Glastonbury has a solid claim to being the “biggest festival” in history. It all started back in the ’70s and became an annual event in the ’80s (except for a few fallow years), featuring artists like Elvis Costello, The Smiths, and The Cure in its early lineups.

A lot has changed since those days, though. A time-traveler from Glasto’s early years would find today’s music scene completely different (though they might be shocked to see how much vinyl is still around). The music that fans are into has shifted dramatically; Charli XCX’s performance this year could leave a festivalgoer from 1982 feeling like they’ve stepped into a “Victorian child” fantasy.

Yet, in many ways, some things haven’t changed at all. For instance, The Cure’s Robert Smith is still part of the scene, having shared the stage with headliner Olivia Rodrigo in a moment that defined the festival. Modern music’s most exciting artists are still leading the lineups, including Rodrigo, Charli XCX, The 1975, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Doechii, and Lola Young. There were also some crowd-pleasing classics, like Rod Stewart, Travis, and Kim Deal from the Pixies and The Breeders. Even after all these years, the festival still has the power to surprise: Lorde kicked off the weekend with a surprise daytime set, performing her new album Virgin live for the first time.

The festival is incredibly diverse, too. Even if you missed all the acts mentioned, you could still have an amazing weekend. This year’s event featured thousands of performances across numerous stages. It’s kind of like trying to count how many grains of sand are on all the world’s beaches when it comes to the unique Glastonbury experiences available, depending on each attendee’s musical tastes and schedule.

That makes it tough to sum up Glasto in a definitive way, but one thing is clear: The highlights were truly high, and the options beyond them were nearly limitless.