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:
Glass Animals review – Other Stage
Glass Animals – Other Stage
“I’m so sorry guys,” says Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley. “So anticlimactic.” The Oxford four-piece have just bounded onto the stage, only for technical issues to stop them bursting into the heady “Life Itself”.
They leave the stage. Try again. Succeed. It’s a blistering start. Skipping, spinning and gyrating, Bayley is an indefatigable frontman, with a tendency to roll his tongue out lasciviously, as if channeling Gene Simmons. Mixing buttery R’n’B grooves with indie pop, the band has always been a hugely confident live act. But this year they have even more reason to be full of swagger, having conquered the US with their 1.7-billion streamed song “Heat Waves”. Before they drop that, though, we get Bayley standing on the barrier, delivering an especially louche rendition of 2014’s woozy hit “Gooey”.
As “Heat Waves” finishes the set, sparking a mass singalong, the sun comes out. How fitting. ★★★★☆
Greta Thunberg calls out 'forces of greed' in surprise Glastonbury climate speech
Celeste review – West Holts
Celeste – West Holts
After a heavy night spent watching the sun rise in Block9, listening to Celeste’s silky tones on a Saturday afternoon feels like the ultimate hangover cure. When the 28-year-old arrives on the West Holts stage, her hair spiked into sharp points like a high-fashion Dennis the Menace, she gives off a warmth that emanates throughout the crowd.
It’s hard to tell whether it’s the sudden burst of sun or her voice doing it. She kicks things off with “Ideal Woman”, the opening track from her Mercury Prize-nominated album Not Your Muse. With just a cello accompanying her, it’s a subdued start to the set, but she quickly shows off the real star of the show: her voice.
There’s a richness to Celeste’s vocals that belies her youth. Every song carries the precision of an album recording, but the live band bring new depth to tracks like her drum and bass-inspired hit “Stop This Flame”.
There’s minimal audience interaction (which might be down to nerves) and at times, the set feels a little placid. Still, it’s a tonic the crowd laps up, and “Strange” is a fittingly soulful closer. IL ★★★★☆
Haim review – Pyramid Stage
“We’re just going to play you a couple of songs, is that alright?” Alana Haim asks the Pyramid Stage audience.
It’s very alright. Apparently everything good comes in threes: Haim have done Glasto three times before – they know the deal – and now they’re on the Pyramid Stage with three Brits, three Grammys and three albums under their belts.
Known for sun-drenched singles such as last year’s “Summer Girl”, with its noodling saxophone, and the booty call-themed “3am” , the California sisters have experienced an incremental rise that culminated in their career-best, 2021’s Women in Music Pt III.
Much of the appeal of this early-evening set comes from their confidence and onstage chemistry. Recalling how she once passed out mid Glastonbury set, Este is interrupted by a phone call, which cues a “should I call him back?” skit between the band and their audience. They’re entirely at home at the heart of Worthy Farm, and very welcome too. ★★★★★
Olivia Rodrigo is smashing it on the Other Stage
Firstly, I’m not sure when the last time was we saw such a huge crowd at the Other Stage...
Secondly, what a set?!! I’m not going to pretend I didn’t have my doubts about Rodrigo’s live show. I think it was the MTV Awards where she just sounded incredibly low on stamina, and it showed in her voice. But look at her now! Belting it out like nobody’s business, including a rowdy cover of Avril Lavigne’s Noughties classic “Complicated”.
Essential reading: Haim
I can see a lot of people coming back to this brilliant interview with Haim by our (sadly) former deputy arts editor, Alexandra Pollard, now deputy arts ed over at the i Paper. Do give it a read:
Haim interview: ‘Men were like, “Get her off the stage, why is she making those faces?”’
The sisters talk to Alexandra Pollard about their new album ‘Women in Music Part III’, dealing with misogyny and depression, and why they don’t care if you like their album
Olivia Rodrigo brings out Lily Allen to sing ‘F*** You’ in response to Supreme Court over Roe vs Wade
In a phenomenal moment at Glastonbury, one for the history books, Olivia Rodrigo has brought out THE Lily Allen (pranking fans that it was Billie Eilish) to sing Allen’s hit “F*** You” in response to the Roe vs Wade overturning and it is going down A STORM.
Glastonbury 2022 Saturday reviews: Haim, Glass Animals and Celeste
Glastonbury 2022 Saturday reviews: Haim, Glass Animals and Celeste
Haim prove that all good things come in threes, Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley proves an indefatiguable frontman, while Celeste soothes our Friday hangovers
Olivia Rodrigo brings out Lily Allen to sing ‘F*** You’ in response to Supreme Court over Roe vs Wade
Olivia Rodrigo brings out Lily Allen for ‘F*** You’ to Supreme Court over Roe vs Wade
‘I wanted to dedicate this next song to five members of the Supreme Court,’ declared Rodrigo on stage
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