Glastonbury 2025: Who's headlining, what Irish acts are playing, and where to watch
THE GATES ARE open, the music has started and thousands of flimsy, coffin-sized tents have gone up – Glastonbury has officially kicked off.
It's once again a jam-packed lineup this year, with over 3,000 performances scheduled across dozens of stages – including a whopping 33 Irish (and Northern Irish) acts.
Who is headlining this year?
Glastonbury Festival's gates opened on Wednesday, with the full music schedule set to kick off in force tonight.
Headliners for the weekend include British pop-rock band The 1975, rock legend Neil Young, US pop-punk star Olivia Rodrigo, and national treasure Rod Stewart, who returns to the festival for the first time in 23 years to fill the iconic Sunday 'legend slot'.
Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, Rod Stewart and the 1975.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
But the headliners are just the beginning. The line-up also features major names like Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, The Libertines, Wet Leg, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy and Scissor Sisters.
Throwback sets from the Kaiser Chiefs, Rizzle Kicks and En Vogue promise a hit of nostalgia, while debut performances by Alanis Morissette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and Doechii bring fresh energy to the fields of Worthy Farm.
Rumours are also swirling about secret sets from Lewis Capaldi, and Pulp—each marked as 'TBA' on the festival schedule, the same as Lorde (who did indeed host a secret set today).
Which Irish acts are playing at Glastonbury?
33 bands, musicians and DJs from the island of Ireland will be performing at Glastonbury this week, including some well-known stars.
You've likely heard the news that Kneecap are performing, in spite of vocal opposition from the powers-that-be in the UK (Labour and the Conservatives).
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The Belfast rap trio will play at the West Holts stage on Saturday at 4pm.
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, globally known as CMAT, will grace the main stage (the pyramid stage) this afternoon at 1.30pm.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Tomorrow, the Script will also play main stage at 3pm.
Other Irish acts to watch out for are Annie Mac, DJ extraordinaire who will play at the Arcadia stage at 1pm tomorrow, Dublin-based punk band Sprints (Woodsies stage at 2pm) and popular singer-songwriter Orla Gartland (Avalon stage at 6.35pm tonight).
Here's the schedule for some other Irish acts:
Friday
Inhaler: 2.15pm–3.15pm (Other Stage)
Gurriers: 5.05pm–5.40pm (Leftfield Stage)
Ash: 5.05pm–6.05pm (Avalon Stage)
Max Cooper: 10.50pm–11.50pm (Arcardia Stage)
Advertisement
Saturday
Lorraine Nash: 12.10pm–12.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
Oisin Leech: 1pm–1.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
Liam O'Maonlai (Not Completely Unknown a celebration of the songs of Bob Dylan): 3pm–4pm (Acoustic Stage)
The Coronas: 5.10pm–6pm (Acoustic Stage)
Sunday
Dea Matrona: 11.25am–12.05pm (Avalon Stage)
The Henry Girls: 1pm–1.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
The Riptide Movement: 3pm–3.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
Can I watch Glastonbury in Ireland?
Yes – though your viewing will be somewhat limited. Still, there's arguably no better weekend for music on TV than during Glastonbury.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
With sweeping crane shots capturing every moment, you actually get a clear view of the action—no muddy crowds or distant stages. And instead of trekking miles across Worthy Farm to chase overlapping sets, you can stay planted on the couch, turn up the volume, and enjoy it all on record.
While Irish viewers will miss out on the full expreience on the BBC iPlayer, it's not all bad, as the festival will feature across three BBC television channels (BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four) during the day.
Plus, the BBC's Glastonbury YouTube channel will also allow you to catch up with the day's heaviest hitters.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
BBC One offers a curated slice of Glastonbury this weekend, with The 1975 on Friday, Raye and Charli XCX on Saturday, and Olivia Rodrigo on Sunday, preceded by Rod Stewart in the afternoon.
For broader daily highlights, BBC Two is your go-to, with a round-up show that's basically Match of the Day with glitter and wellies.
Prefer your music a little more indie or alternative? BBC Four has you covered all weekend with acts like Franz Ferdinand, Wunderhorse, Amyl and the Sniffers, Beth Gibbons, St Vincent and Snow Patrol.
And for the electro faithful, The Prodigy's Sunday night set will also air there.
Despite the extensive list of Irish acts at Glastonbury this year, BBC's schedule sadly appears to show that no Irish acts will make the TV cut this year – it's not just Kneecap, though there's still question marks around that.
'Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines,' the British broacaster said, when asked whether Kneecap's set would be broadcast live or as part of the BBC's catchup services.
'Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival.'
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch are among the objectors to Kneecap's highly-anticipated performance at the festival.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Taylor Swift fans convinced Matt Healy took swipe at her on stage at Glastonbury – did you spot it?
