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Sir Rod Stewart says 'I won't be back' as he delivers 'emotional' Glastonbury verdict

Sir Rod Stewart says 'I won't be back' as he delivers 'emotional' Glastonbury verdict

Edinburgh Live16 hours ago
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Sir Rod Stewart dazzled fans with a stunning performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, creating a stir among festival-goers this Sunday. The legendary 80-year-old singer, known for the classic "Maggie May," graced the Legends Slot and mesmerised the audience with his iconic tracks, along with surprise appearances by Ronnie Wood and Lulu.
Following his performance at Worthy Farm, the much-loved Sir Rod took to social media to express his feelings, with numerous enthusiastic fans showing their support.
Prior to his memorable gig at Glastonbury, Sir Rod was forced to cancel several U.S. concerts in early June due to recovering from the flu. He has spoken about stepping away from "large-scale world tours" after 2025 to focus on smaller, more personal shows.
Nevertheless, he delivered a spellbinding set at the festival, with some fans declaring him the standout act of this year's Glastonbury.
In a touching video montage posted online showcasing his Pyramid Stage moments, the father of eight took a moment on Tuesday to share his gratitude towards the festival attendees, emotionally stating, "You lot were magic," reports the Express.
Rod also shared his gratitude on Twitter: "What an honour to play the Pyramid Stage and what a crowd."
(Image: Getty)
Fans quickly showered him with praise on social media, with one saying: "You were magic, Rod. Best by far all weekend."
Another expressed regret at not attending: "Sadly wasn't there, watched you on TV. You were bloody amazing. National treasure. Thank you xx."
Yet another enthused: "One of the best performances ever."
A fourth raved: "Love you, Sir Rod, and love your amazing, gorgeous band too. You were all incredible — in that heat, wow."
A fifth chimed in: "Sir Rod, you blew Glastonbury out of the water. Your limited time slot was absolutely fantastic. You are truly a LEGEND, my friend. You are FOREVER YOUNG."
Following his blistering set, Sir Rod caught up with Jo Whiley for BBC Radio 2 and shared his poignant feelings.
"Yes, a little bit teary-eyed," he confessed to Jo. "It's just such an emotional event. Especially if you're British. This is our Woodstock, and there's nothing bigger in the world — and we do it the best."
(Image: Kevin Mazur,)
When asked whether his shows have become more sentimental since turning 80 in January, Sir Rod acknowledged: "Yes, they do, because I won't be back. This is my Glastonbury moment. My World Cup final. I've got to sit down tomorrow and take it all in — how responsive the audience were. I could retire tomorrow — but I won't."
The rock icon took his place in a legendary lineup that has previously featured performances from stars like James Brown, Diana Ross, and Shania Twain in the famed festival's teatime slot.
This follows an earlier disappointment when Sir Rod had to postpone several tour dates, including a milestone 200th show in Las Vegas, due to health issues last summer.
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‘Boldness was his friend in betting and in life': A tribute to the great Barry Hills
‘Boldness was his friend in betting and in life': A tribute to the great Barry Hills

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‘Boldness was his friend in betting and in life': A tribute to the great Barry Hills

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Legendary Brit band forced to cancel run of shows as frontman has emergency surgery
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Legendary Brit band forced to cancel run of shows as frontman has emergency surgery

The band's management said they were "gutted" to not be able to perform in the shows stepping back Legendary Brit band forced to cancel run of shows as frontman has emergency surgery Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LEGENDARY Brit band has been forced to cancel a run of shows as its frontman has emergency surgery. The group's management company said "the health and wellbeing of the band obviously has to come first." Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Heavy metal band Saxon have been forced to cancel summer performances Credit: Getty 4 Lead singer Biff is set to undergo emergency surgery Credit: Getty 4 The band formed back in 1975 - and took on the name Saxon in 1978 Credit: Getty Saxon formed in Barnsley back in 1975 - and adopted their current name three years later. Lead vocalist Biff Byford is set to undergo emergency surgery, which requires six weeks of recuperation. As a result of this, a string of summer performances have been cancelled. The affected dates are listed in full further down. The band's management said: "Saxon were so looking forward to performing at all the below Summer festivals and events, but the health and well-being of the band obviously has to come first. "It goes without saying that all in Saxon are gutted that they will be unable to perform but look forward to hopefully being back on stage in time to play both Trutnoff Open Air Festival in Czech Republic on August 23 and Neuborn Open Air on August 29. "The band are also very much looking forward to their upcoming tours of both Spain, France and the UK later this year too." Continuing, the management relayed that Saxon are "sorry for any inconvenience" and ask for "patience and understanding". It means Saxon's Swedish club shows on July 24, 26 and 27 are cancelled altogether - with fans advised to seek refunds. However, the band are working with ticket sellers in order to reschedule other affected dates. Legendary British indie band announce first album with original line-up in 16 years Alongside Biff, other Saxon members include Paul Quinn, Nigel Glockler, Nibbs Carter, Douglas Scaratt and Brian Tatler. During the 1980s, they had eight Top 40 UK albums - which included two UK top 5 albums. In addition, Saxon enjoyed success overseas spanning Europe, the United States, Canada, South America and Japan, to name a few. It comes as rock band Murder Capital have also been forced to cancel gigs. The Murder Capital are an Irish five-piece who released their third album in February of this year. Saxon's cancelled performances Jul 12: Leoben Area 53 Festival, Austria Jul 24: Ekilstuna Lokomotivat, Sweden Jul 25: Borgholm Öland Rock Festival, Sweden Jul 26: Linköping Garden, Sweden Jul 27: Gävle Furuvik, Sweden Jul 29: Oberhausen Turbinenhalle 2, Germany Jul 31: Czaplinek Pol'And'Rock Festival, Poland Aug 01: Wacken Open Air, Germany Aug 09: Finland Stallörsparken, Ekenäs Aug 16: Dinkelsbühl Summer Breeze Festival, Germany Posting on social media, the band said: 'With heavy hearts, we have to cancel our tour this autumn due to unforeseen financial challenges and the ongoing travel uncertainties. 'This is a bitter pill to swallow. We hope you know how much we wanted to be out there playing these shows for ye all.' They continued: 'Thank you to all our fans that bought tickets, we appreciate your support and can't wait to come back as soon as the time is right. Sending you all love in these strange times. 'All our summer shows are on, we look forward to seeing everyone out there.'

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