Future Headliners

[Mr. Snrub]

Sick of all the back and forth on Foals and Coldplay so started wondering who we could expect to headline in the future. Other than those in contention right now (Swifty, Kendrick, Foals, The 1975 etc.) and the pipe-dream acts (Madonna, FM, Led Zepplin, Elton) there’s a few well established acts that haven’t topped the bill before:

- Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Pearl Jam

- Lady Gaga

- Nine Inch Nails

- Rihanna

- Daft Punk

- Green Day

- The Strokes

- Depeche Mode

and presumably more I can’t think of.

What do yous think the likelihood any of these will show up in the future? And what about smaller acts being given the bump to headliner (Biffy, Billie, Tame, George Ezra etc.)?

[jparx]

Out of the names you mentioned, I can see Gaga, Rihanna and Green Day doing it, but I'd say Gaga is most likely. I think the issue with most of the names there are they don't make sense from a cost/benefit analysis standpoint. Why pay a fortune for The Strokes when they'd been seen on the smaller side of headliners? They're better off going for new acts (Ezra) or breaking the bank for a huge legacy name (FM). A lot of the acts you mentioned are just in that middle grey area and would get paid more by other festivals.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I like the way snrub thinks

[waltere]

From OP's list I can see Gaga, possibly Pearl Jam and maybe Depeche Mode and that's kind of it.

 

Ezra and the 1975, who are IMO respectively dull as dish water and bloody awful, are both definitely on a headliner track.

[1986]

Foals?  

[CaledonianGonzo]

Nine Inch Nails aren't headlining anything other than the Other Stage.

[jyoung]

[Mr. Snrub]

So consensus is that we’re looking at pushing newer acts into the slot (The 1975 and so on), re-hashing farm favourites (The Killers, Coldplay, Muse, AM etc) and every once in a while breaking bank on a heritage act? 
 

You’d think that there would be more established acts that haven’t played before to choose from but sadly doesn’t seem to be the case. I’d have loved for the Stone Roses to play but that ship has sailed for good.

[Matt42]

Pearl Jam, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes all fall into the same category imo - they aren’t likely to play because I highly doubt Glastonbury is asking them to do it. There needs to be a swift change of booking policy before any of them get the call imo. I would love to see all, (especially Pearl Jam) headline the festival though!
 

I wouldn’t mind the strokes as a decent Friday headliner amongst two other big guns - but I think for it to look good both on paper and at the festival they need to be the smallest headliner of the year. I don’t think they are exciting enough to carry the top billing without some other strong names to balance it out.

Depeche Mode need to happen. Watching the Cure on TV I was absolutely sold on the prospect of Depeche Mode. Have a call Eavis!

Rihanna would be a fantastic headliner but I genuinely believe she has quit music. Every rumour about a new album and tour seems to be hot air. She’s become a billionaire due to her makeup brand and I think she’s happy in that place.

In terms of newer acts, Billie Eilish, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Lizzo are all on their way to the top spot. Some need to do a bit more before they get there - but I reckon (bookmark this and look back in a few years), Billie will be in the frame when her next album is out.

Billie will headline in 2022 I reckon. If there isn’t a fallow year by then!

In terms of reunions - R.E.M could happen - seems that there has been a bit of movement in that regard.

Heritage acts that might play again - I reckon the Stones might do it again before they fully pack it in.

Edited October 30, 2019 by Matt42

[Matt42]

Also Travis Scott will probably be in the frame once other festivals have rinsed him dry (looking at you Reading).

[kingcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Depeche Mode need to happen. Watching the Cure on TV I was absolutely sold on the prospect of Depeche Mode. Have a call Eavis!

It seems like they tried to book them for 2014 and possibly again more recently but the fee was too low for them. I think they'll headline in 2021 or 2022, as you say The Cure went down so well that I reckon they would see it as a great opportunity to do similar. Hopefully the reaction to their Isle of Wight set hasn't put them off British festivals too much.

[Homer]

Stone Roses, Queen can almost make it onto the list...

[Matt42]

4 minutes ago, Homer said:

Stone Roses, Queen can almost make it onto the list...

I really think Queen will never play at worthy farm. It’s not the type of artist Glastonbury tends to book and Brian May hates the place.

Stone Roses are ‘done’ again. They’l come back in a few years to pay the bills but I don’t think their touring intentions are for anything other than money. 

[Kalopsia]

I know my name will give away that I'm probably quite biased but if their next album does as well as their last, I feel QOTSA could be outsiders for a Friday night slot. 

Other than that I'm interested to see how Tame Impala's next couple of records do, possible 2024 headliners? 

[Homer]

Just now, Matt42 said:

I really think Queen will never play at worthy farm. It’s not the type of artist Glastonbury tends to book and Brian May hates the place.

Stone Roses are ‘done’ again. They’l come back in a few years to pay the bills but I don’t think their touring intentions are for anything other than money. 

I'd go along with both of those.

[Matt42]

3 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

Other than that I'm interested to see how Tame Impala's next couple of records do, possible 2024 headliners? 

I really want Tame to become headliners but I just think they aren’t big enough of a touring force here. I think it speaks volumes that the shows they tend to do here are quite small. 
 

In my mind they are a big band but their shows here don’t reflect that.

