2025 Headliners

[charlierc]

2 minutes ago, FrogLobster said:

Springsteen did 2 in 2023.

Yeah that'll do it.

[incident]

15 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I know BST have done pairs before - think Pearl Jam did 2 nights there, as did someone else whose name I can't recall. Three would be unusual.

 

Are the big stadiums that booked? Wembley is probably now full to capacity but I'd have thought one of the several other stadiums in the city might still have a slot or two yet to be announced.

 

Wembley will be near enough at capacity between Oasis, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa

Olympic Stadium has Iron Maiden and an Athletics event

White Hart Lane has Imagine Dragons and Catfish shows

Arsenal and Twickenham don't currently have anything scheduled

 

So there's some capacity, but not a huge amount and there's also likely to be more big shows still to be announced other than just Sheeran. There's been rumours that one or more of The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Beyonce have plans for tours for next year. It's also been suggested that U2 had looked at touring but decided to wait a year, in large part due to lack of venue availability across Europe.

 

Sheeran already has dates announced which limit the options somewhat - the obvious and suitably sized gap in the tour for UK dates is Mid-July, which fits with BST and also provides the most natural explanation for why the UK shows weren't just announced with the rest of the tour.

[charlierc]

When Eminem did Reading in 2013 and 2017, he refused to allow the BBC to broadcast his set. Would this be a deal breaker if he did decide he was up for Glastonbury or is that a bit of a stretch?

[charlierc]

Just now, incident said:

 

Wembley will be near enough at capacity between Oasis, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa

Olympic Stadium has Iron Maiden and an Athletics event

White Hart Lane has Imagine Dragons and Catfish shows

Arsenal and Twickenham don't currently have anything scheduled

 

So there's some capacity, but not a huge amount and there's also likely to be more big shows still to be announced other than just Sheeran. There's been rumours that one or more of The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Beyonce have plans for tours for next year. It's also been suggested that U2 had looked at touring but decided to wait a year, in large part due to lack of venue availability across Europe.

 

Sheeran already has dates announced which limit the options somewhat - the obvious and suitably sized gap in the tour for UK dates is Mid-July, which fits with BST and also provides the most natural explanation for why the UK shows weren't just announced with the rest of the tour.

U2 still haven't finished their album yet, so I think that's a barrier as well. Although they seem to take the best part of forever to finish one. One person who is seen as quite good at predicting Irish concerts actually talked them up as a rumour for Glastonbury but the receding prospect of them touring next year presumably rules them out.

 

I think Wembley has reached capacity but I think London and Tottenham Stadiums still have room for a few more plus ofc Emirates, Twickenham and Hyde Park are yet to reveal what they're doing.

[incident]

Just now, charlierc said:

When Eminem did Reading in 2013 and 2017, he refused to allow the BBC to broadcast his set. Would this be a deal breaker if he did decide he was up for Glastonbury or is that a bit of a stretch?

 

That's a tricky one.

 

I always said it wouldn't be a big factor, and I believe that used to be the case, but I've got hard evidence that that's now wrong.

 

Allowing TV coverage (and use of that material beyond the festival weekend) is now written into the standard agreement for performers on the big 5 stages - so it's something that would have to be specifically negotiated out. No idea how willing GFL would be to do so, or whether there's any onward agreements with the BBC that'd prevent them being able to.

[4AssedMonkey]

4 hours ago, Memory Man said:

Answer a family debate for me: would they book harry styles and would he be interested? I say no way. I dont understand how he fits glastonbury musically or culturally. Its just not the right fit in my opinion.

100% they would. If the timing aligns on his next album/tour cycle I reckon he’d be nailed on Saturday headliner.

[stuie]

4 hours ago, Memory Man said:

Answer a family debate for me: would they book harry styles and would he be interested? I say no way. I dont understand how he fits glastonbury musically or culturally. Its just not the right fit in my opinion.

 

Yes and yes.  

 

When his name was first mentioned a year or two back I thought no chance, but it's now clear that he's absolutely of the level required and people who think he's not haven't paid any attention to him in the last few years.  

 

He might have come from a TV talent show but he's most definitely a credible artist and his stock his huge.  He's going to have a long career and in years to come he'll be compared to Prince, Bowie etc.  Or around that kind of level.  

[Alex DeLarge]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

When Eminem did Reading in 2013 and 2017, he refused to allow the BBC to broadcast his set.

That's because he was f**king shite.

[Kaboom Boxer]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

When Eminem did Reading in 2013 and 2017, he refused to allow the BBC to broadcast his set. Would this be a deal breaker if he did decide he was up for Glastonbury or is that a bit of a stretch?

 

What was the reasoning behind this?

[Kaboom Boxer]

30 minutes ago, stuie said:

 

Yes and yes.  

 

When his name was first mentioned a year or two back I thought no chance, but it's now clear that he's absolutely of the level required and people who think he's not haven't paid any attention to him in the last few years.  

 

He might have come from a TV talent show but he's most definitely a credible artist and his stock his huge.  He's going to have a long career and in years to come he'll be compared to Prince, Bowie etc.  Or around that kind of level.  

I quite enjoy some of Styles’ stuff and was with you all the way up to the Prince / Bowie comparisons. Time will tell but I think that’s a bridge beyond where his ceiling lies as an artist. 

