Lorde performs new album Virgin in full in surprise Glastonbury Festival set
Alternative pop star Lorde has surprised fans with a secret set at Glastonbury Festival performing her latest album Virgin, which was released on Friday, in full.
The 28-year-old – whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor – took to the Woodsies stage at 11.30am as fans screamed at the top of their voices, before opening with latest single and the record's opening track, Hammer.
Advertisement
Masses of festivalgoers had converged on the tent, with a bumper crowd waiting outside.
Lorde treated the crowd to her latest album Virgin in full (Yui Mok/PA)
Midway through her set she told the audience: 'How you doing? You OK?
'This is f****** sick, thank you so much for being here with us on the day that Virgin was born.
'We decided to play the whole record for you from front to back.
Advertisement
'No, this record took me a lot, I didn't know if I would make another record to be honest, but I'm back here.
Crowds gathered in the pit to watch Supergrass perform (Ben Birchall/PA)
'I'm so thankful to you for waiting for me, thank you for sitting in the sun right now, hope you have a sick f****** Glastonbury.'
Waving her shirt to cool down, Virgin's lead single What Was That prompted mass singalongs as flags with the new LP's cover and title waved.
Second single Man Of The Year climaxed with Lorde laying down on the floor of the building site-like set, as lasers shot out across the crowd from behind her.
Advertisement
Lorde finished her set with Green Light (Yui Mok/PA)
Later in the set, she told the massive crowd: 'This is crazy for me too, I hope you understand.'
The New Zealand-born singer pulled her top off to finish with a double hit of Ribs from her debut album Pure Heroine, which she said was first played at Glastonbury 2017, and Melodrama's Green Light, which saw the lasers turn from blue to the colour mentioned in the track.
The final song prompted a football terrace-style singalong that almost drowned out Lorde herself.
Friday crowds update - Click here for info on where you might find busier crowds today ->
https://t.co/bA93ujYVmW
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury)
June 27, 2025
Virgin is the singer's fourth studio album, with her previous three Pure Heroine (2013), Melodrama (2017) and Solar Power (2021) all reaching the top 10 of the UK albums chart.
Advertisement
The singer is best known for songs such as Homemade Dynamite, Solar Power and her second single Royals, which reached number one in the UK singles chart.
Elsewhere at the festival, British pop rock band The 1975 will be the first headliners to grace the Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid Stage this year when they perform on Friday evening.
Lorde held a secret gig at Woodsies tent (Yui Mok/PA)
Made up of four school friends, the group, known for songs including Chocolate, Someone Else and About You, is comprised of singer Matt Healy, bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann, and drummer George Daniel.
Other Friday performers include: Irish singer CMAT; hip-hop star Loyle Carner; rock band English Teacher; indie band Wet Leg; and Canadian star Alanis Morissette, who will take to the Pyramid Stage after a TBA act which will be performing at 4.55pm.
Advertisement
The five-day celebration of music and performing arts, which opened its gates on Wednesday, will also see headline performances from veteran rocker Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo.
The BBC confirmed on Thursday that Young's Saturday Pyramid Stage set will not be broadcast live 'at the artist's request'.
Supergrass performed on the main stage, 30 years after their classic debut album was released (Ben Birchall/PA)
This year's line-up features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, which will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday.
Festivalgoers have so far seen a clear morning after significant rainfall overnight, with temperatures reaching the mid-20s, according to the Met Office.
Rain made small areas of the site damp in the early hours of Friday morning, but hot weather has since dried it.
Spokesman Stephen Dixon told the PA news agency: 'Friday should start relatively sunny, with temperatures reaching into the mid-20s. However, there will be a touch more cloud later in the day and into the evening.'
Looking ahead to the weekend, the Met Office's Grahame Madge said: 'Heat and humidity will be building over the weekend. We anticipate highs of 26C on Saturday, with high levels of humidity. By Monday temperatures can be anticipated to be over 30C.
'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.'
Avon and Somerset Police said there had been 38 crimes reported at the festival with 14 arrests made.
