There really is no place on earth like Glastonbury, and we’ve been on the ground all weekend to drink in as much as possible of the biggest and best music festival going. Step this way for our standout moments, celebrity spots, and breakthrough acts to watch out for – along with the weekend’s highs and lows.
The music
With about 62 stages across Worthy Farm (though that’s not accounting for the many impromptu performances that spring up in the festival’s unofficial hippy zone Green Fields) there was a hell of a lot of music to take in over the weekend. Headlining on Friday night, Arctic Monkeys transformed the Pyramid field into a neon-lit lounge bar, giving now-vintage hits like Mardy Bum a slinking makeover. Saturday saw classic rockers Guns N Roses stepping up into the top slot, and cranking out a procession of timeless anthems and extended shredathons.
The busiest – and most talked about – set of the weekend came from Sunday headliner Elton John. After much speculation, rather than bringing out Britney Spears, Harry Styles, Eminem, Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, or indeed any of the other gazillion names that were being whispered about, he opted for something more left-field, inviting The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Gabriels’ Jacob Lusk, Stephen Sanchez and Rina Sawayama.
Yusuf Islam – AKA Cat Stevens – took on the festival’s beloved legends teatime slot and partly used it to pay tribute to 75 years of the NHS. Elsewhere, ahead of the Vietnam war protest song Peace Train, he offered up a creative solution to ongoing violence. “Since then, wars haven’t stopped,” he said. “Lock all the leaders up in London Zoo – that is my solution.” Other musical legends who knocked it out of the park included Debbie Harry, and The Pretenders, the latter packing in as many other stars as they could, with Chrissie Hynde bringing both Johnny Marr and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl (he was everywhere) onstage. Oh and Paul McCartney, who popped in for a quick thumbs-up (is he the only person left on earth who can do that without looking cheesy?).
Though rock dominated the top of the line-up, pop-leaning acts often shone brightest. Flanked by a troupe of green-haired, flute-wielding dancers (who were later spotted running gleefully through the hospitality bar following a triumphant set) Lizzo’s “co-headline” slot may have been a crafty bit of marketing amid an all-male bill of headliners, but she proved herself a star up to the challenge of the top spot; perhaps with one more album of hits under her belt.
Further down the bill Lil Nas X was one of the weekend’s most innovative sets, showcasing a number of outlandish costumes as the US star blended his biggest hit, Old Town Road, with Ginuwine’s Pony, Pulp Fiction soundtrack cut Miserlou, and Nirvana’s Something in the Way.
The highs
Virtually all artists who rock up to play here seem slightly humbled by Glastonbury’s reputation, and pull out every last stop accordingly. Though she wasn’t able to see her vision through – more on that shortly – Lana Del Rey’s meticulously-planned staging as she headlined the Other Stage was hugely inventive, with the artist moving between miniature scenes like a theatre star.
Even though it was the worst kept secret in music for weeks ahead of time, it was still a huge moment when the non-existent band The Churn-ups were revealed to be none other than the Foo Fighters, in for a ‘surprise’ set on the Pyramid stage. “You guys f***in’ knew it was us didn’t you?” yelled a euphoric Dave Grohl, before an emotional set that the band dedicated to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
Sophie Ellis Bextor helping to jolt a slightly knackered Sunday crowd into action was among the most wholesome sights of the weekend, with the Noughties pop icon taking her duties as usher of great vibes for the day ahead incredibly seriously. “Stay hydrated!” she urged – an important memo on a punishingly hot weekend.
Elsewhere, anyone who was in attendance for Rick Astley’s Saturday lunchtime debut on the Pyramid stage was in for a joyful treat, with a cover of Harry Styles’ As It Was sung in that honeyed voice, a slightly surprising rendition of Highway to Hell by AC/DC in which he revealed his drumming skills, and of course, Never Gonna Give You Up, which, as he wryly suggested, was really why everyone was there.
And the lows
It was impossible not to feel for Lewis Capaldi, who had taken a three-week mental health break in the lead up to Glastonbury but was evidently struggling with his Tourettes symptoms during his Glastonbury set. “I’m really sorry. I hope the Eavises will have me back on, even though it’s been a bit of a shit show,” he said, breaking thousands of hearts. The supportive crowd urged him on, singing the final song Someone You Loved at full volume.
