Glastonbury 2025's Biggest Moments: Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Kneecap
Back in 2023, Scottish crooner Lewis Capaldi was on stage a Glastonbury, trying to perform while visibly battling twitches caused by Tourette's syndrome. Capaldi got some help from fans as he finished his set, after which he announced a break from touring so that he could focus on his mental and physical well-being. Two years later, Capaldi was back on the Pyramid Stage at Glasto to 'finish what I couldn't finish,' as he put it. During the short set, he performed hits like 'Before You Go,' 'Hold Me While You Wait,' and 'Someone You Loved,' while also debuting his new comeback track, 'Survive.'
More from Rolling Stone
State Department Revokes Bob Vylan's Visa Over Glastonbury Performance
Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury: The Best Headliner of the Whole Weekend
Kate Nash Attacks J.K. Rowling, Rod Stewart, and Matty Healy's Mom at Glastonbury
'I'm not going to say much up here today, because if I do, I'll probably start crying,' Capaldi told the crowd. 'It's just amazing to be here with you all, and I can't thank you enough for coming out and coming to see me. Second time's the charm on this one.'
Earlier this month at Governors Ball in New York City, Olivia Rodrigo brought out David Byrne for a surprise performance of the Talking Heads classic, 'Burning Down the House.' A few weeks later, she tapped another Eighties legend, Robert Smith of the Cure, to make a guest appearance during her headlining set at Glastonbury Sunday night. Rodrigo introduced Smith by calling him 'perhaps the best songwriter to come out of England,' as well as a 'Glastonbury legend and a personal hero of mine.' The pair went on to perform two Cure classics, 1992's 'Friday I'm in Love' and 1987's 'Just Like Heaven.'
On Friday, Lorde celebrated the release of her new album Virgin by performing the LP live for the first time at a surprise, early-morning set. The musician took the stage at 11:30 a.m. local time, having only announced the set the night before. Nevertheless, a huge crowd packed in to see Lorde, with the BBC even reporting that so many people showed up, festival organizers had to close access to the Woodsies field. Along with performing all of Virgin, Lorde capped off her set with two longtime favorites, 'Ribs' and 'Green Light.'
'This may be a one-of-one, you know?' Lorde told fans. 'This record took me a lot. I didn't know if I'd make another record, to be honest, but I'm back here completely free. And I'm so grateful to you for waiting.'
After months of discussion and controversy over whether Kneecap's statements in support of Palestine and calls for an end to Israel's war in Gaza constitute as antisemitism, the Belfast rap trio finally took the stage Saturday afternoon for one of Glastonbury's most anticipated sets. In between performing a set packed with old favorite sand highlights from their debut album, Fine Art, Kneecap hit out at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said it would not be 'appropriate' for the band to perform, and lambasted the 'trumped-up terrorism charge' against Mo Chara (he's accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a show last year). The trio also thanked the Glastonbury organizers for not bowing to pressure and keeping them on the lineup, and led the crowd in a chant of, 'Free, free Palestine.'
When the Deftones were forced to cancel their Saturday afternoon set due to an illness in the band, Glastonbury organizers were left scrambling to find a replacement. Luckily, grime legend Skepta was able to make it to Worthy Farm in time and deliver a short, but thrilling set. Because of the time crunch, Skepta obviously wasn't able to pull together all the bells and whistles one might expect from a primetime slot on Glasto's second biggest stage. But Skepta also showed why he's the kind of artist who doesn't need all those bells and whistles: 'Let's go!!! No crew, no production but am ready to shut Glastonbury down,' he said before doing just that with a 30-minute set of hits like 'Cops & Robbers,' 'That's Not Me,' and 'Redrum,' as well as his new track with Fred Again, 'Victory Lap.'
Charli XCX's headlining set on the Other stage Saturday was a characteristic Brat bonanza, but not everyone feeling it. Those who watched the livestream set fired off some cranky tweets about her performance, which Charli decided to respond herself the next morning. 'Like the idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a 'real artist' is like, the most boring take ever,' she wrote, before adding, 'really enjoying these boomer vibe comments on my glastonbury performance. It's super fascinating to me.' Such assurance and can't-be-assed nonchalance is perhaps no better proof of concept for her other Glastonbury proclamation: That Brat Summer is a 'forever thing.'
