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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Your support makes all the difference.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:
Here’s our five-star review of Kendrick’s set last night.
“Billie Eilish had a wild light show. Paul McCartney had Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl. So how does Kendrick Lamar take to the stage? An understated setup, zero guest appearances, wearing a white shirt, black suit trousers and a crown of thorns. He’s half-dressed to his own wedding.
“But what a set. This is so heavy with bangers, it breathes life back into a crowd that’s straining to stay conscious.”
Read the full thing below...
Kendrick Lamar’s Glastonbury set had the hits, the heritage and the humility – review
Anyone thinking this is going to be a set of reflective, conscious hip hop – like the bulk of his latest album – is in for a shock
This article may be useful for anyone lucky enough to have attended the festival in person.
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The breathtaking climax to Kendrick Lamar’s Sunday night headline slot may have been the most powerful political statement of the whole weekend.
But he was far from the only act to take aim at the recent US Supreme Court ruling.
Here’s a look at some of the others, from Phoebe Bridgers, to Billie Eilish, to Olivia Rodrigo...
Glastonbury artists hit out at Roe vs Wade overturning by Supreme Court
Phoebe Bridgers, Idles, Olivia Rodrigo and more have also condemned the decision
In the immortal words of Paul McCartney:
“We’re on our way home...”
(Shame he didn’t play that one, ay? Still, nice to see a few other Let it Be bangers make their way onto the setlist)
OK, so Glastonbury is officially over... now what?
Well, if you’re craving more, you could check out The Independent’s guide to the best festivals of 2022 in the UK and Europe.
Plenty of bangers still to come...
The 18 best festivals in the UK and Europe for 2022
After two very quiet years, there’s more than enough to keep music fans happy through summer. Roisin O'Connor, Adam White, Annabel Nugent and Jacob Stolworthy have picked the best of the bunch
And the award for most unsettling Glastonbury keepsake goes to... this discarded facemask!
Still a lot of interest in this story...
Paul McCartney has attracted criticism for playing a clip of Johnny Depp during his Glastonbury performance.
When he performed his 2012 track “My Valentine”, which he dedicated to his wife Nancy who was in the crowd, McCartney played snippets from the song’s music video, which features both Depp and Natalie Portman.
Read more:
Glastonbury fans ‘uncomfortable’ over Paul McCartney’s inclusion of Johnny Depp video
Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman starred in McCartney’s 2012 music video
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