MICHAEL Eavis, founder and organiser of Glastonbury Festival, has confirmed that talks are ongoing with Longleat Safari Park about the possibility of staging an event at the Wiltshire location in the future.

Rumours of a move for the festival have been circulating recently, and Mr Eavis today confirmed that plans are still being discussed.

Mr Eavis, president of the Royal Bath and West show, was talking today at the country show to ITV News.

He said: “I’m talking to Longleat everyday actually, so I hope we can come to agreement with them (Longleat) eventually.

“We haven’t done so yet, but they are quite keen.

“I want to move there in 2019, but we have got to get licensing, get the police on board, and all the local councillors at Salisbury District Council.

“So we have got a long way to go on this one.”

While claiming that Longleat 'is the best site in the whole of England', Michael Eavis also stated that Pilton is Glastonbury’s ‘home’, and that it is ‘probably the best place for it’.

He added: “Worthy Farm is very warm, it's full of atmosphere and character and history as well.

“But I really do need an alternative site, no doubt about it.

“It really worries me, it keeps me awake at night, not having anywhere else to go.

“It is so successful and so huge, and people love it so much, and it’s just a bit unsafe at the moment.”

It is unclear whether the proposed Longleat event will take the place of Glastonbury Festival, or be a separate event alongside the Worthy Farm bash.

Yesterday, The Guardian reported that Michael’s daughter Emily had denied that the festival would move from its current location.

She said: “We are going to do a show somewhere else with the same team behind Glastonbury but it hasn’t got a name yet and we’re still not entirely sure what shape it’s going to take.

“For now we’re all (focused) on Worthy Farm and we’re not thinking too far down that road because we’re quite busy with this one at the moment!”

The world-famous festival has been held at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, since 1971.

Michael Eavis does not own all the land that is used for the current festival site, and therefore has to lease land from neighbouring farmers to put on the giant event.

This could be one of the reasons why the festival is looking to other locations for the future.