Members of a refugee choir have spoken of their excitement about performing at the Glastonbury Festival, describing it as a "massive platform".
Scroll through the gallery above to see photos of Glastonbury Festival 2022 so far
The Citizens of the World Choir was founded in 2015 in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, and is now made up of 50 people, with refugees from more than 30 different countries.
Aref Hussaini, 23, is Afghan but grew up in Pakistan. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: "Our community has been under the persecution of extremists like the Taliban and other extremist groups in Pakistan.
"We've been targeted... that's why I left (Pakistan)".
He arrived in the UK at the start of 2020, and saw a leaflet for the choir while being processed by authorities in a refugee hostel.
"I absolutely love singing. When you're in a choir it's easier. You have the support of your mates around you," he told PA.
Hussaini said he was "really looking forward" to the choir's performance, and that he had also watched Billie Eilish's set at the Pyramid Stage on Friday night.
Sonia, 38, who chose not to share her surname, is originally from Iran and is now a member of the choir.
She told PA she was "thankful" to be involved. "In this crazy situation we are in with the Tory government doing all that unfair and unjust stuff sending refugees back to Rwanda, this is a kind of fighting back as a refugee being here.
musical director
"I'm thankful for this situation and opportunity".
She described the choir as a "platform for everyone, equally", saying they are "raising our voices, singing loudly, proudly from our heart and telling the audience that our blood is the same colour".
Anna Vryzhan, 28, an event organiser, is originally from Mariupol, Ukraine, a city that has been heavily bombarded since Russia's invasion.
She was in Kyiv when the invasion began, and decided to leave the country in early March.
She came to the UK as part of the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme, and is hosted by a fellow choir member.
She told PA the choir allows people to be "united in one place, all of them from different parts of the world.
"It didn't have this experience before (of) such kindness, such welcome, (it) helps you to forget about everything."
Becky Dell, the musical director, told PA that when the choir began, the team behind it said "it would be an amazing goal to play at Glastonbury... and here we are."
The choir is a 50/50 split of refugees and non-refugees, and calls itself a "rainbow tribe", according to Dell, because "none of us look the same as each other — it's amazing".
She said the choir hopes to "elevate the narrative around refugees; too often the story is 'poor refugees', it's sending them far away.
"We wanted to show refugees in a different way. They are displaced human beings first and foremost."
Billie Eilish and Ukraine Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra rock Glastonbury Festival — in pictures
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US singer Billie Eilish performs in the headline slot on the Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival. Getty Images -
Multi-Grammy winner Eilish is the youngest solo act in history to top the bill on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. Getty Images -
Eilish performed a crowd-pleasing set, which kicked off with hit 'Bury a Friend' and ended with 'Bad Guy' and 'Happier Than Ever'. Getty Images -
Without directly referencing the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, a 1973 ruling giving women the constitutional right to abortion, Eilish said: 'Today is a really dark day for women in the US.' Getty Images -
Eilish then dedicated 'Your Power', a song about abusing power, to the US Supreme Court ruling. Getty Images -
The Glastonbury Festival is being held in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England. AP -
The festival returned for its 50th anniversary this year, two years later than planned after Covid-19 scuppered the 2020 and 2021 events. AP -
Crowds watch Billie Eilish perform on stage. AP -
Other top headliners to come at the festival include Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar. -
Billie Eilish on the Pyramid main stage. AP -
The UK music weekender, which is among the biggest in the world, is set to welcome more than 200,000 guests over the coming five days. Getty Images -
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses festivalgoers via a video link. AFP -
'Glastonbury is the greatest concentration of freedom these days and I ask you to share this feeling with everyone whose freedom is under attack,' Zelenskyy told festivalgoers. AFP -
Kalush Orchestra, Eurovision winners from Ukraine, performing their first UK gig at Shangri-La's Truth Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. EPA -
The band, whose song 'Stefania' earned them the winner's title at the singing contest in Turin last month, spoke about their hopes of their country hosting next year's Eurovision competition. EPA -
The European Broadcasting Union had said it cannot host the Eurovision in Ukraine, due to security issues. Winners of the contest traditionally host the competition the following year. EPA -
Ukraine has condemned the European Broadcasting Union's decision to strip it of the right to host next year's Eurovision song contest on security grounds after Russia's invasion. EPA -
The BBC said it was in talks with the EBU about hosting the event in the UK, with the country's Sam Ryder finishing runner-up to Kalush in Italy. EPA -
If the UK does host the contest in 2023, it would be the ninth time it has done so — more than any other country. EPA -
The crowd watching Kalush Orchestra. EPA -
Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra on the Truth Stage. EPA -
Glastonbury has not taken place since 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to live events across the world. EPA -
MC Kilimmen from Kalush Orchestra on stage. EPA -
Oleg Psyuk, the frontman of Kalush Orchestra, performs. EPA -
Crowds wave the Ukrainian flag as they watching Kalush Orchestra perform. EPA -
Bobby Gillespie, vocalist for Primal Scream, performs on the John Peel stage at Glastonbury Festival. EPA