Friday's line-up of events also includes a Q&A featuring Australian actress Margot Robbie at Pilton Palais and a Mountainhead Q&A with Jesse Armstrong, along with performances from psychedelic rockers Osees and Britpop veterans Supergrass.
Fans have gathered at Worthy Farm for a typically spectacular line-up (Ben Birchall/PA)
Saturday will see Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have seen one of their members charged with a terror offence, perform on the West Holts Stage at 4pm.
Before the festival, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would not be 'appropriate' for them to perform their slot at Worthy Farm.
Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year.
Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts.
He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20.
On Thursday evening, the rap trio posted a film they executive produced to social media, titled Stop The Genocide, which includes testimonies from a Palestinian activist and plastic surgeon on the war in Gaza.
With a sunny few days predicted here at Worthy Farm, please take a moment to read this advice on staying safe in the heat.
#Glastonbury2025
pic.twitter.com/ilnbdCcLKc
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury)
June 27, 2025
Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests.
Sir Rod's performance will come after he postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu.
In celebration of his legends slot at the festival Southern Western Railway has unveiled a new plaque at Twickenham railway station, where it is said that, years ago, he happened upon blues singer and band leader, Long John Baldry, who he later played with in the Hoochie Coochie Men
Among the other acts expected to draw large crowds this year is pop star Charli XCX, who is engaged to The 1975 drummer Daniel and will perform songs from her sixth studio album, Brat.
Entertainment
CMAT shouts 'Free Palestine' and wades into Glasto...
Read More
She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year.
Other performers include: Prada singer Raye; US musician Brandi Carlile; Nile Rodgers and Chic; US pop star Gracie Abrams; Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective; US rapper Denzel Curry; and rising star Lola Young.
This year, the BBC will provide livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson at top of James Bond wishlist
Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi are rumoured to be at the top of Amazon's James Bond wishlist, according to a new report. Variety has learned from insiders that the new iteration of 007 would be under 30 and the three actors could be fighting it out for the role. No meetings have taken place and Amazon has yet to confirm anything. The report emerges days after the Dune and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve was announced as the first director of Bond's new era under the Amazon-MGM banner. The French-Canadian film-maker, now working on the third Dune movie, reportedly beat out Conclave's Edward Berger, Westworld's Jonathan Nolan, Paddington's Paul King and Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright for the role. 'I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come,' Villeneuve said in a statement. 'This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour.' Early rumours had suggested the Gravity director Alfonso Cuarón would step up, having worked with Bond's new producer David Heyman before, but he removed himself from the race. Cuarón is set to work on the darkly funny drama Jane with Charlize Theron instead. Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man, has also starred in the video game hit Uncharted and Apple series The Crowded Room. He'll next be seen in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey before returning for the fourth Spider-Man movie. The 29-year-old actor once tried to pitch a 007 spin-off to Sony. 'I had a meeting after or during Spider-Man 2 with Sony to pitch this idea of a young Bond film that I'd come up with,' he said in 2022. 'It was the origin story of James Bond. It didn't really make sense. It didn't work. It was the dream of a young kid, and I don't think the Bond estate were particularly interested.' Dickinson, known for Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl, recently received rave reviews for his directorial debut Urchin at the Cannes film festival. 'I mean, listen, man, you'd be a fool to not entertain that role,' he said when asked about playing Bond in 2023. 'I'm loving seeing the development of James Bond and seeing how it changes over the years. I think Daniel Craig was such a good Bond that I'd almost be quite frightened to try … Who knows what they're doing with Bond? I'm intrigued.' Elordi is the only Australian of the bunch, but could follow in the footsteps of George Lazenby who played Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The actor, best known for his role in TV drama Euphoria and Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, will soon be seen in Emerald Fennell's unconventional adaptation of Wuthering Heights with Margot Robbie. In 2023, Elordi called rumours that he was being linked to the role 'beautiful' and added: 'I just like that people maybe want to put me in their movies. That makes me really glad.' The release date for the next film is yet to be announced, but Variety is claiming that anything sooner than 2028 would be impossible. The 26th Bond film will follow Daniel Craig's final outing No Time to Die which made over $774m at the global box office. Earlier this year, in a reported $1bn deal, Amazon MGM bought the rights to gain 'creative control' of the franchise. In March, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman were hired to take charge of the new film.