TAYLOR Swift fans have become convinced her ex Matty Healy took a veiled swipe at the star while on stage at Glastonbury. Frontman Matty appeared with his band The 1975 to headline Glastonbury's main Pyramid Stage on Friday night – something the singer has long-declared a lifelong goal. 7 Matty couldn't resist a jab at songs made by his ex, Taylor Swift Credit: Alamy 7 Matty and Taylor briefly dated back in 2023 - but it's believed she wrote an album about him Credit: Splash 7 The cheeky singer declared himself "a poet" in reference to The Tortured Poets Department Credit: Alamy 7 The Tortured Poets Department references a man who "used typewriters, smoked cigarettes and ate chocolate" at her apartment Credit: Getty In the band's only major performance of 2025, they spent a reported four times their fee on a stand-out set design including a stage-length conveyor belt and set pieces. However, during his set, Matty took a moment to seemingly address the elephant in the room: his short-lived relationship with Taylor Swift. Ahead of their hit song Chocolate, Matty told the audience: "I want to be sincere for a second with everybody. "What this moment is making me realise is that, and I'm being sincere, I probably am the best. I'm probably the best songwriter of my generation. READ MORE GLASTONBURY "The best, what do we say… A poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. A generational wordsmith." Many took the cheeky jab at himself to be a swipe at Taylor Swift's 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department, which is l Matty and Taylor are believed to have dated from March to May in 2023, before splitting. Most read in Music The titular track also refers to the man using a typewriter - which Matty has gone on record to using. Seeming to confirm he was the man behind the songs, Matty finished his speech on the stage at Glastonbury by "reminding people of his poetry" by going into their song Chocolate. The 1975's Matty Healy slammed by fans for performing with pint and a fag as parents ban kids from watching_1 He further mocked himself and the song's non-sensical lyrics by having jumbled subtitles play overhead as they played. Since Matty and Taylor's split, both have gone to have long-term relationships. Matty is Gabbriette was at the festival, cheering Matty on alongside his mother Denise Welch. Taylor Swift has been in a relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce since September 2023. 7 Matty headlined Glastonbury with The 1975 on Friday night Credit: Alamy 7 Matty and Taylor split in 2023 after just a few months of dating Credit: GC Images 7 Taylor has never confirmed who The Tortured Poet's Department is about Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Glastonbury fans left fuming as show is pulled off air in technical blunder
GLASTONBURY fans have been left fuming as the show is pulled off air in a huge technical blunder. Music enthusiasts wanted to tune into the BBC and their iPlayer streaming service to watch the latest from Worthy Farm. Advertisement 5 The BBC's Glastonbury coverage has been plagued by technical blunders Credit: PA 5 The BBC was forced to apologise on screen as it suffered a huge technical blunder 5 Many viewers complained that they missed out on watching the Scissor Sisters perform (pictured in Denmark) Credit: AP If you wanted to watch the likes of The BBC coverage of the 2025 Glastonbury Festival has been dogged by technical errors. Even at the festival itself, During a set on Advertisement READ MORE ON GLASTO And it's no better online for those watching iPlayer as the main Saturday feed also suffered from a huge technical difficulty. Those wanting to watch Scissor Sisters were greeted with an apology message that was emblazoned on the screen. It read: "Sorry for the interruption. We're working to fix this." Glasto fans flooded social media in their droves as they were left fuming by the blunder. Advertisement Most read in News TV Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one expletive-filled fan fumed: "F****** hell @BBC you cut Blossoms short and now Scissor Sisters when it's just a black screen. Sort it out." A second stated: "Scissor Sisters have been on stage 8 minutes and the screen is still black! Fury as Glastonbury crowd chants 'death to the IDF' during Bob Vylan set aired live on BBC "I've only wanted to watch them, Jade, and "#Glastonbury Jeez put up with watching that Winehouse wannabe Raye screen goes blank for Scissor Sisters," exclaimed an angry user. Advertisement While a fourth asked: "Having to watch Charli because no streams on iplayer I don't even know what she sings #Glastonbury." " Cmon BBC Iplayer…where's Charli xcx? ", enquired someone else. Glastonbury backlashes Glastonbury Festival has been going for 54 trailblazing years - but at times it has been a stormy ride Here, we look at the biggest backlashes to hit the iconic music event. The Smiths (1984): One of the first bands to divide the early Glastonbury purists were Manchester indie stars The Smiths. The band's set even sparked a full scale stage invasion as they introduced the crowd to their guitar-driven, post-punk romanticism music. Guitarist Johnny Marr described their usual fanbase as "cup final supporters", adding: "Eventually, I did manage to instigate a stage invasion, which raised a few eyebrows. One fan was trying to climb on stage, I helped pull him up, and then a few more people followed, and all of a sudden we'd managed