2025 Headliners

[Ben7amin_]

13 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Is Glastonbury in danger of damaging its reputation? Serious question.

 

With the poor line up last year particularly following the SZA fall out and the possibility of a poor set of headliners this year, is the esteem and distinction of the festival as one of the best in the world at threat? We know there's more to Glastonbury than the headliners but the public often judge it by the top row. If the general public lose interest, does the festival suffer?

 

I would say it would probably improve the festival if the "we rate the whole line up by the top 3" crowd stopped coming could be a blessing in disguise. 

 

Seriously So many people try to get tickets and those who go every year understand the festival as a whole - i think most of the slating of the headliners comes from armchair pundits who don't go to any festival -   They also write "who" after artists with multiple top albums as long as they are not from the mid noughties or earlier, not to be worried about IMO 

 

Edited October 7 by Ben7amin_

[Justcalledtosay]

I'm not necessarily referring to those that attend but more so whether Glastonbury loses its 'kudos'. Is there a possibility that their "selling" of slots to artists on the basis of publicity loses a little bit of its punch for example.

 

This is all subjective and hypothetical, particularly if the festival secured Rhianna or Lady Gaga for example but a trio of ORod/Fred/Ed would surely be uninspiring.

[Skip997]

7 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I'm not necessarily referring to those that attend but more so whether Glastonbury loses its 'kudos'. Is there a possibility that their "selling" of slots to artists on the basis of publicity loses a little bit of its punch for example.

 

This is all subjective and hypothetical, particularly if the festival secured Rhianna or Lady Gaga for example but a trio of ORod/Fred/Ed would surely be uninspiring.

The Pyramid headliner’s are usually uninspiring 

[Ben7amin_]

10 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I'm not necessarily referring to those that attend but more so whether Glastonbury loses its 'kudos'. Is there a possibility that their "selling" of slots to artists on the basis of publicity loses a little bit of its punch for example.

 

This is all subjective and hypothetical, particularly if the festival secured Rhianna or Lady Gaga for example but a trio of ORod/Fred/Ed would surely be uninspiring.

 

In this hyperthetical situation is there another festival in the UK consistently booking a bigger trio of headliners?

 

Only in that situation would I agree that it might lost its Kudos.

 

Given how mega popular O-Rod & Fred are right now - im not sure it should be making people feel uninspired by literally booking two of the biggest current acts int the world.  

 

 

Edited October 7 by Ben7amin_

[dotdash79]

19 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Is Glastonbury in danger of damaging its reputation? Serious question.

 

With the poor line up last year particularly following the SZA fall out and the possibility of a poor set of headliners this year, is the esteem and distinction of the festival as one of the best in the world at threat? We know there's more to Glastonbury than the headliners but the public often judge it by the top row. If the general public lose interest, does the festival suffer?

I mean you had 1 headline that has just sold out a massive world tour including Wembley a couple of times, and a second headliner that sold out Wembley 10 times and has the second highest grossing tour ever.

 

The headliners in 2023 were weaker as a 3 than this year, it was only saved by Elton. 

[efcfanwirral]

14 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I'm not necessarily referring to those that attend but more so whether Glastonbury loses its 'kudos'. Is there a possibility that their "selling" of slots to artists on the basis of publicity loses a little bit of its punch for example.

 

This is all subjective and hypothetical, particularly if the festival secured Rhianna or Lady Gaga for example but a trio of ORod/Fred/Ed would surely be uninspiring.

It'd work for me, I'd watch Olivia (because she was amazing when I saw her, despite me not being much of a fan before) and Ed, because weirdly I've never actually seen him. Given just how many hits he has built up over the years, the atmosphere will be immense. 

 

And that leaves me free on Fred night, having seen him at Reading and still not really getting it. And that's what I prefer. I'd also expect something guitar-based on the Other at the same time, which is likely to be up my street anyway

 

I think when Olivia Rodrigo's tickets go on sale for whatever she has planned next summer, and they sell out in minutes with loads of people missing out, that it'll feel a bigger booking than now to the general public. and Ed Sheeran has a similar rep to Coldplay on here - how people talk about Coldplay here you wouldn't expect them to do 10 nights at Wembley with so many missing out. He's massive

Edited October 7 by efcfanwirral

[AVALON.G]

I mean if we are referring to the lack of an Elton, McCartney etc etc not being on the bill then probably bar one or two names that could pop up those days are over. 

 

Time to reluctantly accept the 90s to noughties acts are the legacy headliners.

 

If the festival gets one like this such as Rihanna then you have got to give them credit. 

 

 

[Justcalledtosay]

16 minutes ago, dotdash79 said:

I mean you had 1 headline that has just sold out a massive world tour including Wembley a couple of times, and a second headliner that sold out Wembley 10 times and has the second highest grossing tour ever.

 

The headliners in 2023 were weaker as a 3 than this year, it was only saved by Elton. 

 

I'm not sure you can make that claim when SZA's crowd barely stretched past the sound desk.

