2025 Headliners

[Mordy1990]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

As what you quoted said - there's info.

 

He hasn't self confirmed, but has slowly worked his way up the stages so it makes sense I guess. A bit on the smaller side for sure, but he did headline APE this year

 

I’d be thrilled to see him if he performs, but I wouldn’t have expected to see him headlining the Other Stage, given that he only headlined West Holts in 2023, a time when I believe he was more popular.

Edited January 7, 2025 by Mordy1990

[gfa]

7 minutes ago, Mordy1990 said:

 

I’d be thrilled to see him if he performs, but I wouldn’t have expected to see him headlining the Other Stage, given that he only headlined West Holts in 2023, a time when I believe he was more popular.

Guess we'll see if he comes out with new music or something 🙂 it definitely is quite a recent return but he seems to be near enough a friend of the festival at this point

[Avalon_Fields]

2 hours ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I think quite clearly, Neil Young has been booked because he's Micahel Eavis' favourite act. 

And it may be why they acted so quickly and decisively to keep him on as a headliner? It must be a unique situation for any major festival anywhere to be so driven by one individual’s musical taste. I’m not sure if it’s a ‘good thing’ or not. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

It's clearly *not* the only consideration when it comes to booking NY. He's a consistently popular live draw in the UK. 

 

Michael's taste will have been a factor over the years and resulted in some specific bookings, but one look at the last few Pyramid line-ups should dissuade you from placing too much emphasis on it these days. I'm sure he's not exactly a massive Burna Boy stan.

[Guest]

I think people are also underestimating how much extra work it would have been to get another similar legacy headliner to replace him. The way forward means that the festival and him have a good relationship (I don't think Glastonbury are interested in making enemies with many artists) and they don't have to scramble to find someone else, who despite what people have speculated, wouldn't be someone on the level of say Stevie Wonder I don't think.

[Skip997]

14 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

And it may be why they acted so quickly and decisively to keep him on as a headliner? It must be a unique situation for any major festival anywhere to be so driven by one individual’s musical taste. I’m not sure if it’s a ‘good thing’ or not. 

It’s possibly led to some weird scheduling on the Pyramid. IMO

[fraybentos1]

5 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

It's clearly *not* the only consideration when it comes to booking NY.

defo not the only factor, but seems likely it was a consideration

 

15 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

And it may be why they acted so quickly and decisively to keep him on as a headliner

obv don't know the full situation but based on how it went down and the nonsense he was spouting about the bbc, it seems like the full blame was on Neil Young's side

 

5 minutes ago, scatteredscreens said:

I think people are also underestimating how much extra work it would have been to get another similar legacy headliner to replace him

yeah recent history shows that if they lose their targeted legacy headliner for the year then the replacement is often rubbish 

[CaledonianGonzo]

40 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

defo not the only factor, but seems likely it was a consideration

 

It's a nice Brucie Bonus I'm sure, but he also likes Primal Scream and there's f**k all chance of them booking Bobby Gillespie to headline.

[FKA SOSOTWS]

47 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It’s possibly led to some weird scheduling on the Pyramid. IMO

 

Like what if i may ask?

[CaledonianGonzo]

5 minutes ago, FKA SOSOTWS said:

 

Like what if i may ask?

 

Van Morrison headlining two years in a row in the mid 1980s....

[Skip997]

8 minutes ago, FKA SOSOTWS said:

 

Like what if i may ask?

Both Elton and Neil Young should have been in the Legends slot 

[Skip997]

3 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

 

Van Morrison headlining two years in a row in the mid 1980s....

No memory of that, but I’ve no doubt it could have happened 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Elton is an Emily booking.  She wrote him a letter.  If anything, it sounds like Michael isn't much of a fan given that seemingly there were no  no overtures when he was at the wheel.

[fraybentos1]

5 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Both Elton and Neil Young should have been in the Legends slot 

Elton who had the biggest crowd you can get at the Pyramid? Elton who had the third highest grossing tour of all time? On his last UK show?

 

That's an almost offensively bad opinion 

[tomf3]

Elton definitely should have headlined. Almost certainly the most universally beloved headliner they've ever had

[Skip997]

8 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

Elton who had the biggest crowd you can get at the Pyramid? Elton who had the third highest grossing tour of all time? On his last UK show?

 

That's an almost offensively bad opinion 

Could have fitted the same amount of people in the field in the afternoon.

 

Still at least it made the rest of site comfortably quiet and made getting to the front for the usual Sunday night WH party easier 

[Stokesy10]

23 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Both Elton and Neil Young should have been in the Legends slot 

Horse sh*t mate. Sorry.

[NorthernSoul52]

Elton a decade prior could have been a legitimate Legends pick - very much on the fence about that.

 

Elton on the final run was headliner or nothing.

[fraybentos1]

13 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Could have fitted the same amount of people in the field in the afternoon.

You've missed the point but i think you know that 

 

 

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

 

 

[fraybentos1]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

 

 

not often you see a Nathan for You meme in the wild. Great show! nothing else like it 

[judyblue110]

9 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Elton a decade prior could have been a legitimate Legends pick - very much on the fence about that.

 

Elton on the final run was headliner or nothing.

 

Agree. I can almost understand the view that Elton would have been legend slot worthy if you'd had your head in the sand for the last 10 years.

 

There was a time in recent memory that if Elton had headlined people would have been outraged. A few things changed that - Yellow Brick Road anniversary, his farewell tour, collaborations with younger artists. I would argue, however, that his body of work is still due a wider re-evaluation - people still mainly care about the hits.

[Beerqueen]

If the headliners are Neil Young, 1975 and O Rod, there is a fair chance I won't be seeing a Pyramid headliner.  I like the idea of Neil Young and his songs are good but having listened to him again, I do find his voice a bit screechy.   I don't dislike either 1975 nor O Rod but neither am I particularly bothered by them.  I may be at any, either if I'm at a loose end or if I suddenly take to them in the next 6 months or I may be at none.

 

But after recent crushes at headliner sets, I'm not sorry if I'm not in one this year.  (hey, it's good to say "this year" isn't it?)

[CaledonianGonzo]

I'm sure Reg's deep cuts have their merits, but this was still a GOATed moment

 

 

 

[Physical_graffiti]

Elton and NY are obviously headliners because they are massive and legends and you are on glue if you think otherwise. 1975 (my own music taste aside) and Olivia Rodrigo are headliners because they are big enough to do it, albeit on the 'smaller end' of headliners such as Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire, Florence, Stormzy etc who were also big enough. 

 

The three biggest acts that Glastonbury can book in any given year are your three headliners. I mean even poor SZA was the third biggest act they could book in 2024, you can't just leave the slot blank.

 

If you're glasto and you don't think NY is a headliner so you dont book him or try to book him further down the bill (lol), you are by definition booking someone smaller than Neil Young to take his place, therefore making the festival worse.