Surprise guests, wacky sets, and a soccer match no one could bear to miss – Glastonbury’s 210,000-person music festival never fails to deliver.
It was a Glastonbury of old and new – trusted performances from festival legends Coldplay and music veteran Shania Twain, as well as Worthy Farm debuts from Dua Lipa and SZA.
But the U.K.’s most popular music fest draws to a close on Monday and 210,000 people will now make their way home after five days of surprise guest stars, wacky sets, and a European Championship soccer match that no one could bear to miss.
Houdini singer Dua Lipa kicked off the headline performances on the main Pyramid stage on Friday night as she thanked fans for “making my dreams come true.” It was a sturdy and seamless gig from the British popstar who got to enjoy the rest of the festival with the nerves over and done with. She pleased fans by bringing out Tame Impala star Kevin Parker for the duo’s rendition of “The Less I Know The Better”.
On Saturday night, Chris Martin and his band headlined the festival for a record-breaking fifth time (their first was 2002). It was a packed field with A-listers including Tom Cruise, Gillian Anderson, and Florence Pugh watching on. Beginning with “Yellow,” Martin soon took the time to thank the fans who waited all day at the barrier to get the perfect view. “This is our favorite thing to do on earth, so thank you for letting us do it,” the frontman said.
And in a move no one could have predicted, Michael J. Fox, star of the Back to the Future trilogy, joined Coldplay on stage to play the guitar for their hit “Fix You”. “There is a time for every band and a band for every time,” the Parkinson’s activist later wrote alongside a carousel of photos on Instagram, including one with members of his team and him sitting in a wheelchair in front of an “optimism is a political act” sign. “This is @coldplay’s time.”
A noticeably tense SZA took to the main stage on Sunday night, seemingly a little more out of her depth than the seasoned Glastonbury performer Martin. But after a shaky technical start where the singer-songwriter’s microphone sounded muffled, she was pulling out the big hits like “Kill Bill” and “20 Something”. The star admitted she was “so nervous” to perform at the world-renowned music festival and wished a safe journey home for all those who attended, but unfortunately for SZA, a fair few had peeled off to other sets on the event’s final night.
Camila Cabello performs at Glastonbury 2024.
Courtesy of Getty Images
For the Legends slot, Shania Twain also faced a few sound issues. The 58-year-old country star played her set on Sunday, kicking off with the crowd-pleaser “That Don’t Impress Me Much”. But fans noticed the singer fiddling with her earpiece and microphone, leading many to believe there were some behind-the-scenes faults interfering with the set.
Seventeen made history by becoming the first K-pop group to perform at the festival. British pop group the Sugababes and Canadian punk queen Avril Lavigne performed on the smaller stages, while Camila Cabello had a moment with some dancers in dog masks melting popsicles on her body during her set. U.K. rapper Little Simz wowed the crowd with a performance on the Pyramid stage on Saturday, telling fans: “I need you to understand that you’re witnessing greatness. I say that not with arrogance, but with confidence.”
And former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson thought of everything before his trip to Worthy Farm. Glastonbury has a policy of not showing any soccer games if they clash with major artists’ sets, but the singer anticipated an entertaining UEFA European Championship match between his beloved England and Slovakia on Sunday night. He brought a television for fans at one of the campsites to watch the game. When festivalgoers slowly realized who was responsible for the sneaky set-up, Tomlinson became the hero of the hour. England went on to win the game thanks to extra-time goals and advanced to the next round of Europe’s biggest soccer tournament. At Glastonbury, there’s always a way.