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Lessons for Young Artists by David Gentleman review – secrets from the studio
You know the art of David Gentleman even if you don't know you know it. Anyone who's passed through London's Charing Cross tube station has seen his life-filled black-and-white mural of medieval people, enlarged from his woodcuts, digging, hammering, chiselling to construct the Eleanor Cross that once stood nearby. His graphic art has graced everything from stamps to book covers to Stop the War posters in a career spanning seven decades. He says he's been making art for 90 years, since he was five. His parents were also artists, and in his latest book he reproduces a Shell poster by his father to show he follows in a modern British tradition of well-drawn, well-observed popular art. Perhaps it is because he learned from his parents as naturally as learning to speak – 'Seeing them drawing tempted me to draw' – that Gentleman dislikes pedagogy. He's proud that he never had to teach for a living, always selling his art. So his guide to the creative life, Lessons for Young Artists, is anything but a how-to manual or didactic textbook. Instead, it's like a visit to his studio where you sit at his shoulder, watching him work, while he shares tips, wisdom, anecdotes. If you have ever wished to take up pencil and paper, whatever your age, this book will sharpen your ambition by demystifying the process, making it feel the most natural and important thing in the world to draw that tree outside the window. The book's beautiful illustrations deepen his laconic advice. As he chats, the artist rifles through drawers to show views of London, Paris, New York. 'Rifling' is possibly the wrong word, for it suggests a chaotic workplace, of which Gentleman does not approve. You should keep your brushes in good nick and your studio tidy. Then again there are no rules, he admits, remembering how Edward Ardizzone used to work at the kitchen table surrounded by his family. The artist's workspace may seem a secondary issue but he's not alone in stressing it: Leonardo da Vinci paid attention to what an artist's room should be like in advice to young hopefuls written more than 500 years ago. In one of Gentleman's engrossing, calming drawings, his studio has a big window looking out on the city, designs on clipboards neatly hung up, a row of brushes, a couple of glasses of water (for watercolours). It's a workplace to envy, peaceful yet connected with the world. This is really a guide not just to the technical skills an artist needs but achieving an artistic state of mind. Gentleman lures you into his day-to-day work. 'Take a sketchbook with you everywhere you go,' he says, again like Leonardo, adding that it should be pocket-sized and the accompanying tools minimal. Too heavy a kit will 'become an excuse not to take it with you'. He adds watercolour to his drawings, either in the studio or in the open. A Suffolk church is seen through overgrown late summer weeds, with watery blotches in the sky. It started to rain as he worked: 'I like the way the spatters of rain are visible on the paper.' Another happy accident is a drawing of his son playing the piano that acquired an extra foot: a burst of motion in an otherwise tranquil scene. You find yourself not just wanting to be an artist but to be David Gentleman. 'Becoming an artist,' he says, 'is about learning to look at the world with a very sharp eye. When you walk down the street, try to pause and notice your surroundings.' On the facing page is a watercolour shot through with sunlight of the now-gone King's Cross gasometers, by a trashy canalside, ducks floating on the silver-touched water. Finding beauty in the neglected, unnoticed moments that pass us by is a lesson that can be applied to anyone's life, 'Young Artist' or not. This is diamond advice, lightly given. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Lessons for Young Artists by David Gentleman is published by Particular (£20). To support the Guardian, order your copy at
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lorraine Kelly ‘terrified' after climbing up 25-ft ship in Dundee following keyhole surgery
Watch as Lorraine Kelly admits she was "terrified" after abseiling down the mast of a 25-metre mast on Friday (27 June), just weeks after the star's keyhole surgery. The TV presenter scaled up and down the RRS Discovery ship, a vessel that previously ventured to Antarctica, with fellow presenter Dan Snow in Dundee. Feet firmly back on the ground, Kelly said: 'The experience in general was absolutely terrifying. I'm not good with heights so it was scary, I was shaking like a leaf.' Last month, the 65-year-old presenter underwent keyhole surgery to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries, a procedure Kelly described as 'purely preventive'.
