Hundreds of thousands of music lovers have descended on Worthy Farm for the long weekend as the UK’s biggest festival returns after a two-year absence from the calendar
Over 200,000 festivalgoers flocked to Worthy Farm for the ultimate music bash at Glastonbury, marking its last hurrah until 2027 due to a break in 2026. Neil Young, the 1975 and Charli XCX dazzled fans with blockbuster hits.
However, the festivities hit a snag when Belfast band Kneecap was prevented from having their gig aired live by the BBC, prompting controversy. A spokesperson for the BBC clarified: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.”
The spokesperson added: “While the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines.”
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They further stated, “We don’t always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In an unexpected turn of events, Deftones bowed out of their lauded slot on the Other Stage, paving the way for rapper Skepta to step up in a surprise substitution. While BBC iPlayer offered access to the various stage antics, technical troubles plagued the service just as Scissor Sisters took the spotlight.
Concerned fan @Kirsten4Flowers took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to voice frustration: “what has happened to Scissor Sisters? #Glastonbury2025 stream is dead air”.
@DigiSaturday tweeted in frustration: “iplayer is not working. What happened to the live from the scissor sisters?” while @Lsxx171 shared the sentiment, posting: “Scissor sisters isn’t on. please fix”.
The band concluded their UK and Ireland tour with a bang in Dublin this May, before hitting the festival scene with gigs in Lisbon and Madrid on June 20 and 21. The Scissor Sisters kept the momentum going at Tinderbox in Denmark on June 27, then made a beeline for Glastonbury, where they rocked the Woodsies Stage on June 28.
However, fans noted the absence of Ana Matronic, the band’s original female lead, who last year announced she would not be joining the Scissor Sisters’ reunion tour.
Today saw Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts take to the Pyramid Stage but with sparse crowds, following sets from the likes of RAYE, Patchwork – who were revealed to be Pulp, John Fogerty, The Script, Brandi Carlile and Kaiser Chiefs.
Elsewhere, Kneecap performed on the West Holts stage. Police have said they are investigating Kneecap and Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury and they are monitoring footage from the stage. During Bob Vylan’s set, Bobby called out chants “Free Free Palestine” and “Death Death to the IDF,” [Israel Defence Forces] as the large crowd shouted it back. He then said: “From the river to the sea Palestine must be, will be, free.”
Avon and Somerset Police posted on X: “We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
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