Arcadia's Metamorphosis show burns bright at Glastonbury

Image: Arcadia Spectacular

With heavy legs and muddy boots, the trek over to Glastonbury's southern fields is by no means the easiest of tasks. But when you're greeted with something as impressive as Arcadia, it all seems worth it.

There over the horizon looms a monster, a fire shooting mechanical beast that blares out basslines and beats. In the warmth of its glow you and thousands of others are lit up against the night as the festivities go way into the early hours, soundtracked by some of the worlds finest DJs.

Not surprising then that Arcadia has been a permanent fixture at Glastonbury festival since 2014, having made it's first appearance way back in 2007 and for the first time this year, its Metamorphosis show came to Worthy Farm.

In the cold light of day the spider looks tame, incarcerated behind fencing as mechanics tinker with it's 50 tonne structure ahead of the evening show.

Bertie Cole, Arcadia's technical director, says about Metamorphosis: "It's a half an hour show that takes place at 11:30pm over the Glastonbury weekend, it's been a work in progress but now we have jellyfish, more pyrotechnics and three smaller spiders scuttling to and from the bigger spider right over the audience's heads.

"At the same time we also have the mechanical orchestra performing live as well as the lords of lightning shooting electricity at each other so it's a pretty amazing show." 

The Metamorphosis show first came to Bristol, the hometown of Arcadia, in September 2015 and was played out in front of 24,000 people over two nights. With Glastonbury not too far down the road, there's certainly a homecoming feel when the spider comes to Worthy Farm, as Bertie explains:

"A lot of the team are from Bristol so Glastonbury is like a second home to them and the festival is a really important part of their lives.

"In keeping with the ethics here we've been using recycled metal to make the structure of the spider so the eyes are made from Rolls Royce jet engines and the muscles are made from helicopter tails. We also beta tested a bio fuel flame system at the festival last year which uses fuel made from restaurant cooking oil and chip fat".

But what's it like when you're up in the DJ booth? "Fucking amazing" says Bertie. "The whole thing shakes and there's actually a button the DJs can press that triggers the flames which, obviously, a lot of them like".

This year the likes of Craig Charles, Eats Everything and Carl Cox all manned the decks at Arcadia, hanging above throngs of revellers whilst making the ground shake to the sound of funk, house and techno.

Bertie reveals that Cox was his personal favourite coup but with a host of huge DJs still yet to grace Glasto's most eye catching attraction and a seemingly endless plan to develop it, we can't wait to see what Arcadia present at Worthy Farm next year.

Like this? Check out Glastonbury festival 2016 review