The Who, Arctic Monkeys and Bjork are set to play western England's famed Glastonbury Festival this year, according to event founder Michael Eavis.

While organizers usually try to keep the lineup of the massively popular three-day contemporary music festival under wraps, Eavis has been dropping hints about this year's performers throughout a spate of interviews with the BBC, music magazine NME and other British media outlets this week.

For instance, Eavis has confirmed that legendary rockers The Who would be one of the June event's headliners, after guitarist Pete Townsend recently told a radio station that the group would take the Glastonbury stage this summer.

Eavis has also admitted that festival favourite Bjork is set to return and that he was looking forward to seeing hit newcomers Arctic Monkeys on stage.

He has also hinted that Canadians Arcade Fire may perform.

During a BBC interview on Wednesday, Eavis said the "biggest band in the world" had contacted him about performing after pop singer Kylie Minogue said she was too busy to headline this year's festival.

He said elsewhere on Thursday that this unnamed band is a "modern" group and was not U2, Coldplay or Radiohead.

Glastonbury organizers have  instituted a new system, in which those interested in buying tickets for the June 22-24 event must pre-register and supply a passport-sized photo that will be printed on the eventual ticket. The measure is an attempt to prevent scalpers from selling the valuable tickets for sky-high prices.

Glastonbury, officially known as the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, is considered the world's largest greenfield music and performing arts event.

Eavis took a break in 2006, calling it a "fallow" year for his outdoor venue: the Somerset dairy farm where the event has been held since he founded it in 1970.

About 1,500 people attended Eavis's early, free festivals, which featured artists like David Bowie, Joan Baez and New Order.

Over the years, the festival has grown to attract about 150,000 music lovers a year and has featured performances from veterans like Paul McCartney, Sting, Bob Dylan and James Brown, as well as newer artists like the White Stripes, Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand and the Scissor Sisters.