The Chinese government is absolutely furious about Glastonbury this year

It’s a festival with a long history of protest and activism at its core, but this year’s Glastonbury festival has gone beyond berating big oil and calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons; it has upset the world’s second-largest economy.

Chinese government officials have reacted with fury to the news that the Dalai Lama is set to give a talk at the festival on Sunday, joining an eclectic mix of artists ranging from Motorhead and Kanye West to the Russian group Pussy Riot.

The 79-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader says he will be promoting a message of “compassion” and “non-violence” in the peace-loving Green Fields, but that has not stopped the Chinese Ministry of Foreign affairs saying that Glastonbury is part of “international scuttling”.

It’s unclear whether the festival’s organisers, Michael Eavis or his daughter Emily, are likely to respond to the anger against the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama, but in a rare intervention into festival politics David Cameron said it was an issue for festival-goers.

More: Why there's a see-through toilet at Glastonbury this year