While much of the pre-festival discussion centered around Kneecap, it was London alt-rap duo Bob Vylan who garnered the biggest controversy. During the group's set, rapper Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'Free, free Palestine,' as well as 'Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].' The latter chant garnered the fiercest backlash, with Glastonbury boss Emily Eavis saying festival organizers were 'appalled,' and that the chants 'very much crossed a line.' Prime Minister Starmer said, 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.' The U.S. State Department even decided to step in and revoke the U.S. visas for the duo ahead of their fall tour.
Vylan, for his part, issued a statement of his own, that read in part, 'I said what I said.'
(It's worth noting that Bob Vylan and Kneecap were far from the only artists to speak out in support of Palestine at the festival. Others include Amyl and the Sniffers, Nilufer Yanya, Jade Thirlwall, and Elijah Hewson, lead singer of Inhaler and son of U2's Bono.)
Singer-songwriter and actress Kate Nash delivered Glastonbury's other big political salvo over the weekend, with particularly sharp words for Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. Nash recently dropped the anti-transphobia single 'GERM,' and in calling out Rowling, she said, 'The loudest feminist voice in the U.K. is currently transphobic… Dismantling systems of oppression lies at the very core of feminism, so transphobia is not fucking feminist. And just because you're a fucking millionaire and a fucking bully with an army of trolls on the fucking internet, I don't give a fuck mate.'
Nash also had some sharp words for Prime Minister Starmer and Rod Stewart, who recently sparked controversy by voicing his support for the far-right Reform U.K. party and its leader Nigel Farage. Nash dedicated her song 'Dickhead' to Stewart, Starmer, Rowling, and Farage.
Best of Rolling Stone
Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jenna Ortega goes all out in goth glamour while promoting 'Wednesday' Season 2
'Wednesday' Season 2, Part 1 will be released on Netflix on Aug. 6. When it comes to gothic style, Jenna Ortega knows best. While promoting Wednesday Season 2 in Paris and the U.K. this week, Ortega stepped out in an array of high-fashion looks that exuded gothic glamour. With the help of Enrique Melendez, Ortega's celebrity stylist of 14 years, the Wednesday star has consistently been clad in couture, with fashion houses like Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Ashi Studio and Elena Velez lending dramatic garments for the occasion. 'I definitely feel like I have a bit more Gothic taste than I did when I was a teenager,' Ortega previously told Harper's Bazaar of her evolving style. 'I've always been into dark things or been fascinated by them, but I was a Disney kid, and the whole thing is being bubbly and kind and overly sweet.' That Ortega is once again serving up sartorial perfection — without leaning into convention — should come as no surprise. It seems no fabric is off-limits to the 22-year-old actress when curating her hauntingly romantic wardrobe: Snakeskin-printed latex and strands of blonde-dyed hair play just as crucial a role as Victorian ruffles and delicate lace when it comes to bringing her eerily elegant style to life. Ortega's propensity for dark femininity also comes through in her now-signature makeup look: a soft smoky eye and bleached brows. Below, here's everything she's worn so far during her press tour for Wednesday Season 2, which premieres on Netflix on Aug. 6. Ortega's latest look is the mauve Vivienne Westwood gown with a plunging ruffled neckline that she wore to the Wednesday Season 2 premiere in Paris on July 31. The romantic design was cinched by a sheer corset with exposed boning. On Thursday, while continuing to promote the show in Paris, Ortega debuted a daring garment from Elena Velez's fall 2025 'Leech' collection: a plunging, slinky beige frock covered in blonde strands of hair. For the London premiere on Wednesday, Ortega stepped out in a sheer, pale yellow frock from Ashi Studios' fall collection. The couture garment was made of snakeskin-printed latex and featured a body-hugging bodice, high-neck collar and frayed edges. Archival Donna Karan? Count us in. The same night of the London premiere, Ortega was spotted in a silky, champagne-hued gown from DKNY's resort 2004 collection. While in London, Ortega put an edgy spin on suiting in a subtly striped charcoal suit from Ann Demeulemeester's fall 2025 collection. The actress posted the ensemble to her Instagram on Tuesday. Ortega kicked off the Wednesday press tour with a sculptural number by Givenchy: a leather bullet bra with exaggerated sleeves, padded gloves and a long, high-waisted skirt. She sported the look during the show's launch party at London's Natural History Museum on Sunday. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Criminals cash in on TikTok Labubu trend with dangerous fakes
