Glastonbury Festival has announced its 2023 line-up with hundreds more acts expected to be announced soon.
Organisers confirmed Artic Monkeys and Guns N' Roses will top the bill, joining previously announced headliner Sir Elton John, who will play his last ever UK tour date as part of his farewell tour. Releasing its first wave of acts online, the festival confirmed artists including Lana Del Ray, Manic Street Preachers, Lis Nas X, Lizzo and Blondie will also perform at Worthy Farm in Somerset this June.
The line-up also features a number of new acts and emerging artists such as Rina Sawayama, Mahalia and Raye, as well as household names like Cat Stevens, who will play the "legend slot", previously occupied by Kylie and Dolly Parton.
Read more: Glastonbury 2023 headliners announced as Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses join Elton John
Posting on Twitter, Glastonbury Festival made the announcement alongside a poster of the first set of performing artists, saying: "GLASTONBURY 2023 LINE-UP POSTER!!" However, the announcement has split opinions, with some calling out the lack of diversity and taking issue with the all-male line-up.
Festival-goers took to social media following the announcement, branding the headline bill "disappointing" and "awful". One user on Twitter wrote: "An ENTIRELY ALL WHITE MALE headline trio! Bravo on the diversification Glasto", followed by an applause emoji.
Another added: "During Women's History Month, Glastonbury Festival announced an all-male headline bill. In 2023. Tell me why we don't need this month one more time."
A third person on Twitter wrote: "Awful lack of diversity in the headliners", while another added that blaming the lack of female headliners for the festival on pipeline and scheduling issues, was an "overly-simplistic argument".
They said: "The real issue is a lack of courage by festival bookers. Esp considering Glasto sells out regardless of the line-up. Lana del Rey for instance is playing Glastonbury 2023, and has an extensive back catalogue. She could have easily headlined one of the nights of the festival."
As part of Glastonbury's ongoing pledge to make festival line-ups gender balanced, there is almost a 50:50 split between male and female acts this year, however, all of this year's main stage headliners are male.
Emily Eavis discussed the issue in a Guardian article earlier today, explaining Taylor Swift was among the performers tipped to perform at Glastonbury, but she will be in the middle of her US tour when its set to take place.
Eavis told The Guardian that lack of female headliners is due to a industry “pipeline” issue and that it needs to invest more in female performers. She said: “We’re trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board.”
She added that they had tried their best to balance the line-up announced so far and that Lizzo “could totally headline”, but the slot had already been promised to someone else. She said she is “entirely focused on balancing our bill” and looked at “every aspect of diversity.
Echoing Eavis' comments on the music industry needing to invest more in female musicians to create "future headliners", another Twitter user wrote: "Situations like this year's Glastonbury lineup are a direct symptom of industry failures to support female artists from the ground up. Getting them on the smaller stages, on radio, at live venues."
While many were quick to point out issues surrounding gender balance, other social media users applauded the line-up. One Twitter user wrote: "That's the best line-up there's been in years", while another added, "Seeing Arctic Monkeys on the Pyramid is a dream".
Glastonbury 2023 will take place from June 21-25.
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