2025 Headliners

[NorthernSoul52]

Is Rihanna heading to Worthy Farm? After years of speculation, the jigsaw pieces are falling into place for the Barbadian pop superstar to finally headline Glastonbury Festival, the world-famous music jamboree that takes place in Somerset over the last weekend of June. I hope she packs her, ahem, umbrella.

 

Word has reached The Telegraph that the 37-year-old singer is planning a residency of up to six concerts at London’s former Olympic Stadium in early July. Rihanna’s opening shows at the now-renamed London Stadium, home to West Ham football club, are tentatively set to take place on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 July with further possible shows earmarked for 8, 9, 11 and 12 July, according to a well-placed live music source. 

 

A second senior concert industry source said that Rihanna’s promoters are “holding” London Stadium, meaning that the shows are at the advanced planning stage. An announcement could come as soon as next week.

 

The run of concerts – her first in almost a decade – would commence just five days after Glastonbury ends on June 29. It is, as Glasto-watchers’ parlance goes, a whopping Glastonbury Shaped Hole – or GSH – in the singer’s schedule. Forget Taylor Swift, another phenomenally successful and wealthy artist who’s often been linked to a Glasto headline slot (Swift was due to perform in 2020 before the pandemic cancelled the festival). It looks like 2025 could be the year for a different pop behemoth to take the honours – Rihanna.

 

The rumours may prove to be just that, but the likely London shows are just too convenient. If she plays, she’ll join Neil Young as a headliner after the Canadian veteran was confirmed in early January. Rod Stewart has also been confirmed in the festival’s Sunday afternoon Legends slot.

 

The timing of the comeback works for another reason. Word of Rihanna’s likely shows comes just days after her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, was found not guilty in a Los Angeles felony assault trial of firing a gun at a former friend. He had faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted of all the charges. The couple have two sons together.

 

Rihanna’s first tour since 2016’s Anti World Tour would be a very big deal. Rock purists may grumble about a pop act headlining Glastonbury, should it happen. But Rihanna is one of the world’s most successful recording artists, having sold an estimated 250 million records since she signed to Def Jam Recordings in the mid-Noughties. Her eclectic output takes in pop, R&B, dance music, hip hop, reggae and balladry and is bound together by one of modern music’s most versatile and soulful voices. Rihanna’s had 14 US number one singles – the most ever behind The Beatles, Mariah Carey and Elvis Presley.

Tracks like Umbrella, featuring rapper Jay-Z, Only Girl (In the World), Diamonds and We Found Love, her EDM banger with DJ Calvin Harris, were worldwide mega hits. She has also duetted with Eminem, Coldplay and Drake, which leaves plenty of scope for special guests at any Pyramid Stage appearance. Above all this, Rihanna’s a style icon and an actor, appearing in Ocean’s 8 in 2018 and providing the voice of Smurfette in this summer’s forthcoming Smurfs movie.

 

She’s also a wildly successful entrepreneur through her fashion, lingerie and cosmetics companies under the Fenty umbrella. In 2021, Forbes named Rihanna the wealthiest female musician in the world with a business empire estimated to be worth $1.7 billion, or £1.35 billion. (It took Swift until 2024 to become a billionaire, according to the same publication.)

Which brings us to another, tantalising aspect of Rihanna’s London summer sojourn. Her shows would come a month after archrival Beyoncé plays six concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, five miles to the north of West Ham’s ground. It would be the mother of London music diva derbies, a clash of the pop titans to end all clashes. And, if Rihanna plays Glastonbury in addition to her six shows, she’d be one up on Beyoncé’s six concerts at Spurs. Granted, Beyoncé has already headlined Glastonbury (in 2011) but Rihanna’s tour would come with a definite sense of Beyoncé’s limelight being challenged.

 

Rihanna and Beyoncé have long been friendly competitors. Both are entertainment polymaths with vast business empires to their names. And they’re halves of music power couples: Rihanna with Rocky and Beyoncé with Jay-Z. Their lives have overlapped. Jay-Z has always been a mentor to Rihanna, first at Def Jam, which he ran, and then at his own label Roc Nation, to which Rihanna later moved. As well as on Umbrella, Rihanna and Beyoncé‘s husband duetted on his 2009 track Run This Town and her 2011 song Talk That Talk.

And what of Glastonbury? Securing Rihanna would be a coup. She doesn’t need the money and she would bring an unforgettable show to the Vale of Avalon. As well as heritage acts like Paul McCartney and Elton John, the festival has opted for increasingly poppy headliners in recent years, with Dua Lipa, SZA and Billie Eilish topping the bill. Rumours that Rihanna was plotting a comeback tour and would possibly headline Glastonbury started circulating in 2023.