Elsewhere, the Pyramid quite literally pulled the plug on Lana Del Rey, who had started late, right as she was gearing up for Video Games. The singer was forced to sing, sans microphone, with the front row before leaving on an underwhelming note. Elsewhere, the now-absent Williams Green – a trusted Glastonbury destination for Thursday night secret sets – was sorely missed, and with that bit less for punters to pick from before full music programming kicked off, the handful of open stages often turned into crush-zones.
Then, there were the headliners; an absolute bloke-fest of the first degree. Though the pandemic has undoubtedly played havoc with festivals’ ability to forward plan, with artists likely agreeing on slots years in advance, or having their plans drastically change to accommodate new records and tours that later rule Glastonbury out (this is rumoured to have happened with Taylor Swift) all three choices did feel incredibly safe. Glastonbury has a captive audience: tickets would sell out instantly even if The Wurzels headlined the thing. Why not take more of a punt, eh?
An honourable mention must go to the lack of Britney Spears at Elton John’s Sunday headline set – the festival’s most loudly-whispered rumour, countless people claimed that she had been spotted at nearby Bristol airport. Which begs the question: where on earth was she off to, if not Glastonbury? Did all of this fuss stem from a single case of mistaken identity? We’ll just never know.
The people
As ever droves of celebs descended onto Worthy Farm to get stuck into the fun. Former headliner Stormzy was a regular fixture backstage, and also popped along to watch his mate Aitch play the Pyramid Stage from the VIP gallery. Actors Emma Corrin, Maisie Williams, Queen Charlotte’s India Amarteifio, Gemma Chan, and Dominic Cooper were also spotted in hospitality at various points, along with The 1975’s Matty Healy (no doubt because Taylor wasn’t there), train-spotting enthusiast Francis Bourgeois and nepo-babies Brooklyn Beckham and Lila Moss (the latter all in white, in a punchy festival move).
Louis Theroux, Andrew Garfield and a very enthusiastic Paul McCartney – who filmed Foo Fighters with his phone like a proud football coach and was spotted thoroughly enjoying Elton John – were all spotted side of stage.
After appearing onstage with Sparks earlier in the festival, Cate Blanchett popped up again backstage as Lana played her ill-fated Other Stage headline set. At the Park Bar, DJ pals Four Tet and Caribou enjoyed an early hours pint, while Rami Malek dropped by on a sunny afternoon the following day. Seasoned festival-goer Tilda Swinton also swung by the Park Stage to hop onstage with neo-classical composer Max Richter. Very on brand.
It wasn’t just Elton John who touched down in a chopper; Holly Willoughby chartered a private helicopter to the festival, and Laura Whitmore posted a picture of herself striding to alight one. Glasto has a way to go before it reaches net zero, if the celeb guests are anything to go by. Presumably arriving on foot or four wheels instead, Annie Mac and Billie Piper were also sighted taking in the delights of Glastonbury.
The breakout stars
Opening Woodsies on Saturday morning, London five-piece The Last Dinner Party were among the festival’s emerging standouts, marrying theatrical, ABBA-styled piano melodies with Renaissance ballgowns and snarling guitar solos. Playing a back to back set at The Levels – dance area Silver Hayes’ brand new 7,000 capacity open-air club – best mates and collaborators Sherelle and I.Jordan carved out a space for high-BPM beats in an area frequently dominated by house, trading jokes behind the decks all the way. Jockstrap, Wunderhorse, LYNKS, Bellah, and Meekz were among the other, newer standouts.
Elton John also put in a cracking shift on the buzzy front, inviting Gabriels’ sensationally talented frontman Jacob Lusk up to belt out Are You Ready For Love; channelling Barbie-core in a gaudy pink suit and backed by a full gospel choir, he seized the once in a lifetime chance to play to one of the festival’s biggest crowds – ever – by the fuchsia pink collar.
Alt-pop star Rina Sawayama also guested with Elton for a duet of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – and her own solo set earlier in the festival was a polished highlight. Playing Woodies, she approached her set like she was taking on the Pyramid stage as headliner, incorporating costume changes galore.
