Glastonbury 2022: Six of the biggest talking points from the Worthy Farm festival
US rapper Kendrick Lamar’s headline set closed an impressive weekend of live music
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The final day at Glastonbury ended with a jaw-dropping performance by American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Over the course of five days, fans had danced to performances by top artists such as Paul McCartney, Little Simz, Pet Shop Boys, Sam Fender, and Billie Eilish.
On the last day of the festival, George Ezra turned up at the John Peel stage in what was possibly the worst-kept secret set in Glastonbury history, while jazz-fusion legend Herbie Hancock delighted crowds relaxing at the Pyramid stage with a virtuosic performance.
Here’s a look back at six of the biggest talking points from the entire Glastonbury 2022 festival...
Roe v Wade
News of the US Supreme Court’s highly controversial legal ruling broke on Friday, and it was clearly on a lot of people’s minds at Glastonbury. It certainly didn’t escape the attention of the artists, many of whom were American. From Billie Eilish, to Phoebe Bridgers, to Olivia Rodrigo, to Kendrick Lamar, lots of the performers included powerful statements about abortion rights in their sets.
From the youngest ever headliner…
Eilish made history with her Friday night headline slot, delighting fans with an intimate but lively set of songs from the 20-year-old’s two albums. As the festival’s youngest ever solo headliner, the pressure was certainly on Eilish’s shoulders, but as Mark Beaumont’s five-star review attests, she pulled it off with aplomb.
…to the oldest
On the other end of the spectrum, we had Paul McCartney, who delivered an absolute barnstormer of a set on Saturday. Performing a range of hits from his Beatles and Wings repertoires, as well as his solo career (and a couple of covers), Macca delivered a Glastonbury experience for the ages. At 80 years old, he became the festival’s oldest ever headliner.
Kendrick Lamar
Closing the festival on Sunday was Kendrick Lamar, who held the Pyramid Stage in the palm of his hand from the start of his electrifying, career-spanning set to the end. The stunning climax of his set – a rendition of “saviour” performed while blood dripped from his diamond crown of thorns, before he began a furious chant about women’s rights – was pure chills-down-the-spine stuff.
Ukraine
The ongoing war in Ukraine was also a core political issue for many of the festival’s acts and attendees. Ukrainian flags were spotted commonly around the festival site, with McCartney holding one aloft in solidarity as he took the stage for his encore. The Pyramid Stage also played host to Ukrainian band Dakhabrakha on Sunday, one of several Ukrainian artists the festival championed.
A little help from my friends…
While Kendrick’s set may have been all him, many of the festival’s other acts deployed some heavyweight guest stars. McCartney brought Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl on stage towards the end. Olivia Rodrigo welcomed Lily Allen for a duet of “F*** You”. Phoebe Bridges joined forces with Arlo Parks (who had her own full set at the festival) for a couple of numbers. Pete Doherty even showed up on stage during Hak Baker’s performance, having performed with the Libertines shortly before. It was a festival chock-full of unexpected – but thoroughly enjoyed – cameos.
Look back at our live blog below:
Bastille frontman thanks fans after ‘insane’ set with Ol’ Dirty Brasstards
Bastille frontman Dan Smith thanked fans after the “Pompeii” hitmakers’s “insane” performance at the Williams’s Green stage on Thursday.
Sharing a photo with his bandmates, Smith wrote on Twitter: “That was insane. Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who came along.”
Bastille was accompanied by 10-piece brass band Ol’ Dirty Brasstards, prompting Smith’s opener: “Tonight we’re Brasstille and the Brasstards...or something.”
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Charlie Barnes, who is currently touring with Bastille, also tweeted about the show, writing: “Hahahahaha played Glastonbury with a load of my brass friends hahahahahahahaha have a nice weekend everyone.”
How to watch the BBC’s live festival coverage this year
Live sets from Worthy Farm will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds throughout the Glastonbury festival, which runs from Wednesday 22 – Sunday 26 June.
Coverage will be brought to audiences by presenters such as Cerys Matthews, Clara Amfo, Dermot O’Leary, Jo Whiley, Lauren Laverne, Vick Hope and Zoe Ball.
Find out more about how you can catch headliner performances by Billie Eilish, Sir Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and Kendrick Lamar:
How to watch the BBC’s live Glastonbury coverage
Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney are all performing at this year’s 50th anniversary event
Steve Carell’s new Minions film to be screened at festival today
Steve Carell has revealed there will be a special advance screening for his forthcoming animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru at Worthy Farm this week.