 

Towards the end of that year stories also appeared that a new album – her ninth – was in the works, her first since album since 2016’s Anti. Some reports suggested that she’d signed a multi-year contract with promoter Live Nation, said to be worth £32 million, although at the time Billboard quoted a source saying that the figure was “made up” and that no tour had been confirmed.

 

It is not known if Rihanna’s London dates would form part of a larger world tour, although one source said these would be her only stadium shows anywhere in the world this year. Rihanna has an affinity with London, having lived in the capital between 2018 and 2020. She is thought to have rented a £32 million mansion in St John’s Wood. It was only after fans spotted her carrying a Sainsbury’s Bag for Life that she confirmed she had moved here. Meanwhile last year she was reportedly spotted at Red Bus recording studio in the capital, fuelling speculation that a comeback was on the cards.

Rihanna’s opening London date of Friday July 4 would coincide with one of the biggest music weekends of the year. Oasis will kick off their highly-anticipated reunion tour on the same night in Cardiff, while Lana Del Rey plays Wembley Stadium. Meanwhile, a reformed Black Sabbath will headline the Back to the Beginning festival – dubbed “the heavy metal Live Aid” – in Birmingham the next day. Also performing that weekend in London’s Hyde Park are Sabrina Carpenter and Noah Kahan, and Fontaines D.C. and Stereophonics in Finsbury Park.

 

In recent years, Rihanna has largely stayed away from the limelight to bring up her young family. Not that having children has completely stopped her, though. When Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl half-time show in 2023 (a show arranged by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation), she was pregnant with her second child with Rocky. She accidentally revealed her baby bump to 121 million people when the zip of her red jumpsuit failed to do up, she said after the show.

 

A spokesperson for Rihanna declined to comment; Glastonbury was approached for comment. But pop fans should brace themselves for a very busy summer indeed.

[ticklemeelmo]

8 hours ago, nikkic said:

No stadiums planned (atm).
 

A big show was planned for this year, but it’s on the back burner until ‘26.

Coachella? He was supposedly playing this year and was oddly left off the lineup when it dropped, perhaps it was pushed to 2026.

[nikkic]

10 minutes ago, ticklemeelmo said:

Coachella? He was supposedly playing this year and was oddly left off the lineup when it dropped, perhaps it was pushed to 2026.

The one I’m referring to is a UK gig. 
 

(Not to say he won’t end up doing Coachella, but I have no info on that). 

[Furq]

On 2/19/2025 at 10:56 AM, philipsteak said:

 

Few years ago some friends of mine in their early 40s were pleasantly surprised to find themselves amongst people of a similar vintage at a Lorde gig at (I think) Ally Pally. Took a little while for them to realise they were essentially in the parents/chaperones holding area. They weren't there with kids themselves. 

Ha. I had similar at Twenty One Pilots a few years back.

 

Festivals are handy for seeing acts which are popular with the kids. I mean, I’d probably be arrested if I went to a Sabrina Carpenter solo gig. 😂

 

 

[Suprefan]

6 hours ago, Stokesy10 said:

No. I'm not letting myself get even a teeny bit excited about a Gaga rumour. It isn't happening.

doubt its happening cause they dont have the budget for what she would wanna do. 

[rwhitehouse13]

The writer of that Rihanna piece in the Telegraph really had to pad that one out! What a load of waffle!

[NorthernSoul52]

Yeah, it's a lot of fluff speculation. Very strange the author doesn't even namecheck the other two headliner rumours in the betting money, which probably tells me it's more for clicks.

[curlyjake]

12 hours ago, nikkic said:

The one I’m referring to is a UK gig. 
 

(Not to say he won’t end up doing Coachella, but I have no info on that). 

 

I had a conversation this week that suggested Fred had Knebworth in the works, or at least plans had been discussed.

[NorthernSoul52]

That actually had crossed my mind, but nominally dismissed it given its "rock" leanings.

 

Are Slane due another? Their last one was Harry Styles, I think?

[AVALON.G]

On 10/13/2024 at 12:40 PM, KriegerIndustrialSmoothing said:

Hey guys first time poster - I just stumbled across your site.  I have a question have you managed to completly ruled out Rihanna can you share how you know this?

 

I only as doing some work for live nation and it looks like for the Rhi-Launch her London date next year may well be on the 27th I thought it was odd that it was a Friday not a Sat or Sun. 

 

Can anyone confirm

 

 

Sorry to randomly reply to an old post do you have any more on this?

[itsfomas]

Lots of other sites have picked up the Rihanna story now. Just seen it on the Metro. 

 

I wish they would stop because I really want it to be true haha.

[NorthernSoul52]

We're moving to the Rihanna stage of discussion that we have every year now.

