Alternative Glastonbury 2025 performers you can't miss
While it's easy to get swept up in the prestige of the Glastonbury headliners, there are over 3,000 performers actually on stage.
Worthy Farm is so much more than the glitzy Pyramid Stage names, although the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, The 1975, and Neil Young are definitely not ones to miss.
If Pulp — sorry Patchwork! — isn't your vibe and you don't feel like being caught in the Charli XCX crush, where on earth can you go?
In every corner of Glastonbury, there are smaller bars and stage, including the elusive underground piano bar, bursting with talent.
While the message from head organiser Emily Eavis was clear — go and explore — it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the options.
These are the top six artists on the alternative side that we recommend you catch at Glastonbury 2025 — before they become the next big thing.
If you haven't heard of English Teacher in the past year, where have you been?
Last year, they dropped their debut album, This Could Be Texas, with Mercury Prize judges loving its 'originality and character.'
Hailing from Leeds, this alternative group were the first non-Londoners to win the Mercury Prize Award in over a decade and were nominated for a Brit Award.
English Teacher, consisting of Lily Fontaine, Lewis Whiting, Douglas Frost, and Nicholas Eden, first broke through with their 2021 song R&B.
The band is best known for a post-punk 'eclectic' sound with hits like The World's Biggest Paving Slab featuring spoken word mixed in with rock riffs.
Lewis previously told Metro he sees their sound as 'alt rock with some extra, sometimes unnecessary steps' thanks to the group's varying music taste.
While English Teacher are becoming more well-known, their set is competing with viral Lola Young as well as a TBA on the Pyramid Stage.
We recommend ditching the crowds and heading to The Park Stage at 4.30pm on Friday, you won't regret it.
If you've heard of Amyl and the Sniffers, you're probably thinking they're not 'underrated' at all but so far they've dodged mainstream UK success.
The Australian rock band, fronted by the energetic Amy Taylor, released their debut album in 2019 and have since dropped two more.
2024's Cartoon Darkness has scored the highest mainstream chart position for the band so far, peaking at number nine on release.
They are huge in Aus but have been growing on the alternative UK radar for a while, getting a nod from the 2025 Brit Awards as a nominee for International Group of the Year.
As for their sound, Amyl and the Sniffers bring that 70s grunge rock band feeling — think Iggy Pop mixed with Garbage.
They're huge if you're outside of the main UK music scene but in the mass of Saturday's busy schedule, it's possible they may be skipped for other big names.
The set starts at 5pm on The Other Stage, which is right as Kneecap finishes on West Holts (likely to be a big one) so if you're hoping to miss the crowds this is the place to be.
Another Aussie import, this time bringing indie pop guitar band vibes to The Park Stage on Sunday afternoon, is Royel Otis.
This duo shot to fame in 2023 with the release of breakthrough track Oysters in My Pocket, which landed them a spot on Spotify's RADAR program.
That success was followed by Going Kokomo, which featured on the EA Sports FC 24 soundtrack and Nack Nostalgia's Similish spin on The Sims 4.
By 2024, Royel Otis had released their debut album and been labelled 'ones to watch' by the Grammys (no mean feat).
Their most well-known tracks are actually covers, with Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic's cover reigniting the popularity of The Cranberries' Linger on TikTok.
However, the band's rise to the spotlight has not been without trouble as lead single, Moody, off their upcoming second album attracted criticism for being 'misogynistic'.
With a Lolita-inspired music video, the band's management gave a statement stating the track was 'not intended to convey a broader view'.
There' son doubt the duo are taking some creative risks if that is the case, so maybe best to see them before this spark explodes — or burns out.
If you like your punk music with a healthy dose of feminine rage, the Lambrini Girls are for you.
Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira, based in Brighton, have been incendiary already — and they only have one full studio album out.
In true punk fashion, they don't mince their words and found themselves front and centre after, in an interview with Kerrang!, they said: 'I will scrap any Terf, any day, in person.' https://www.instagram.com/p/DKztmEDil1C/?hl=en
Like running at a hornet nest with a sledgehammer, we have to respect their no-punches-pulled approach. With a similar vibe for their songs.
Tracks like Big Dick Energy and No Homo saw the band to number two on the Indie Chart for their debut album but it failed to take the mainstream by storm.