[charlierc]

9 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

 

What was the reasoning behind this?

Nothing substantial really. In 2013, BBC just had to Tweet, "Sadly we will not be bringing you any TV or live stream coverage of tonight’s headline set. @Eminem has asked us not to film his performance" with no reason given by Eminem's people, and then he did it again when he returned 4 years later.

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

I quite enjoy some of Styles’ stuff and was with you all the way up to the Prince / Bowie comparisons. Time will tell but I think that’s a bridge beyond where his ceiling lies as an artist. 

 

I'm not a fan of his and maybe my comparisons are a bit over the top, but his fan base is massive, and he's interesting, fashionable, iconic. 

[Dg_vic]

Even glasto has precedent for not showing pyramid headliners live. Rolling Stones was not shown (and I don’t think ever shown) apart from a few songs. 
 

Eminem is not headlining glasto though so a moot point. 

[OllieMadd]

5 minutes ago, Dg_vic said:

Even glasto has precedent for not showing pyramid headliners live. Rolling Stones was not shown (and I don’t think ever shown) apart from a few songs. 
 

Eminem is not headlining glasto though so a moot point. 

That was up to the Stones though. They chose that.

[charlierc]

9 minutes ago, OllieMadd said:

That was up to the Stones though. They chose that.

Same with Eminem and Reading tbf as detailed above. I think Blur did this as well in 2009, but it was then also released in full during lockdown.

Edited October 6, 2024 by charlierc

[charlierc]

16 minutes ago, Dg_vic said:

Eminem is not headlining glasto though so a moot point. 

I wouldn't say it's 100% out of the question but I think he's more likely to do his own shows for the payday.

[incident]

33 minutes ago, Dg_vic said:

Even glasto has precedent for not showing pyramid headliners live. Rolling Stones was not shown (and I don’t think ever shown) apart from a few songs. 
 

Eminem is not headlining glasto though so a moot point. 

 

It's tricky, because we don't know what was in the agreement with the BBC at that time, or what was in the agreement with the acts, and/or whether or not the Stones negotiated an exception to that.

 

But we do know what's in the current (standard) agreement:

 

There's more than that, but that's the part I feel comfortable posting.

 

I guess the question for any headliner, including Eminem, would be:

- Is the act comfortable with that?

- If they're not, do the festival want them enough that they're prepared to negotiate an exception?

Edited October 6, 2024 by incident

[NorthernSoul52]

10 hours ago, MEGABOWL said:

She’s mates with Beyoncé and Jay-Z IIRC, they both really enjoyed it

For devil's advocate though, would either of those come back again? 

[Stokesy10]

1 hour ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

I quite enjoy some of Styles’ stuff and was with you all the way up to the Prince / Bowie comparisons. Time will tell but I think that’s a bridge beyond where his ceiling lies as an artist. 

Agree on this. Kudos to the guy, he seems really cool and down to earth, some catchy pop tunes and great stage presence... but comparing him to David Bowie and Prince is just... come on man 🤣 you're looking right to the top of the greatest artists in the history of music with stacks of world class, timeless and household songs that will live on for eternity. 

[Memory Man]

Fair enough re harry, i dont get it whatsoever but it would keep some people happy

 

has no history with the festival unlike dua but i suppose that doesnt especially matter

 

not as culturally interesting or relevant as chappell roan and olivia 

 

dont really get it but theres not many / any current or newer bands to fill the headline slots so solo pop acts will eventually take over

 

it would definitely be a real signifier of the festival moving from having been a countercultural event to well…. not

Edited October 6, 2024 by Memory Man

[Skip997]

12 minutes ago, Memory Man said:

it would definitely be a real signifier of the festival moving from having been a countercultural event to well…. not

If you see that as an indicator that Glastonbury would be moving away from being a “countercultural event” then it happened many years ago.

 

But let’s be honest it’s had a “mainstream” side to it for a long time anyway and certainly been in the “mainstream” conscious for at least a couple of decades.

 

Fortunately it still retains a “counterculture” side 

Edited October 6, 2024 by Skip997

[Memory Man]

Yeah true. At least they had some truly heroic stuff like the cure and blur 09. Its been a good run and the headliners arent the best part of the festival anyway. 

[Skip997]

It’s arguable that the UK counterculture has had at least as big an effect on the development of the festival as the festival has had on the UK counterculture, if not bigger. 
 

Examples being the 80’s traveller scene and the late 80’s/early 90’s rave scene. Remember Michael Eavis was adamant that there would never be “dance music” at Glastonbury. The SE corner, Arcadia and Silver Hayes wouldn’t exist without the two.

[Spindles]

I remember reading an article about the history of the festival and it said that 1992 was the key year that the dance crowd came to glastonbury en masse and at the time the traveller community and hippies were still very much the backbone, they accepted the ravers with open arms (and apparently open bags, as the MDMA was said to have been very well received) and from there on out they were as much a part of the fabric of the place as any of the old timers.  

[Suprefan]

2 hours ago, Dg_vic said:

Even glasto has precedent for not showing pyramid headliners live. Rolling Stones was not shown (and I don’t think ever shown) apart from a few songs. 
 

Eminem is not headlining glasto though so a moot point. 

 

most of the set got aired on iplayer.

 

ya'll happy. Either Rihanna said no to Coachella or no to everyone. Time will tell.