a critique of border systems, and a deeply human invitation to imagine a more compassionate world.

Producer Paula Clark: “In producing Terminal 1, we are creating a platform to not only showcase exceptional work by artists and performers from around the world, but we also get to share the stories and experiences of migrants, from those with lived experience. It is eye-opening, inspiring and at times disturbing – it is a call for compassion – by brilliant human beings”

Miguel Torres Umba – Creative Consultant & Theatre Director: “In times when global inequality is deepening and those in power push narratives that encourage division and blame, especially against migrants, I believe it’s both a privilege and a responsibility to show up as an artist. Migration has never been the problem; it’s the way it’s used to divide us that is. Through Terminal 1, I hope to create bridges, not walls, to reach across difference and remind us of our shared humanity.” 

Ruth Daniel – CEO and Artistic Director, In Place of War: “It feels so important and exciting to have a presence at Terminal 1 this year. We will bring GRRRL, women artists from across the globe, telling their stories through powerful music alongside recipients of our #HackMusic Catalyst Fund – from South Africa, Pakistan and Brazil who will work shadow with the incredible Terminal 1 team, building experiences and connections to embed back in their communities. This is a powerful stage, with the celebration of migration at its heart. Everyone we are bringing is excited about the prospect of performing and working at this stage – led by the incredible vision of Paula Clark and her team. This is not just your average stage – it’s something that makes you think and consider the perspectives, dynamism and stories of others.”

Mark Wallinger – Turner prize winning participating artist (JUNGLE GYM):  I was thrilled to be invited to contribute my work to the inaugural Terminal 1 in 2024 and was very excited by the plans. But nothing prepared me for what was to follow. To be part of such an inventive and effective collaboration, with other artists, performers and crew working together on making manifest so urgent a message was a profound and unforgettable experience. I feel privileged to have been invited to work closely with the inspirational team behind Terminal 1 this year, and hold dear the manifesto inscribed on the wall at the end of the installation last year: ‘None of us can take credit for where we are born. None of us have the moral right to deprive our fellow humans of resources and opportunities just because they began life somewhere else. And that’s it. To hold this feeling to our hearts – whenever we talk about migration it should be from a position of kindness, humility and good grace.’ JUNGLE GYM is a response to the plight of children, the innocents in this world who have no say and no power.

Oriana Garzon – Curator: “Terminal 1 at Glastonbury Festival represents a curatorial vision grounded in imagination, equity, and collaboration. Designed as an integral stage, the project seeks to platform emerging talent alongside established voices—fostering dialogue, visibility, and shared creative space. Migration is not a crisis, but a systemic issue shaped by global inequalities, conflict, and policy. Borders obstruct fluidity and inflict harm; no one should be punished for the decision to move. Through art as the conscious use of imagination, *Terminal 1* calls for expansion, mutual aid, empathy, and justice. Glastonbury provides a powerful and fitting platform for this work.

Terminal 1 is for everyone who didn’t make it, and for everyone who did.”