[CaledonianGonzo]

They didn't exactly cover themselves in glory this year on the Other Stage 

[priest17]

Bands don't really break through anymore like they used to (this is not a complaint or moan), I can see the pool of headliners that would really excite me drying up. Which is fine, as long as they keep accommodating for me further down the line up.

Or maybe I'm wrong and in 2025 we'll have Black Country New Road, Kamikaze Palm Tree and Tropical Fuck Storm headlining (Ty Segall Legends slot).

[MaxPower]

23 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

 

In terms of newer acts, Billie Eilish, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Lizzo are all on their way to the top spot. Some need to do a bit more before they get there - but I reckon (bookmark this and look back in a few years), Billie will be in the frame when her next album is out.

Billie will headline in 2022 I reckon. If there isn’t a fallow year by then!

In terms of reunions - R.E.M could happen - seems that there has been a bit of movement in that regard.

Heritage acts that might play again - I reckon the Stones might do it again before they fully pack it in.

Think these are strong suggestions.

Think Capaldi is nailed on if he continues on his current trajectory

Lizzo might be getting a little too big to be affordable but she also seems like the kind of artist who would "get it" based on her social media.

[MaxPower]

5 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

They didn't exactly cover themselves in glory this year on the Other Stage 

Tame? Is that a joke? They were incredible. Highlight of the weekend for a lot of my group.

[The Martini Police]

8 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

They didn't exactly cover themselves in glory this year on the Other Stage 

Did I miss something go wrong? Genuine question.

(I don't foresee them headlining though)

[Matt42]

7 minutes ago, MaxPower said:

Lizzo might be getting a little too big to be affordable but she also seems like the kind of artist who would "get it" based on her social media.

Lizz needs a strong second album before I can place her in that category. I don’t think she’s quite there yet to be a bona fide headline but there is potential.

 

11 minutes ago, priest17 said:

Bands don't really break through anymore like they used to (this is not a complaint or moan), I can see the pool of headliners that would really excite me drying up. Which is fine, as long as they keep accommodating for me further down the line up.

Yup. I think the festival market has definitely reached a stage where the booking focus is slowly changing.

I’ve been going through the European festival threads and looking at the complaints for the bookings being made this year. It’s sad to say but I think in the next few years a lot of seasoned festival goers (who... in the nicest way possible... don’t listen to new music) are going to be hanging up their festival boots.

I truly think the years of Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Muse, Foo Fighters etc circling round Europe headlining every festival year on year are coming to an end. I think more festivals internationally are taking chances on newer acts and booking talent that the streaming generation wants to see.

The reactions to Nos Alive and Mad Cool this year have been really interesting. Unfortunately with such a swift (pardon the pun) market change in recent years it’s going to leave a lot of seasoned festival goers in a bit of a tricky spot. 
 

Of course there will still be older acts willing to jump on the circuit but I think there will be less and less of them as the years go on. Especially when artists like Billie, Taylor and Travis Scott are such huge ticket sellers and pull huge crowds!

Edited October 30, 2019 by Matt42

[Kalopsia]

16 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

I really want Tame to become headliners but I just think they aren’t big enough of a touring force here. I think it speaks volumes that the shows they tend to do here are quite small. 
 

In my mind they are a big band but their shows here don’t reflect that.

Yea I can agree with that, their first o2 arena show and it didn't sell well by all accounts.

 

14 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

They didn't exactly cover themselves in glory this year on the Other Stage 

The light show was fantastic and they were really solid, but with only two new songs to play and a very similar set-list to their sub slot in 2016 it did feel too soon to re-book them for me, plus the new songs haven't gone down brilliantly. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Kalopsia

[eFestivals]

2 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

I think in the next few years a lot of seasoned festival goers (who... in the nicest way possible... don’t listen to new music) are going to be hanging up their festival boots.

I truly think the years of Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Muse, Foo Fighters etc circling round Europe headlining every festival year on year are coming to an end. I think more festivals internationally are taking chances on newer acts and booking talent that the streaming generation wants to see.

nicely put, I strongly agree.

 

[sisco]

36 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Pearl Jam, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes all fall into the same category imo - they aren’t likely to play because I highly doubt Glastonbury is asking them to do it. There needs to be a swift change of booking policy before any of them get the call imo. I would love to see all, (especially Pearl Jam) headline the festival though!
 

I wouldn’t mind the strokes as a decent Friday headliner amongst two other big guns - but I think for it to look good both on paper and at the festival they need to be the smallest headliner of the year. I don’t think they are exciting enough to carry the top billing without some other strong names to balance it out.

Depeche Mode need to happen. Watching the Cure on TV I was absolutely sold on the prospect of Depeche Mode. Have a call Eavis!

Rihanna would be a fantastic headliner but I genuinely believe she has quit music. Every rumour about a new album and tour seems to be hot air. She’s become a billionaire due to her makeup brand and I think she’s happy in that place.

In terms of newer acts, Billie Eilish, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Lizzo are all on their way to the top spot. Some need to do a bit more before they get there - but I reckon (bookmark this and look back in a few years), Billie will be in the frame when her next album is out.

Billie will headline in 2022 I reckon. If there isn’t a fallow year by then!

In terms of reunions - R.E.M could happen - seems that there has been a bit of movement in that regard.

Heritage acts that might play again - I reckon the Stones might do it again before they fully pack it in.

Eavis often asks, they’re in it for the money and say no! (That said I need to ask and see if they’ve been asked this year)