A new exhibition celebrating decades of Glastonbury Festival history has opened in the heart of town – curated by a collector whose obsession with the event began nearly 30 years ago.

The Spirit of Glastonbury exhibition is now on display at the Tribunal on Glastonbury High Street, featuring thousands of pieces of festival memorabilia collected by local resident Gez Smith.

Gez began collecting in 1997 after watching the 1995 Channel 4 coverage of the festival. He moved to Bristol soon after and went to his first Glastonbury – and never looked back.

Since then, he's amassed a meticulously archived collection of around 3,500 items, including 160 T-shirts, bootleg recordings, and even a pair of paint-splattered boots once worn by one of the festival's bin painters.

Gez has volunteered at Worthy FM and most recently worked as a steward in the healing field. But this is his first time curating a public exhibition – and it's something of a full-circle moment.

He first visited Glastonbury as a teenager with his mum, looking for a B&B at the old Tourist Information Centre – now the Tribunal.

The exhibition also features cassette recordings from the festival archive, capturing not only performances but also the voices and conversations of festival-goers – providing a unique soundscape of decades past.

The exhibition is open at the Tribunal from now until mid-August. Opening hours are Thursday to Monday, 10am to 4pm, and Tuesday 12pm to 4pm. Closed Wednesdays. Entry is free for English Heritage and Antiquarian Society members, or £4 for adults, £2 for under-16s and students. Under-5s go free.

There will also be a special talk by Gez at Glastonbury Town Hall this Thursday (June 19) at 7pm. The event, hosted by the Antiquarian Society, is free for members and £2 for non-members.

Gez is also inviting anyone with Glastonbury Festival memorabilia or personal memories to get in touch, either to have items scanned or stories recorded for the archive.