Arctic Monkeys fans believe they’ve spotted the definitive sign the band will perform at Glastonbury after Alex Turner’s illness cast a shadow over the Pyramid Stage.
A giant mirrorball was photographed being unloaded at Worthy Farm on Thursday 22 June, ahead of the English rock band’s third time headlining Glastonbury festival.
“A mirrorball has arrived on the farm,” one attendee announced, sharing photographs of the silver prop on Twitter.
The lead single from Arctic Monkeys’s seventh studio album The Car is titled “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball”.
You can keep up with all things Glastonbury here.
Fans became worried Arctic Monkeys would be forced to drop out of the planned performance after they cancelled a show in Dublin earlier this week.
The Sheffield quartet announced Turner had been advised medical rest after being diagnosed with acute laryngitis, an inflammation of the larynx.
Music correspondent for the BBC, Mark Savage on Thursday posted more proof on social media that the show at Glastonbury would go ahead as planned.
“Their trucks are parked up backstage and a giant mirrorball has been unloaded to the Pyramid stage,” he tweeted.
Glastonbury co-founder Emily Eavis said she was confident that Arctic Monkeys would play, but assured fans she has a “backup” plan in case something goes wrong, while opening the festival gates on Wednesday 21 June.
Addressing the band’s cancelled Dublin gig, she told attendees: “I think we are going to be all right. They’ve cancelled that [Dublin show], he’s recovering. I’m sure we’re going to be all right.”
Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys performs during the second day of Lollapalooza Buenos Aires 2019 at Hipodromo de San Isidro on March 30, 2019— (Getty Images)
Eavis added: “We’ve got a couple of backup plans if not. We’ve always got backup plans for everything.”
While Eavis didn’t reveal who might take their place, fans have been speculating the headliner slot could go to The Foo Fighters if Turner can’t perform.
The US rock band is believed to be the mysterious act The ChurnUps, a band that has no social media presence or music online, playing on the Pyramid Stage before Royal Blood and Arctic Monkeys on Friday 23 June.
The other stars to headline Glastonbury this year are Guns N’ Roses and Sir Elton John.
Ahead of John’s final show at the festival, his husband David Furnish said the star would bring on “four collaborators of his choosing” during his two-hour set on Sunday 25 June.
Speaking to Sky News, Furnish declined to reveal the identity of these guests, explaining: “Sorry, I’m sworn to secrecy.”
Fans have speculated that the artists could either be Dua Lipa, Rina Sawayama, Lil Nas X (who is playing the Pyramid Stage on Saturday 24 June), or even Britney Spears.
Furnish also said that John’s final performance would contain “a different setlist” with “a lot of changes”.
