Glastonbury 2022: Six of the biggest talking points from the Worthy Farm festival
US rapper Kendrick Lamar’s headline set closed an impressive weekend of live music
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The final day at Glastonbury ended with a jaw-dropping performance by American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Over the course of five days, fans had danced to performances by top artists such as Paul McCartney, Little Simz, Pet Shop Boys, Sam Fender, and Billie Eilish.
On the last day of the festival, George Ezra turned up at the John Peel stage in what was possibly the worst-kept secret set in Glastonbury history, while jazz-fusion legend Herbie Hancock delighted crowds relaxing at the Pyramid stage with a virtuosic performance.
Here’s a look back at six of the biggest talking points from the entire Glastonbury 2022 festival...
Roe v Wade
News of the US Supreme Court’s highly controversial legal ruling broke on Friday, and it was clearly on a lot of people’s minds at Glastonbury. It certainly didn’t escape the attention of the artists, many of whom were American. From Billie Eilish, to Phoebe Bridgers, to Olivia Rodrigo, to Kendrick Lamar, lots of the performers included powerful statements about abortion rights in their sets.
From the youngest ever headliner…
Eilish made history with her Friday night headline slot, delighting fans with an intimate but lively set of songs from the 20-year-old’s two albums. As the festival’s youngest ever solo headliner, the pressure was certainly on Eilish’s shoulders, but as Mark Beaumont’s five-star review attests, she pulled it off with aplomb.
…to the oldest
On the other end of the spectrum, we had Paul McCartney, who delivered an absolute barnstormer of a set on Saturday. Performing a range of hits from his Beatles and Wings repertoires, as well as his solo career (and a couple of covers), Macca delivered a Glastonbury experience for the ages. At 80 years old, he became the festival’s oldest ever headliner.
Kendrick Lamar
Closing the festival on Sunday was Kendrick Lamar, who held the Pyramid Stage in the palm of his hand from the start of his electrifying, career-spanning set to the end. The stunning climax of his set – a rendition of “saviour” performed while blood dripped from his diamond crown of thorns, before he began a furious chant about women’s rights – was pure chills-down-the-spine stuff.
Ukraine
The ongoing war in Ukraine was also a core political issue for many of the festival’s acts and attendees. Ukrainian flags were spotted commonly around the festival site, with McCartney holding one aloft in solidarity as he took the stage for his encore. The Pyramid Stage also played host to Ukrainian band Dakhabrakha on Sunday, one of several Ukrainian artists the festival championed.
A little help from my friends…
While Kendrick’s set may have been all him, many of the festival’s other acts deployed some heavyweight guest stars. McCartney brought Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl on stage towards the end. Olivia Rodrigo welcomed Lily Allen for a duet of “F*** You”. Phoebe Bridges joined forces with Arlo Parks (who had her own full set at the festival) for a couple of numbers. Pete Doherty even showed up on stage during Hak Baker’s performance, having performed with the Libertines shortly before. It was a festival chock-full of unexpected – but thoroughly enjoyed – cameos.
Look back at our live blog below:
Greta Thunberg to deliver speech from the Pyramid Stage
Climate activist Greta Thunberg is about to deliver a speech from the Pyramid Stage (5.15pm).
“I’m excited to announce that today I will be on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 5.15pm,” wrote Thunberg on Twitter. “See you there!”
Her appearance at Glastonbury comes ahead of the release of her latest project, The Climate Book.
Billed as a “holistic overview of the true state of the planet and an essential tool for everyone who wants to help save it”, the book sees more than 100 scientists, communicators and activists weigh in on the climate, ecological and sustainability crises.
Greta Thunberg announces surprise Glastonbury Pyramid Stage appearance
Swedish climate activist will deliver a speech on the festival’s main stage on Saturday afternoon
Tributes paid to music superfan Big Jeff
Self Esteem and Idles have paid tribute to music hero Big Jeff Johns during their respective Glastonbury sets.
The Bristol band performed at Worthy Farm on Friday night (24 June) while Self Esteem – real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor – took to the stage on Saturday afternoon (25 June).
Idles lead singer Joe Talbot dedicated the song “A Hymn” to Big Jeff, who is currently in hospital after suffering severe burns in a home fire.
“This next song goes out to our brother and our friend Big Jeff,” said Talbot. “He’s everything that we wish we represent, he’s everything that is music fandom and he is everything that is love. This is for you Big Jeff.”
The special shout outs have left many people curious as to who Big Jeff is.
Why did Idles and Self Esteem pay tribute to Big Jeff during Glastonbury?
Music superfan was seriously injured in a house fire
Greta Thunberg takes to the Pyramid Stage
I admire Greta Thunberg for a lot of things, but possibly most of all for the fact that she has the courage to stand on that stage in front of thousands of people and speak without crumbling into a little ball.
Metronomy review – Other Stage
“Does anyone like rock’n’roll songs about ice cream?” asks Metronomy’s Joseph Mount. Cue enthusiastic cheers. Formed in 1999, Metronomy thrived on the early success of their beeping, bopping hits. The Devon band, today dressed in a plethora of colours, now have seven albums to their name, including 2012’s magnificent English Riviera. But as the bubblegum sound of 2019 track “Salted Caramel Ice Cream” booms out from the stage, the bodies in the audience wriggle and wave, and it’s clear the band are still hitting the sweet spots.
“It feels so good” shouts Mount as “The Bay” thumps out across the field. “Love Letters” sends the crowd into clumsy clapping chaos. The decade-defining “The Look”, released back in 2010, unleashes a synth-propelled wave of electro indie with hooky instrumentals and irrepressible melodies. Hit after hit slices through the warm Wothy Farm air like a Prince classic, and thousands of hands clap back. ★★★★★
‘We have to make fundamental changes to our societies’ – Greta Thunberg
“Our safety as a species is on a collision course with our current systems... the longer we pretend that this is not the case, the longer we pretend that we can solve this catastrophe within a global societal structure that has no laws or restrictions whatsoever protecting us longterm from the ongoing self-destructive greed that has brought us to the very edge of this precipice, the more time we will waste.”
Thunberg is now calling out world leaders for creating “loopholes” and “benefited the destructive industries”.
“The forces of greed and profit and planetary destructions are so powerful that our fight for the natural world is limited to a desperate struggle to avoid a total natural catastrophe. We should be fighting for people and for nature, but instead we are fighting against those who are set on destroying it. Today our political leaders are allowed to say one thing then do the exact opposite.”
Greta Thunberg warns of ‘ecological emergency’ as she takes to stage at Glastonbury
And here’s HAIM!
Delayed by 13 minutes, here’s Haim on the Pyramid set, I’m expecting EXCELLENT things.
Haim are rocking out on the Pyramid Stage
A confession... I was never the biggest Haim fan and struggled to see what the fuss was about, then had a complete turnaround when they released third album Women in Music Pt III. I adored the Lou Reed nods in “Summer Girl”, the noodling saxophones, the harmonies, the lyrical candidness... all of it! Also Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza (with her sisters and their parents cameoing), was excellent, even if the film itself wasn’t my cup of tea.
Some absolute powerhouse riffs being carved out by Este right now.
Haim for a secret set?
A lot of mentions for the Rabbit Hole and Avalon... are Haim hinting at a secret set?
Summer Girl
‘I’m your summer girl, doo doo, doo doo do do doo’
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