Carhenge’s little-known connection to the 1980s incident

Thousands of festival-goers were delighted to see the return of Glastonbury’s Carhenge in 2023 – a replica of Stonehenge built from 24 vintage cars.

Yet despite its striking design and obvious reference to one of Britain’s most sacred sites, most people are unaware that the sculpture is linked to a significant incident in the 1980s.

It was first performed at the festival in 1987 and was brought back by its creator, the now 63-year-old underground artist Joe Rush from London.

“Each of the cars was dedicated to a personality whose life’s work contributed to the underground culture that is now our culture,” Rush told the BBC.

Work on erecting the massive structure for this year’s event, which was built as a tribute to counterculture heroes such as Vivienne Westwood and Fela Kuti, has been underway since late March.

Last year, the sculpture was on display at the festival for the first time since 1987 – three decades after it was created in direct response to the Battle of Beanfield in 1985.

This resulted in hundreds of New Age travellers being prevented by police from attending the Stonehenge Free Festival during the summer solstice.

Many people were injured, twelve were hospitalized and the police arrested over 400 people.

“That basically meant the end of the Stonehenge Free Festival and two years later the entire travel scene was still in chaos,” Rush said.

“We thought, if we can’t go to Stonehenge, we can build Stonehenge out of our cars and have our party there. We don’t have to fight over a piece of land and some old stones, and that’s still true.”

“It’s the people that make a party, and when the people are there, the party can happen anywhere.”

Carhenge was Rush’s first work at Glastonbury, but his Mutoid Waste Company has since created some of the festival’s most iconic installations, including the pier at Glastonbury-on-Sea and a giant mechanical phoenix that hung over the Pyramid Stage during the Rolling Stones’ headline performance in 2013.

Although the festival has changed a lot over the past 40 years and “isn’t as wild as it used to be,” Rush stresses that the festival’s core ethos is still as valid as it was decades ago.

“Although it has undergone so many developments over the years, it is still fundamental to think about people and the well-being of the planet.

“The festival’s core principles of creative energy and conservation, and all the other issues it has championed over the years, are still very much alive and authentic.”

This year, the installation will come to life at night with the sounds of Congolese band Fulu Miziki, or “music from the garbage” in Lingala. There will also be performances by percussionist Jo Bucket, reminiscent of the nightly drumming sessions that took place at Carhenge in 1987.

At other times of the day, the installation will be surrounded by “sound pockets” associated with the heroes depicted on each column.

“I just love it. I built it and it’s my favorite place at the festival,” said Mr Rush.

“You have to observe how people use it, how people react to it and how people engage with it as a space and as a sculpture.

This year will provide another opportunity to learn, Rush said, adding that he hopes to have “something that has integrity” by the end of the third year.

However, he joked: “If you can get this thing up and running in the first year, you’ve done well.”

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook And XSend us your story ideas by email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More about this story

Further Internet links