At an anonymous industrial estate on the outskirts of London, a queue of police vans and empty lorries block the usual flow of lunchtime traffic. They are here to seize fake Labubu dolls. Thousands of them. After weeks of work, intelligence that started at a corner shop in south Wales has led Trading Standards officers to a labyrinth of rooms hidden above this retail outlet. Inside, they estimate millions of pounds worth of fake products are piled up, floor to ceiling, but what interests them most are the fluffy, mischievous-looking dolls at the centre of a global TikTok craze. According to Forbes, the popularity of Labubu dolls helped parent company Pop Mart more than double its total revenue to £1.33bn ($1.81bn) last year. They are wanted by children and adults alike, with some telling us they queued for hours or travelled across the country just to secure an authentic one. Adorable or just weird? How Labubu dolls conquered the world Labubu fan fury after dolls pulled from stores However, messages seen by BBC News also suggest scalpers may be buying hundreds of genuine products at a time to resell them at a profit, with authorities reporting a "flood" of counterfeits entering the market. Border Force has seized hundreds of thousands from UK ports in the past few months, meanwhile officers at the London industrial estate believe the dolls grinning up at them from the crates hide a darker secret. "The head comes off. The feet will pull off," explained Rhys Harries from Trading Standards, as one literally falls apart in his hands. Mr Harries first saw dolls like this after raiding a corner shop almost 200 miles away in Swansea, before tracing them back here. "I've found them in the bags where their eyes are coming off, their hands will come off." Mr Harries' team use a plastic tube, shaped like a child's throat, to measure how dangerous objects are - if it fits, it is a choking hazard. "These [parts] will all get stuck and then potentially cause choking," he said. Mum-of-one Jade said she "100%" agreed the fakes were a choking hazard after some fell apart shortly after giving them to her son. The 34-year-old from Caerphilly knew she had bought fakes - sometimes nicknamed Lafufus - for her son Harri's sixth birthday as she could not justify the cost of the authentic dolls. But she felt "obliged to get him one" after all his friends got their own and found knock-offs for just over £10, compared to some genuine ones costing £80. However, just a few hours into Harri's birthday, Jade said the keyring came off, followed by part of one of the feet a few days later. When Harri was swinging his new toy the hook came off the keyring, only for Jade to spot it in his mouth. She said "luckily" her son was old enough to tell her about his toy falling apart, but she warned things could be different for younger children. According to the Intellectual Property Office, the rush by criminals to get fakes to market often results in dangerous materials being used. "Counterfeiting is the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, second only to drug trafficking," said Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement. "It's in the interests of these criminal organisations to respond quickly to trends to maximise it, to get on the back of it and make the most money that they possibly can. "So that's why we see it happening so quickly and a complete disregard for safety concerns." Ms Caffery dismissed claims these fakes were made in the same factories or using the same materials as the real thing as "absolutely not true", adding that they "could be made from anything". These range from the inferior to the dangerous, including toxic plastics, chemicals, and small parts that aren't properly attached "that can then pose a chocking hazard". Although fake Labubus are still relatively new to the market, investigators know from previous cases involving counterfeit toys that they can be made with banned chemicals, including some linked to cancers. Authorities say most counterfeit products, including Labubus, can be traced to China, Hong Kong or Turkey and people are being warned to look out for "too good to be true" pricing or packaging that feels cheap and