Didn't get a ticket for the real this year? never mind, just grab your remote and tune in to Glastonbury at home - and you won't need to wear your wellies

THERE was a time when Glastonbury tickets were just £1, with the lucky 1,500 punters promised free, fresh milk to drink and an ox roast to feast on to boot - but 45 years on, it's a whole different story.

This year, some 135,000 ticket-holders will once again descend on the famous site in Somerset, to watch the likes of The Who and Pharrell (and pray for sunshine). But while music festivals are now ten a penny, for some, Glasto takes a lot of beating.

"There's the tingle of anticipation and then the breathtaking view of the festival cityscape, and myriad of tents blending into one beautiful vision. The best time of day is as the sun goes down and the lights start twinkling, it's unreal," says festival veteran Jo Whiley, who's joining up with Dermot O'Leary for Radio 2's coverage, and Lauren Laverne and Mark Radcliffe for BBC Two's TV highlights.

The BBC is once again offering extensive TV, radio and online coverage of the event, starting on Friday. Here's a look at some of the highlights in store, along with some fun facts and figures...

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

To keep all the punters occupied throughout the five-day event, there will be music, spoken word, poetry, plus all sorts of workshops and films played out on more than 100 stages across the 900-acre site. The biggest stage is the Pyramid, which will be host to the rockers Foo Fighters, metallers Motorhead and US singer-songwriter Mary J Blige on the Friday, rapper Kanye West, Pharrell, crooner Burt Bacharach and Paloma Faith on the Saturday, rounding things off with classic rockers The Who, along with Lionel Richie, Patti Smith and Paul Weller on the Sunday. Generally speaking, BBC Two is the channel to watch for the biggest names.

THE OTHER STAGES

Elsewhere, there will be performances from Mark Ronson, Ryan Adams, The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Caribou, The Zombies, Super Furry Animals, The Fall, Suede, The Moody Blues and Donovan. For host Laverne, it's this diversity in the line-up that really inspires her. "Last year on radio and TV, I was able to cover Dolly Parton, Metallica, the first ballet performed at the festival, live sessions from Little Dragon, Kate Tempest and Toumani & Sidiki."

FAN FAVOURITE

Cast your mind back to 2010, and there's Stevie Wonder serenading the crowd with a version of Happy Birthday to celebrate the festival's 40th anniversary. Go further back to 2004, and Paul McCartney led a chorus of thousands in a sing-song of Hey Jude. There's also Radiohead's landmark showdown in 1997, just after the release of the band's OK Computer, The Smiths' 1984 stage invasion and Johnny Cash's iconic 1994 performance. But one set really sticks in Whiley's mind. "Dolly, Dolly, Dolly!" says the DJ and presenter of the mega-famous country singer's performance last year. "The sheer enormity of that crowd and the outpouring of love for one mighty woman and her music make it my highlight."

GREEN GLASTO

Everyone who goes to Glastonbury has a Glastonbury loo story. The good news is that the loos are actually cleaned every day. And the other good news is that with a whopping 2,000 long drops, 1,300 compost loos, plus urinals, she-pees, disabled toilets, a small number of actual flushing bogs and a dwindling number of portable loos, there shouldn't be too much in the way of queues.

Known for its green credentials (hence the dwindling number of plastic portable loos), the festival is hot on recycling, limiting plastic waste and supporting worthy causes. Indeed, since 2000, each festival has raised £1m for charities and local good causes.

  • The BBC's coverage of Glastonbury Festival begins on Friday