 

Honestly, just always thought she'd be too expensive unless you had two cheap headliners. She was charging £55 to £75 for the ANTI run a few years back. Imagine pricing would be far more in line with Beyonce levels this time around.

 

Conversely, however, I've no idea what they'd be paying Young, and imagine The 1975 would not be expensive. She could fit in there over Rodrigo, who I'd wager is a little more expensive than Matty Healy and company - but at the same time, maybe not.

[Crazyfool01]

37 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

We're moving to the Rihanna stage of discussion that we have every year now.

 

Honestly, just always thought she'd be too expensive unless you had two cheap headliners. She was charging £55 to £75 for the ANTI run a few years back. Imagine pricing would be far more in line with Beyonce levels this time around.

 

Conversely, however, I've no idea what they'd be paying Young, and imagine The 1975 would not be expensive. She could fit in there over Rodrigo, who I'd wager is a little more expensive than Matty Healy and company - but at the same time, maybe not.

we did have Taylor booked so not convinced they cant persuade people without a big fat payday 

[CaledonianGonzo]

9 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

we did have Taylor booked so not convinced they cant persuade people without a big fat payday 

 

They can. But probably easier to save a few mill and book The 1975.

[Crazyfool01]

13 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

 

They can. But probably easier to save a few mill and book The 1975.

made a good wedge of profit last year so the books are healthy ... I dont think itll happen but they can grab the big names 

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, itsfomas said:

Lots of other sites have picked up the Rihanna story now. Just seen it on the Metro. 

 

I wish they would stop because I really want it to be true haha.

 

2 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

We're moving to the Rihanna stage of discussion that we have every year now.

 

Honestly, just always thought she'd be too expensive unless you had two cheap headliners. She was charging £55 to £75 for the ANTI run a few years back. Imagine pricing would be far more in line with Beyonce levels this time around.

 

Conversely, however, I've no idea what they'd be paying Young, and imagine The 1975 would not be expensive. She could fit in there over Rodrigo, who I'd wager is a little more expensive than Matty Healy and company - but at the same time, maybe not.

The mad thing would be if the festival chose to take Rihanna vs Olivia. Some might say Olivia will still be around and they can't say no to Rihanna I'd she agreed it. The fact that Neil was announced as the first ever, I know of at least in my time as a headliner with no day confirmed and not long before it was said Olivia is not locked in would tell me it's between those two.

 

If the trio was The 1975, Neil and Rihanna, there might not be a weaker set in my time of attending but I'd genuinely find it poor. One if on no album, one if phoned in for Michael and Rihanna was very poor when I saw her. She was poor when family saw her too.

 

[FKA SOSOTWS]

Rihanna would totally phone it in, but I bet it would attract a ton of BBC viewers.

[nikkic]

6 hours ago, curlyjake said:

 

I had a conversation this week that suggested Fred had Knebworth in the works, or at least plans had been discussed.

😉

[Suprefan]

5 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

we did have Taylor booked so not convinced they cant persuade people without a big fat payday 

 

She was way cheaper back then compared to now anyway.  Now she wants everyone to pay up. Her management told Coachella it would be $30 mil for 2 weekends last year. 

 

I think where it gets expensive is production costs. Glasto has to invest into that and they seemingly dont always want to. Thats really where they get hamstring other than the fee. Madonna was onboard despite whatever reduced fee and it boiled down to production stuff which she never compromises on and backed out. Then look at her Brazil show and they pulled off 99% of her tour production  in an outdoor setting. Glasto just wasnt gonna use up their resources that way cause in their minds its not sound.

 

 

The funny thing is everyone thnks Rihanna will do poorly so if she does any better its a win. So lets keep setting the bar low for an artist that fits what the GP want out of a headliner. Has more hits than quite of few of the last headliners combined but its not enough I guess.

Edited February 22, 2025 by Suprefan

[foolee]

Rihanna is terrible live. Really hope it’s Olivia 

[Fred Zepplin]

If Rihanna does play hopefully she won’t need her umbrella 

[charlierc]

30 minutes ago, Fred Zepplin said:

If Rihanna does play hopefully she won’t need her umbrella 

This is Britain in the summer. Umbrellas don't tend to be optional.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, FKA SOSOTWS said:

Rihanna would totally phone it in, but I bet it would attract a ton of BBC viewers.

And with it a lot of people on X, BlueSky or here saying how phoned it in it all felt, judging by the spectator sport that is slagging off the Glasto headliner on social media, apparently.

[mjtko]

Entirely selfishly: I don't like Rihanna, I don't particularly like any songs by Rihanna, I think she's overrated and (probably) overpaid.

 

Olivia every single time.

[Superscally]

Aren't we all watching the Maccabees anyway? 🤷‍♂️