Glastonbury Festival is set to make a big splash this summer before taking its usual fallow year to let the land at Worthy Farm in southwest England rest after hosting up to 200,000 festival-goers. Organizers revealed the lineup for this year’s festival, which will take place from June 25 to June 29. Among the headliners, English band The 1975 will take the stage on Friday night at the iconic Pyramid Stage, while American singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo will headline the Sunday evening performance. The legendary Neil Young, 79, is already confirmed as the Saturday night headliner, while Scottish music icon Rod Stewart is set to perform on Sunday afternoon in the festival’s renowned “legends” slot.
While not headlining, Charli XCX is certainly a major draw and is expected to attract large crowds when she performs on the Other Stage Saturday night. Recently, the artist behind the “Brat Summer” trend took home five Brit Awards. The term “brat,” which Charli XCX used for the title of her sixth album, was even named Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary. For those unfamiliar, “brat” is defined as someone with a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.
On Sunday night, the Other Stage will be closed out by English electronic group The Prodigy, best known for their iconic 1996 hit “Firestarter.” This performance will hold special significance as it marks the band’s first appearance at the festival since the passing of frontman Keith Flint in 2019. Additional notable acts include Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, who will be making her debut at Glastonbury, and the recently reunited U.S. pop group Scissor Sisters.
The first two days of the festival, Wednesday and Thursday, don’t feature any scheduled performances, though many impromptu events take place as festivalgoers arrive and set up their tents. A lot of attention will be on The 1975, a band from Manchester fronted by Matty Healy. While the band has headlined several festivals in the UK and abroad, they have not yet performed at Glastonbury and are known for their controversial stage antics. Recently, a London judge ruled that the band would not be personally liable for the losses incurred by a Malaysian music festival that was shut down after Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage. The organizers of the Good Vibes Festival claimed they lost 1.9 million pounds ($2.4 million) after Healy criticized Malaysia’s anti-homosexuality laws and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald during a July 2023 performance in Kuala Lumpur. The kiss sparked backlash in Malaysia, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning. Some LGBTQ+ groups also criticized the band for potentially putting their community at risk and disrupting activists’ efforts for change.
More acts will be announced in the coming weeks, and those who haven’t secured tickets yet will have a chance to purchase them in a resale. As usual, the festival, which began in 1970, sold out quickly, even with tickets priced at nearly 380 pounds ($490) each. Although the ticket cost is set, the mid-summer weather remains unpredictable. As always, attendees share the same wish: hoping for a dry festival without a mud-filled experience!