flimsy. TikToker Meg Goldberger, 27, is no stranger to collecting in a market filled with fakes. She has about 250 Jellycat plush toys, alongside her new collection of 12 Labubu dolls. "The more people talked about it and the harder they became to get, the more I needed them. That's why I now have 12," she said. However, pretty early into her search, Ms Goldberger said she realised the odds were stacked against her in her hunt for the real thing. She said she spent about 12 hours over several days waiting for Pop Mart store's TikTok live video, where Labubus are released for sale at a set time, just like gig tickets. "It used to be they sold out within like a minute. It's now like literally two seconds. You can't get your hands on them," she said. Instead, she opted to find someone reselling them online, but also discovered why they may have been selling out so fast. When she asked an eBay reseller for proof the Big Into Energy Labubu series she was interested in was genuine, Ms Goldberger was sent "a screenshot of what could have been like almost 200 orders of Labubus". "These people will sit at home and somehow robots hack the websites and bulk buy them, which is why they go so quickly. Then they'll resell them." Mr Harries said a selection of fake Labubus would be taken from London back to Swansea for use as evidence. The rest will be stored as evidence at a secret location before being either recycled or destroyed. "These were going everywhere," he said. "There were invoice books with them and they were going all across the UK. It's a national issue." Pop Mart has been asked to comment. Labubu firm sees profit soaring by at least 350% 'I was a shopping addict - it needs to be taken more seriously' Found on celebrity bags and in viral videos: The toy fashionistas are loving
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to watch the ‘Love Island' U.K. finale from the U.S.
After a seriously steamy summer, the latest season ofLove Island (U.K.) is about to end. The dating show, which airs in the U.K. on ITV2 (and streams on ITVX), filmed all summer long from Majorca, with host Maya Jama helping this season's contestants find love – or at least a hot fling or two. On Monday, August 4, we'll learn who the winners of this season are. Episodes of Love Island also stream in the U.S. on Hulu after a three-day delay, which means you can also tune in to the finale there on August 7, but you'll have to try and avoid spoilers in the meantime. Here's how to watch the Love Island season finale when it airs live in the U.K. or on a delay. When is the finale? The Love Island U.K. finale will be broadcast in the U.K. on Monday, August 4, at 9 p.m. BST — that's 4 p.m. ET for U.S. viewers, if you plan on tuning in live with a VPN. On Hulu, you can stream the finale on August 7. What channel is on? Love Island is broadcast in the U.K. on ITV2 and streams on ITVX (and on a three-day delay on Hulu for viewers in the U.S.). How to watch the (U.K.) finale in the U.S.: Love Island Series 12 cast: The full cast of Love Island Series 12 is below: Sophie Lee, 29, motivational speaker and author, from Manchester Dejon Noel Williams, 26, personal trainer, lives in London Meg Moore, 25, payroll specialist, lives in Southampton Tommy Bradley, 22, landscape gardener, lives in Hertfordshire Alima Gagio, 23, wealth management client services executive, lives in Glasgow Ben Holbrough, 23, private hire taxi driver and model, lives in Gloucester Megan Forte Clarke, 24, musical theater performer and energy broker, lives in Brighton, from Dublin Helena Ford, 29, cabin crew, lives in London Conor Phillips, 25, professional rugby player, from Limerick Blu Chegini, 26, construction project manager, lives in London Shakira Khan, 22, marketing, lives in Burnley Harry Cooksley, 30, gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model, lives in Guildford Where to watch past seasons of You can stream every season of Love Island U.K., Love Island All Stars, Love Island Aftersun, Love Island Games, Love Island Australia and all the Love Island reunions free on ITVX in the U.K. If you're watching from outside of the U.K., you'll need the help of a VPN. You can also tune in to all 12 previous seasons of Love Island U.K., as well as Love Island Australia, and seasons 1-3 of Love Island USA with a Hulu subscription. Where to watch past seasons of You can also catch all of Love Island USA in the U.K. on ITVX. So if you don't want to pay for Paramount, Peacock or Hulu, and you want to watch the U.K. series anyway, a VPN plus a free ITVX account may be your best (and cheapest) option.