Toxic relationships, toxic masculinity, and even toxic government ministers have all been on the chopping block for the Lambrini Girls.
Anyone who inspires a huge mosh pit, primarily filled of women in their 20s, is on our list to check out.
Oh, also, their drummer is Banksy, yes, that Banksy… if you believe them.
No, it's not the Bob Dylan tribute heavily rumoured to be featuring a special guest in the form of Timothée Chalamet. It's Bob Vylan.
This grime duo hailing from London are fascinating, with both members going by stage names to hide their identity (Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, no relation).
Bizarrely, Bob Dylan's folk guitar sounds are not cited as one of their musical inspirations; instead, the Bobs blend rap and punk in a unique sound.
Tracks like Hunger Games are closer to Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols with a healthy dose of Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal.
If you like your music with a political edge, this duo is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of Idles or Turnstile (who are also playing Glastonbury).
Bob Vylan are taking to West Holts stage at 2.30pm on Saturday, just before Kneecap so you can see this excellent duo and get a good spot for the chaos to come. A win-win if you ask us.
If political punks and alternative artists aren't really your thing, then we highly recommend taking a break from it all and watching Lekiddo, Lord of the Lobsters.
Have you really experienced Glastonbury to the fullest if you haven't gone to Theatre and Circus and seen a grown man leading people in a lobster dance?
Fans go all out for this, with full lobster costumes, claws and hats all brought for this special occasion. https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpS8TVNj2D/?hl=en
Once called 'one of the daftest performances' by The Guardian, there's something deeply joyful about this dedicated lobster cult. More Trending
Lekiddo is performing eight times across the weekend so there is no excuse to miss it but his premium slot is Thursday at 9pm at The Wishing Well.
Metro did ask 'why' when we met him last year and he told us the lobsters had simply 'chosen him as their lord', because of course, what else could it be.
'Pinchy pinchy kiss kiss', as Lekiddo says, and we'll see you lucky ticket holders at Worthy Farm.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Glastonbury 2025 Friday live: Crowds gather ahead of The 1975 headline act
MORE: Andrew Garfield confesses to pooing himself after taking too many drugs at Glastonbury
MORE: BBC confirms it won't broadcast Glastonbury Festival headliner's set live
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Pop star sparks feud with Loose Women favourite as she takes swipes during foul-mouthed Glasto set
POP singer Kate Nash has taken a swipe at Denise Welch while performing at Glastonbury. The star, 37, headlined the Left Field tent at the festival and launched into a foul-mouthed tirade at various people including JK Rowling, Rod Stewart - and surprisingly the Loose Women favourite. 4 4 4 Kate ranted: 'The music industry doesn't know what to do with me. They tried to get rid of me, but they didn't. There is a record executive sweating their t*** off with Matt Healy 's mum. 'They're scared of me. I like that. But I was made of mother f****** bricks. But they didn't believe me. I even gave them a second warning a few years later when I told them 'Do not underestimate the girl'. Is it my fault they didn't believe me? 'I'm not going to give my third warning. It's too late for that. I'm taking my bricks and I'm throwing them through the f****** window.' Denise was at Glastonbury this weekend to support her son Matt Healy who was headlining with his band The 1975. Matt meanwhile preached love to fans during the band's set on the Pyramid Stage. Pausing between songs to address the crowd on Friday night, he said: "The lack of politics in this show, it is a conscious decision. "We don't want our legacy to be one of politics - we want it to be that of love and friendship. "You go out into the world and there is loads of politics. We don't need more, we need more love and friendship. "If you are a young kid and inspired about this band, aspire for friendship and love in what you do and you will never fail - and I love you." Last year Kate revealed she had joined OnlyFans to fund her tour. She said the extra money meant she wouldn't have to compromise on things like staff wages and safe tour buses that aren't overcrowded. Kate said she was determined to put on a "high quality show for fans" and said of her money-making campaign: "I've got a great bum. "I often flash a bit anyway so it was a fun idea, but I didn't think it would get this much of a reaction." Kate's debut album, Made Of Bricks, which went straight to No1 when it came out in 2007. 4 Kate split from her label and self-released her third and fourth records, the latter being called Yesterday Was Forever in 2018. She previously revealed she found herself in financial difficulty. The Brit School alum told The Guardian of the dip in her success after Foundations and said: "I'd trusted the wrong people with my money, which meant I had to sell my flat and move back in with my parents. "I'd worked so hard and had nothing to show for it. The worst part was that I knew I wasn't going to give up. "I briefly thought I should become a teacher instead, but then I realised: 'How are you going to do that? You don't even have a degree because you didn't get into any universities.' "Having this career is about fighting your way through it."
