Glastonbury Festival opened its third Emerging Talent Competition in October 2006, looking for four bands to play four of the biggest stages at one of the world’s most celebrated music festivals. For this year’s entrants, the waiting is over, and the final shortlist of 24 bands has been chosen by the Festival’s own dedicated panel of listeners. “New music has always been the lifeblood of the Festival,” says Emily Eavis. “This has been our biggest competition ever, with some really exciting new music.”

Each one of the unsigned acts will be performing live – a total of eight bands each night – in front of a panel of judges, including Michael Eavis, at the Pilton Working Men’s Club on 22, 23 and 24 March and stake their claim to performing on the John Peel Stage, Acoustic Stage, JazzWorld Stage, and in the Dance Village at Glastonbury Festival 2007.

In addition to the category winners, one overall winner will be awarded a slot on the Other Stage at the festival, PLUS a BBC Radio One recording session at their Maida Vale studios.

Here are the finalists:


The 9000

Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo (pictured)

Venus Bogardus