Glastonbury 2024: From Dua Lipa to Stevie Wonder, all the latest headliner rumours
Tickets to Glastonbury Festival are already sold out, but who’s going to be on the lineup?
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Your support makes all the difference.With Glastonbury 2024 tickets selling out in November, the rumour mill around who will headline the festival next year is whirring.
The full festival lineup typically isn’t unveiled until May – just one month before it takes place at Worthy Farm, Somerset – but that won’t stop music fans from speculating over who could top the Pyramid Stage.
In an episode of Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw’s podcast Sidetracked last year, Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis revealed she was recently offered a “really big American artist” she hopes will headline next year.
“I thought it was kind of taking shape, and then last week I just got a call, and this is what happens if you wait a little longer, because quite often we’ll be booked up from July. But this year we’re holding out for a little bit longer,” she told the hosts.
“And then last week I got a call from [a representative of] a really big American artist saying, ‘This person’s around next year’, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible. Thank God we held the slot.’”
Fans began speculating that Madonna could be one of Glastonbury’s headliners in October, after Eavis praised the pop icon on Instagram for her “incredible” performance at the O2 Arena in London.
“I walked away and I was like, ‘I’ve got a post about this’. I’ve posted about going to lots of gigs before, but I didn’t expect it to be quite such big news,” Eavis later explained. “Everybody knows that I’ve always wanted Madonna to play Glastonbury. It’s not a big news story.”
However, The Independent understands that talks with Madonna’s team broke down after Glastonbury organisers said they wouldn’t be able to pay costs for the huge set-up involved in the pop icon’s ongoing Celebration tour, which she wanted to bring to Worthy Farm.
It was recently rumoured that Bruce Springsteen, 74, was in talks to replace her. However, Eavis had previously hinted that next year’s festival could be headlined by two women following fierce criticism at 2023’s all-male headliners.
Recent comments by pop legend Cher have also bolstered rumours that she could be joining the lineup, while Stevie Wonder, Shania Twain and Dua Lipa are all strongly headline contenders.
Let’s take a look at some of the rumours doing the rounds:
Dua Lipa
The British-Albanian pop star recently entered a new era of her music with singles “Houdini” and “Training Season”, following the release of her second album, Future Nostalgia, in 2020, and a spot on the hit soundtrack to the Barbie movie. Fans were gutted when she didn’t make a surprise appearance during Elton John’s headline set this year – maybe her own headline set would make up for it? Anyone who tuned in to watch her performance at the Brit Awards on Saturday 2 March should have been sufficiently convinced that she’s up to the task.
Stevie Wonder
The “Superstition” artist is still active on the touring circuit, but hasn’t been seen on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage since 2010. He currently hasn’t announced any live shows for this year, meaning his schedule is free and clear for a return to Worthy Farm.
Coldplay
The British pop-rock band have headlined Glastonbury five times already, but that doesn’t mean organisers would be put off booking them again. They’re booked to tour Europe through summer, but also happen to have a gap in their dates around the time the festival will take place.
Shania Twain
Strongly rumoured to be taking on the Legends’ Slot on the Pyramid Stage, Shania Twain would be making her Glastonbury debut should she perform this year. The country-pop queen has never played the festival before, despite being one of the world’s biggest-selling artists. You can bet her show would go down a storm with festival-goers, thanks to her catalogue of hits that includes “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”, “That Don’t Impress Me Much”, “Up!” and “Any Man of Mine”.
The Canadian star, who said last year that she would “love” to do the Legends’ slot, was also just announced as a headliner at British Summer Time in July, meaning she’ll be in town this summer...
Cher
It’s hard to believe that Cher hasn’t performed at Glastonbury before, but the “Believe” singer has been dropping hints that she’d love to perform at Worthy Farm. Appearing on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday (20 December), the 77-year-old told host Rylan Clark that she’d “like to” take on the Sunday afternoon Legends slot. When the shocked Clark told her: “So hang on; you’re saying if I manage to make this happen, you’ll be on that stage?”, she reiterated “yes”. The pair then shook hands as Clark promised to “get you that Legends slot”.
Bruce Springsteen
“Born to Run” singer Springsteen’s name often is mentioned amid Glastonbury rumours. The musician, who last appeared on the Pyramid Stage with Paul McCartney as part of the Beatles star’s headline set in 2022, headlined the festival with his E Street Band in 2009. In September, Springsteen cancelled and postponed all of his remaining 2023 shows as he recovered from peptic ulcer disease. However, new shows were added in Europe for 2024, with no performances currently taking place on the Friday (28 June) and Sunday (30 June) of Glastonbury.
Taylor Swift
It was widely reported that Swift was the unnamed pop star who had to pull out of headlining in 2023, due to touring commitments. Unfortunately, she ruled herself out earlier this year after booking one final Dublin show on 28 June, which is the Friday night at Glastonbury. Sorry, Swifties!
Beyoncé
The Lemonade artist enjoyed one of the most successful tours in music history with Rennaissance, the live show in support of her album of the same name. The reviews were ecstatic, as was the feedback from fans. She hasn’t headlined since 2011, so it seems about time she made a return to Worthy Farm.
Rihanna
Despite there being virtually zero chance of this happening, fans can’t help but dream of a Rihanna headline set at Glastonbury 2024. While her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance provided a glimmer of hope, Rihanna hasn’t released a new album since 2016’s Anti, and any work on a new record seems to have been sidelined by her Fenty empire and a growing family with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky. So don’t hold your breath.
Foo Fighters
After their “surprise” set in 2023 as mysterious band The ChurnUps, the Foo Fighters could be back at Worthy Farm next year, following the release of their latest album, But Here We Are. Frontman Dave Grohl is a huge Glasto fan, performing with the band in 1998 and 2017, and also joining Springsteen as a guest for McCartney’s 2022 Pyramid Stage performance.
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