This year, the iconic Glastonbury Festival would have celebrated its 50th year in existence.
However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the festival to cancel its 2020 edition, meaning that headlining performances from Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross will have to wait until next year.
The first Glastonbury Festival, then called the Pilton Pop, Blues and Folk Festival, was held in 1970 to 1,500 people and featured T. Rex, Steamhammer, Stackridge and Al Stewart. The festival continued to grow throughout the the end of the 20th century, with 1994 setting the record for its largest attendance with 300,000 people. In more recent years, Glastonbury has been headlined by Kanye West, the Cure, Stormzy and Miley Cyrus.
In celebration of Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary, take a walk down (a very muddy) memory lane and reminisce about the best acts to grace Worthy Farm, from Johnny Cash to Katy Perry.
Johnny Cash (1994)
In 1994, Johnny Cash played Glastonbury Festival. In his autobiography, “Cash: The Autobiography,” Cash wrote that the set was one of the highlights of his career. Glastonbury co-creator Michael Eavis told NME that Cash was one of his best bookings, giving a performance that was “spellbinding, bloody brilliant.”
David Bowie (2000)
David Bowie’s 2000 performance at Glastonbury was so good that he released a live album version of it in 2018. Bowie first performed at the festival in 1971, the year after its inception, and had a strong relationship to it till his death.
Paul McCartney (2004)
2004’s Glastonbury was Paul McCartney’s first festival appearance as a solo artist. The Guardian called his performance “a genuine Glastonbury moment,” reporting that “Hey Jude” “turned into an all-encompassing sing-along.”
Stevie Wonder (2010)
Stevie Wonder closed out the 40th year of Glastonbury in 2010, welcoming co-founder Michael Eavis on stage to help him sing “Happy Birthday” to the festival. He played all of his hits, including “Superstition” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” as well as covers of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” and “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson.
Snoop Dogg (2010)
After being denied a visa to enter the U.K. in 2008, Snoop Dogg finally made his mark on England at Glastonbury in 2010. During Snoop’s set, Tinie Tempah made a guest appearance to perform “Pass Out.”
Beyoncé (2011)
Beyoncé headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2011, playing all her hits, as well as covers of “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon and Etta James’ “At Last.” Fireworks and stunning choreography made her set unforgettable.
The Rolling Stones (2013)
The Rolling Stones, one of the biggest bands to ever come out of Britain, made their Glastonbury debut in 2013. They put on an electrifying show, serving the audience with a back-to-back medley of their greatest hits. Former guitarist Mick Taylor even joined them on stage to play an extended version of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.”
Dolly Parton (2014)
Performing in a white rhinestone jumpsuit, Dolly Parton drew more than 180,000 audience members to the stage for her 2014 Glastonbury performance. According to her website, Parton said, “I’m just a country girl and now I feel like a rock star” of the festival.
Adele (2016)
Adele headlined Glastonbury’s 2016 edition, providing lots of between-song banter. “This is the best moment of my life,” she told the crowd, according to Billboard. Opening with “Hello” and closing with “Someone Like You,” Adele’s performance was a cathartic showstopper.
Katy Perry (2017)
Katy Perry brought the energy to her 2017 Glastonbury set. In-between singing hits including “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse,” “California Gurls” and “I Kissed a Girl,” Perry crowd surfed and danced with security personnel.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Meta Announces Ban on Russian State Media, Citing Deceptive Influence Operations
Sony’s ‘Concord’ Shutdown an Indictment of Live-Service Gaming
Australia Proposing to Ban Children From Social Media, Joins Wave of Asian Government Crackdowns on Platforms
Netflix vs. YouTube: The Post-Streaming Wars Era’s Archrivalry
Most Popular
Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…
Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’
‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker
‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)
Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’
Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…
‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’
Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Dakota Fanning Got Asked ‘Super-Inappropriate Questions’ as a Child Actor Like ‘How Could You Have Any Friends?’ and Can ‘You Avoid Being a Tabloid…
Charli XCX Reveals Features for ‘Brat’ Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV%2Bcrq24xKuwaJ%2BclsC1u82brKuxXZuytMDIr5ilZWFleqOx0q1kpqedmru1v4xuZ2axlZa%2FtHs%3D