Avril Lavigne emerged as one of the surprise stars of Glastonbury 2024, performing on the Other Stage to a huge crowd more suited to a headline act... and this while competing for attention not merely with acts on the site's other stages, but also with the England versus Slokia football match in the Euros, which was taking place at the same time.
Lavigne had a 6-7pm slot on the Other Stage, and drew such a massive crowd that, as The Guardian reported, stewards were forced to close one entrance to the site for safety reasons, as the field was already beyond capacity.
Lavigne's currently popularity is down to more than rose-tinted nostalgia. Pop-rock superstar Olivia Rodrigo cites the Canadian singer as a key influence - and covered Lavigne's Complicated at Glastonbury 2022 - while artists such as Willow and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale have also been effusive in their praise for the star.
Watched from side-stage by model/actress Cara Delevingne and actress Anya Taylor-Joy, Lavigne's 12-song set kicked off with Girlfriend, and included UK Top 10 hit singles Complicated, Don't Tell Me, I'm With You and My Happy Ending, before climaxing with the singer's signature anthem, Sk8er Boi.
Watch the BBC's footage of Sk8er Boi and I'm With You below:
Talking about the singer's influence in the documentary Avril Lavigne: Skater Girl, a young Lzzy Hale said, “When I first heard her album I was particularly blown away by the uniqueness of it and the fact that it definitely was not your normal pop rock stuff. I enjoyed the realness of it and I enjoyed the fact that you can tell that she’s doing something that she loves. And she’s not trying to be anything but who she is.”
