With anywhere between 250 and 350 music festivals taking place in the UK each summer, it's a wonder that any stand out among the crowd.

Essentially, they all consist of the same things - music, food, drink, crowds and, more often than not, camping.

As they've become bigger business - it's estimated that festivals pump £1billion into the economy each year - they've had to work even harder to keep the punters coming through the door. And it's an increasingly tough marketplace; The Big Chill, Harvest At Jimmy's, Outbreak, Cloud 9, Wildwood and Sonisphere have all, in recent years, been cancelled for good or for this summer. If organisers take their eyes off the ball for even a minute, the consequences can be dire.

Glastonbury, however, still stands head and shoulders above the rest.

This year's event will be headlined by Florence + The Machine, Kanye West and The Who, and it was big news when these names were announced. It was even bigger news when, just days ago, the Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl announced he'd snapped his fibula after falling off a stage in Sweden, which meant the band would have to pull out of performing in Somerset.

Florence was bumped up to the list to fill their slot, and for what it's worth, she and her band will make a more than adequate replacement - actually, as a young, British woman with a new album to perform, along with a large array of hits in her catalogue and an eccentric presence to match the festival itself, she probably should've been headlining in the first place, not second on the bill as she was when Grohl was fit and healthy.

Of course, newsworthy as they are, Glastonbury is about more than its bill-toppers. There are around 2,000 artists booked to play over the festival's 80 stages. It's amusing to hear people crying about Kanye West headlining, with some bright spark even starting a petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, to stop the rapper performing, when you consider that there are around 75 other things those people could watch when he's on instead.

But aside from the scale, what is it about Glastonbury that's so special?

It could be down to its history. The festival was started 45 years ago by Michael Eavis on his Worthy Farm. Entrance back in 1970 was a pound (this year's tickets were £225 each), and T. Rex headlined after The Kinks failed to turn up. Some 1,500 people attended, and they all got free milk from Eavis' dairy herd.

The eccentric farmer and music fan may also be a reason Glasto is so enduringly popular. It's one thing to see a giant festival with the best bands booked, but knowing it's all done by a team headed by Eavis and his daughter Emily on their farm, means this isn't the cynical enterprise of a faceless corporation, but a beloved family business.

The BBC's coverage also adds to the sense of occasion. As the number of TV cameras has gone up, so too has Glastonbury's sense of import.

Which came first - the sense of grandeur or the TV cameras - is perhaps a chicken and egg situation, but nevertheless, the fact millions of people can watch world class performances without having to leave their living room makes Glastonbury a festival for everyone.

EXTRA TIME - GLASTONBURY

:: After early events in 1970 and 1971, the festival returned in 1978, although there were no bands booked. A load of people just turned up on their way from Stonehenge, as they'd heard there was a festival taking place.

:: It became a three-day event for the first time in 1979. It made a loss, and as a result there was no festival in 1980, while Michael Eavis worked out how to avoid making the same mistakes again.

:: 1981 was the first time the name Glastonbury Festival was used. It had been known at Glastonbury Fayre up until then.

:: You think toilets at festivals are bad now? Glastonbury didn't get proper loos until 1983, and that was considered ahead of the curve. Now there are almost 6,000 toilets on site.

:: Controversy over headliners on the Pyramid Stage is nothing new. The Smiths performed in 1984, which angered loyal attendees who didn't think popular bands should be at the festival.

:: For the first time, attendance reached 60,000 in 1987. This year's attendance will be around 180,000.

:: It changed its name again in 1990, this time to Glastonbury Festival For Contemporary Performing Arts, as its remit now included comedy, spoken word, theatre and other artistic pursuits.

:: Gatecrashers had always been a problem at Glastonbury, but in 2002 the famous fence was erected, to stop anyone but ticket holders getting in.

:: The site covers around 900 acres. It's about a mile-and-a half across, with a perimeter of around eight-and-a-half miles.

:: During the festival, around 11 million litres of water will be consumed. While figures for food consumption are harder to come by, more than two tonnes of uneaten produce was saved after last year's event to give to low-income families in the local area.

:: Glastonbury Festival opens on Wednesday June 24. It will also be broadcast across BBC One, Two, Three and Four and on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, 2 and 6 Music