The fifth film in the Despicable Me franchise acts as an origin story for Gru (voiced by Carell) and his Minions, telling the story of how the group came to existence to fight against unstoppable crime forces.
The film is scheduled for release on 1 July and will be screened at the Pilton Palais – the festival’s cinema tent – on Friday.
In his announcement, Carell invited festival-goers to “be one of those very first people in the UK to see it”.
Full story here:
Steve Carell reveals special Minions advance screening at Glastonbury
Animated movie releases to cinemas on 1 July, after special festival event on 24 June
Are we on the verge of a girl group renaissance?
This weekend, the original Sugababes will reunite on the stage of Glastonbury for the first time in two decades.
They’re the only UK girl group on the lineup, and are performing just over a month after pop trio Little Mix went on hiatus to pursue solo careers.
At first glance, the future landscape of girl groups in contemporary pop looks decidedly flat. Is there any hope of a renaissance?
Read the full story below and find out how to get tickets for Sugababes’ forthcoming tour here...
Round round, baby: Are we on the verge of a girl group renaissance?
Almost two decades since they played the Pyramid Stage, Sugababes are returning to Glastonbury this weekend. Amid this heady dose of nostalgia and with Little Mix currently on hiatus, Ellie Muir thinks it’s about time we ushered in a new era of girl groups
How to find out which acts are playing secret sets
George Ezra and Green Day are among the rumoured acts who could perform secret sets at Glastonbury.
Bastille, who were heavily rumoured to play, did perform a secret set on Thursday 23 June.
The set list for their sixth performance at Glastonbury included hits such as “Things We Lost in the Fire”, “Survivin’” from their 2020 EP Goosebumps, “Shut Off the Lights” and, of course, “Pompeii”, to finish.
Read more below about who could be up next...
Glastonbury secret sets 2022: Rumours and how find out who will play
Bastille were rumoured to be playing a secret set, and they did just that on Thursday 23 June
Sam Fender to play the Pyramid Stage tonight
Sam Fender fans get ready, for the Newcastle musician is playing the Pyramid Stage from 8.15pm to 9.15pm tonight, just before Billie Eilish’s headline set.
He’s pretty excited, too...
Read our interview with Fender here, in which he chatted to us about the state of the nation, overcoming a life-threatening illness, and his ‘crippling insecurities’...
Want to watch the festival on TV tonight? Here’s how...
Those who aren’t venturing to Worthy Farm for Glastonbury this year can keep up with the action from the comfort of their sofa, with coverage spread across BBC One, Two, Three and Four.
Tonight, music fans can watch Wet Leg, Arlo Parks, Idles, Little Simz and, of course, first headliner Billie Eilish.
Find out when their sets are being broadcast in the full story below...
Full TV schedule of BBC’s Glastonbury coverage
Coverage will be spread across BBC channels over the next four days
Paul McCartney to play surprise, intimate Glastonbury warm-up gig
Paul McCartney has revealed a surprise gig at a small Somerset music venue, the night before his Glastonbury headline set.
The performance was announced on Thursday (23 June), with “first come first served” tickets selling out in under an hour.
The Cheese and Grain entertainment venue in Frome, Somerset will play host to McCartney from 5pm on Friday (24 June). The venue’s capacity is just 800 people.
Read the full story here...
Paul McCartney holding surprise pre Glastonbury show in Frome
Tickets to the 800 capacity gig in Somerset sold out in under an hour
Our pick of the best bits of Glastonbury
Every Glastonbury weekend, the transformation of Worthy Farm from a West Country dairy farm into the glorious festival site never fails to wow. Bars within bars, areas within areas, and festivals within festivals offer ticket holders a Russian doll of silliness and surrealism. The centre of which you’ll probably never reach – at least not without a comprehensive plan.
From where to get the perfect pint to the woodland oasis awaiting tired, hungover bodies, here’s our pick of highlights for this year’s Glastonbury...
From Herbie Hancock to the Healing Fields – 18 highlights for Glastonbury 2022
As Glastonbury returns for a belated 50th birthday at Worthy Farm, Annabel Nugent and Roisin O'Connor pick some of the highlights you should try and make time for during the festival
Up-to-date weather forecast for Worthy Farm
Friday 24 June will see cloudy skies turn into scattered showers. The day will turn brighter around lunchtime but more persistent rain is expected to move eastwards through the afternoon. The Met Office indicates a maximum temperature of 20 degrees, dropping to a low of 8 degrees at night.
Read more about the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday, below...
Latest forecast predicts scattered showers for Glastonbury
The Met Office has indicated scattered showers over the course of a cloudy Friday
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