 

 

[NorthernSoul52]

See, Ed is uninspiring to me because he's been and headlined in the past decade already - but much as with Coldplay, he's a slam dunk of a booking because it'll be a massive crowd with crossover hits. (The downside is that he's not quite as spectacle as Coldplay, which definitely can help some artists.)

 

Conversely, I think Fred Again and Olivia Rodrigo are exciting headliners - one's a homegrown talent that has got Glastonbury Moment™  in his back pocket to help, and another is a fast-rising younger female star who arguably has more four-quadrant crossover than the last fast-rising younger female star to headline this year. (SZA, to clarify.)

[NorthernSoul52]

We had a lot of chat here last time about your rank-and-file punter in the street knowing who SZA is. In the case of Olivia Rodrigo, I don't think there will be that problem - stuff like Good 4 U and vampire played across multiple demographics and radio stations. Think she'll do fine.

[mufcok]

Rodrigo is doing it. Friday I believe

 

Won't come as much of a surprise at this point

Edited October 7 by mufcok

[CaledonianGonzo]

They tried to book Madonna last year.  Doesn't indicate a lack of ambition.

[CaledonianGonzo]

5 minutes ago, mufcok said:

Rodrigo is doing it. Friday I believe

 

Won't come as much of a surprise at this point

 

As was foreseen

 

 

[efcfanwirral]

10 minutes ago, mufcok said:

Rodrigo is doing it. Friday I believe

 

Won't come as much of a surprise at this point

Excellent. That Netflix film of the tour at the end of the month will help those who aren't as familiar / haven't seen her live too. 

[NorthernSoul52]

Rodrigo on the Friday, you say?

 

It's where I would have put her, but thought the chat had been that Fred Again would take Friday.

[efcfanwirral]

13 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Rodrigo on the Friday, you say?

 

It's where I would have put her, but thought the chat had been that Fred Again would take Friday.

Saturday night party, then Ed Sheeran sends the locals home happy? 

[incident]

Just now, efcfanwirral said:

Saturday night party, then Ed Sheeran sends the locals home happy? 

 

I can't believe I've googled Ed Sheeran Tour Dates twice in one day, to double check, but he's definitely not available on the Sunday.

 

If the O-Rod info is correct, and I see no reason to doubt it, then that 100% rules Sheeran out of a headline slot.

[nikkic]

12 minutes ago, incident said:

 

I can't believe I've googled Ed Sheeran Tour Dates twice in one day, to double check, but he's definitely not available on the Sunday.

 

If the O-Rod info is correct, and I see no reason to doubt it, then that 100% rules Sheeran out of a headline slot.

That’s a double serving of good news 

[Acid_Haze]

Can definitely see it being Olivia Rodrigo Friday, Fred Again Saturday and Rihanna Sunday with Stevie Wonder as back-up in case Rihanna falls through.

[Crazyfool01]

4 minutes ago, nikkic said:

That’s a double serving of good news 

Hence the thankyou being used 🙂 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Ascending back into the 'we're so back' side of the Y axis 

[nikkic]

20 minutes ago, Acid_Haze said:

Can definitely see it being Olivia Rodrigo Friday, Fred Again Saturday and Rihanna Sunday with Stevie Wonder as back-up in case Rihanna falls through.

If Stevie is even remotely gettable then he’d surely be option A and not a back up.

Sack for Fred and have a trio of Stevie, Rihanna and O Rod. 

[MEGABOWL]

2 hours ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Is Glastonbury in danger of damaging its reputation? Serious question.

 

With the poor line up last year particularly following the SZA fall out and the possibility of a poor set of headliners this year, is the esteem and distinction of the festival as one of the best in the world at threat? We know there's more to Glastonbury than the headliners but the public often judge it by the top row. If the general public lose interest, does the festival suffer?

I don’t think so. SZA fell flat but the other two headliners sold out Wembley Stadium next summer. The year before they had 3 acts who literally detoured in the middle of stadium tours.

[Avalon_Fields]

2 hours ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Is Glastonbury in danger of damaging its reputation? Serious question.

 

With the poor line up last year particularly following the SZA fall out and the possibility of a poor set of headliners this year, is the esteem and distinction of the festival as one of the best in the world at threat? We know there's more to Glastonbury than the headliners but the public often judge it by the top row. If the general public lose interest, does the festival suffer?

My take on it is other festivals (Reading/Leeds in particular) have more to lose if they were to fail to book strong headliners. Glastonbury's stellar reputation will be safe for a few more years even if 2025 headliners are viewed as disappointing.

[stuie]

2 hours ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Is Glastonbury in danger of damaging its reputation? Serious question.

 

With the poor line up last year particularly following the SZA fall out and the possibility of a poor set of headliners this year, is the esteem and distinction of the festival as one of the best in the world at threat? We know there's more to Glastonbury than the headliners but the public often judge it by the top row. If the general public lose interest, does the festival suffer?

 

No.

 

Very worst case scenario is that SZA has made ticket day ever so slightly easier for you all, but I doubt it would even have that much impact.  The people who are really bothered about the Pyramid headliners will still remember the Elton and Coldplay ginormocrowds.