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lily Allen delights fans at Glastonbury with surprise performance with Shy FX
Lily Allen went from enjoying the entertainment at Glastonbury as a member of the public to performing on stage herself as she grabbed a mic to support dance act Shy FX Lily Allen has shared her delight at being able to perform in front of fans at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival. The 40-year-old singer was a surprise performer at the festival on Saturday night. Lily had been sharing snaps and video clips from Worthy Farm as she embraced the fun and festivities of the annual event. And on Saturday night she switched from partygoer to performer as she picked up a mic to sing on stage. She joined the DJ and producer Shy FX and belted out their 2018 track Roll The C. Lily donned a pair of sprakly hot pants and simple vest top as she danced and sang on stage. The viewing crowd gleefully sang along and footage circulated on social media - which Lily herself re-posted. She uploaded a collection of highlights from her weekend on Instagram. Uploading the content to her main grid, she wrote: "Much fun was had. Thank you @glastofest and @mercedesbenzuk for the lift!" Her sudden appearance meant Lily was on stage at the festival alongside huge stars including The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Sir Rod Stewart was also among the stars performing at the festival this year and previously shared his excitement about playing the festival. He will play the teatime Legend's Slot on Sunday - a titled that he isn't overly thrilled about. He told the BBC: "I just wish they wouldn't call it the tea time slot. That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn't it?" However, he went on to tease fans what to expect when he takes to the stage. He said: "Usually I do well over two hours so there's still a load of songs we won't be able to do. But we've been working at it. "I'm not gonna make any announcements between songs. I'll do one number, shout 'next', and go straight into the next one. I'm going to get in as many songs I can." The singer explained that he usually plays for over two hours when he is on tour and that Glastonbury organisers initially offered him only 75 minutes for his slot - but he was able to negotiate this up to 90 minutes instead. His performance was, however, hit with technical issues and he was forced to leave the stage at certain point to resolve the issues. Straight after entertaining with his rendition of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod told the crowd: "The girls are going to do a song for you while I change my shirt. " The 2025 festival has been marred by controversy, however, as a relatively unknown band called Bob Vylan led crowds in a chant of "Death to the IDF". The sickening chant has led to the festival being compared to a Nazi rally as eager crowds egged on the suggestion of killing the only Jewish army in the world. Further controversey was stoked when Irish band Kneecap - who have been slammed for urging fans to kill MPs and for supporting the terrorist organisations Hamas and Hezbollah who both plan to destroy the western world - also took to the stage. While the Kneecap performance was censored by the BBC, Bob Vylan's set streamed live on the BBC leading to political leaders to blast the festival for allowing dangerous rhetoric to air. Addressing the backlash, a BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.'
North Wales Chronicle
36 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Starmer says ‘death to IDF' chants at Glastonbury were ‘appalling hate speech'
Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF', before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, the Prime Minister said: 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech. 'I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. 'The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.' Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers 'to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation'. A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants 'very much crossed a line' and added: 'We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Wes Streeting told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: 'I thought it's appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens.' On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes 'grotesque', writing on X: 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.' Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: 'Bob Vylan's chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.' The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its 'outrageous decision' to broadcast Bob Vylan. A spokesperson said: 'Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. 'During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums with their music addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. The group performed after Vylan's set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as they took to the stage. In reference to his bandmate's forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine'. In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Sir Keir said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During the performance, Caireallain said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' He also said a 'big thank you to the Eavis family' and said 'they stood strong' amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up. A BBC spokesperson said: 'We have made an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on iPlayer, as part of our online collection of more than 90 other sets. 'We have edited it to ensure the content falls within the limits of artistic expression in line with our editorial guidelines and reflects the performance from Glastonbury's West Holts stage. As with all content which includes strong language, this is signposted with appropriate warnings.'
