There is no question that Glastonbury can secure the best headline acts of all the festivals in the country, but do bands play Glastonbury for the fact that it is a headline show and a lot of money or the appeal of having played a headline slot at Glastonbury?
A major act such as Bruce Springsteen who does not play many UK festivals was lured into playing Glastonbury just because of what Glastonbury is. However other acts such as Coldplay and Muse who have headlined in recent years are well known for being 'on the circuit' (regularly playing festivals around europe). So does this mean that some bands that could have been lined up to play Glastonbury may take a step down and headline other major festivals in the UK such as Reading/Leeds or V festival?
My opinion is the pool of available potential headline acts could be increased due to the lack of Glastonbury as record labels get more and more pushy towards their bands being seen at festivals and the subsequent t.v. and news attention it attracts.
Although early days the best place to check for reliable information on festivals I have found is Efestivals.
I'm not sure it will make a massive difference. Too many bands are 'on the circuit' as you said (Dizzee immediately coming to mind!) , therefore I think it will only make a difference for a very small number of big acts. Glasto does also stand out from the crowd due to its prestige and long history. No other UK festival even comes close; at least, from an international standpoint anyway!
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