Emily Eavis has shared her joy and relief in a new interview after Glastonbury 2022 got underway earlier today (June 22).

The festival gates opened at Worthy Farm at 8am this morning, with festival organiser Eavis and her dad Michael on hand to welcome in the first ticketholders.

Speaking to Lauren Laverne on her BBC Radio 6 Music Breakfast Show today, Eavis reflected on the unusually long build-up to the 2022 festival after Glastonbury’s 2020 and 2021 editions were both cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m still recovering, because the build-up has just been so long,” she told Laverne. “We’ve never had a build-up as long as this, obviously. We’ve never all collectively been through such an extreme time together. So to actually be able to see people there, welcome them in and just watch them streaming in and just running to pitch their tents up and fill the fields, its just an amazing feeling.”

Predicting that Glastonbury 2022 will have a “totally unique atmosphere” due to that long build-up, Eavis then said that, given the unpredictability of the past two years, “there were many moments where we were just full of uncertainty” in regards to holding this year’s event.

Glastonbury 2022 gates are open!! pic.twitter.com/2LuWx2yBI9

— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 22, 2022

“It was only really in the last few months that we were sure we were going to make it through,” she continued. “How certain can you ever be really at the moment? It’s just a miracle. We’ve made it happen. It’s here, everybody’s coming on to site.

“You can actually see from here that the fields that were green are now turning to multicoloured tents. That’s the best, you know.”

Eavis also said that she was particularly looking forward to seeing the three Pyramid Stage headliners this year (“I think getting Paul McCartney, for us, is just the ultimate person to have this year; to bring this whole thing back and bring everybody together”) and added that Wet Leg‘s performance on the Park Stage is “going to be huge”.

The latest weather forecast for the Pilton area suggests a sunny start today with temperatures reaching 25°, though there is the possibility of light rain showers from Thursday to Sunday.

Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Glastonbury 2022.