to turn it into a Smiths gig." The Fence (2002): It wasn't a band or musician that sparked controversy in 2002... it was a fence. Organiser Michael Eavis came under fire when he organised the erection of a £1million fence around the site. The ring of steel was brought in to protect ticket holders and those who might inadvertently endanger themselves by breaking in. Diehard Glasto fans, however, felt it was at odds with the event's hippy ethos of peace and love. Eavis and co refused to back down, though, and the fence remains in place today. JAY-Z (2008): Despite its long history, Glastonbury had never welcomed a rapper for a headline set - until 2008. Jay-Z's top bill booking was met with a flurry of digs, including some from Oasis's Noel Gallagher, who claimed hip hop had no place at the festival. In a perfect clap-back, Jay-Z walked out to a version of Wonderwall before launching into his powerful hit 99 problems. Seven years later, his pal Kanye West followed in his Glastonbury footsteps and topped the bill. Metallica (2014): Thrash metal rockers Metallica were met with raised eyebrows when they were announced as Glastonbury headliners. Some critics claimed they lacked mainstream appeal, while others felt they were past their prime. However, frontman James Hetfield managed to quickly win the crowd round thanks to his good humour and polite manners. Adele (2016): Although Adele wowed both festival goers and music fans at home with her headliner set, the British songstress did cause a stir by turning the air blue. She warned the crowd about her "potty mouth" but not everyone was impressed with with the 30 plus expletives she dropped on the stage during her headline set, which aired on the BBC. And a sixth added: " Since iPlayer is so useless this weekend you only have what's on BBC One and Two of #Glastonbury ." On iPlayer, if you wanted to catch the action from The Other Stage, you would have to swap to the dedicated feed which was still working. Advertisement 5 Viewers would have had to switch to a dedicated feed for The Other Stage on iPlayer to watch Charli XCX perform (pictured in 2022) Credit: Redferns 5 Fans took to social media as they complained in droves Credit: Rex Features
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Neil Young's Glastonbury slot ‘dogged by sound issues' as fans moan about ‘terrible' performance
GLASTONBURY viewers were left underwhelmed by Neil Young's headline performance this evening. The 2 Glastonbury viewers were not impressed with Neil Young's performance tonight Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 The star headlined the Pyramid stage this evening Credit: AFP He opened his set with the song Sugar Mountain, saying "thank you folks" to the crowd as the song ended. But those watching it were not impressed, with one person commenting: 'Someone tell Neil Young to sing into a microphone.' A second moaned: 'Sound needs turning up like ffs, he's shredding that axe and you can hardly hear it.' While a third said: 'Neil young with 48 microphones and none of them able to make his voice sound much beyond a grumble. Glastonbury has had a real hard time with the headliners the last couple of years…' Read More on Glastonbury And a fourth added: 'Watched a few minutes of this Neil Young man, this is like the worst thing I've ever seen and heard, there's only a few hundred people there ffs for a Headliner, why does he sound like that.' 'It's a no from me! Neil Young should not be headlining!Terrible!' raged another. The star's set was shown live on the BBC after the broadcaster had previously Earlier on Saturday, a BBC statement said: "We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC." Most read in Music Neil's performance was not guaranteed as earlier in the year he temporarily pulled out of, claiming it is a "corporate turn-off" due to its broadcast deal with the BBC. He said on his website: "We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. Gracie Abrams snogs boyfriend Paul Mescal after finishing Glastonbury set and parties until 3am "It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being." But just days later he did a surprise U-turn, the singer confirmed his slot blaming "an error in the information I received" for him initially turning down the offer. A statement on his website read: "Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved. "Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there." The Sun first reported that the singer was booked to headline Glastonbury, 16 years after he last played on the Pyramid Stage. Glastonbury 2025 - confirmed acts so far TICKETS to the 2025 festival sold out in just minutes before some of the acts were even confirmed. Here is who has been confirmed so far. Confirmed headliners: The 1975 will take to the Pyramid Stage on Friday. Neil Young will headline the festival for the second time after his last set in 2009 on Saturday after RAYE makes her return. Charli xcx will headline the Other Stage on Saturday night. On Sunday, Olivia Rodrigo is due to belt out her hits for her first appearance while Rod Stewart will perform in the legends slot. More acts to appear on the Other Stage include Loyle Carner and The Prodigy. Doechii will make her Glastonbury debut on the West Holts Stage on Saturday night. Other names confirmed include Noah Kahan, Alanis Morissette, Gracie Abrams, Busta Rhymes, Lola Young, Brandi Carlile, Myles Smith, En Vogue, Amaarae, Cymande, Shaboozey, Osees and Gary Numan.
