Glastonbury 2023 – latest: Elton John says thank-you to festival audience after farewell UK performance
Rocket Man bids farewell as he played what could be his final live show in the UK, with a jaw-dropping, career-spanning set of his greatest songs
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Elton John performed what will go down as one of the greatest headline shows in Glastonbury history last night (Sunday 25 June), to one of the biggest crowds the festival has seen in years.
Lil Nas X was the final artist to take to the main stage before the 76-year-old at Worthy Farm, Somerset, after a joyful Yusuf/Cat Stevens entertained fans with songs including “Wild World” and “Father and Son”.
The revered folk singer-songwriter performed with his band in the coveted Legends Slot, a gig previously handed to artists including Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton. He also gave superfan/comedian Ricky Gervais a shout-out on his birthday, before playing his song “Tea for the Tillerman”.
At 9pm, John launched his performance with some of his best-known songs, including his 1975 cover of “Pinball Wizard” and “Benny and the Jets”. From the moment he sat down at the piano, the show was a pure blast of euphoria from one of the world’s greatest living entertainers, with surprise guests including The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, and Gabriels singer Jacob Lusk.
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Becky Hill is on over at the Other stage
Donning an outfit emblazoned in bright yellow smiley faces, Becky Hill is certainly bringing the summer vibes to the Other Stage.
Her song “Afterglow” is proving to be a hit with the audience, who eagerly sing along with every word.
Spotted: Kate Hudson and Stella McCartney watching Blondie on the Pyramid Stage
Where are we at with the Britney rumours?
OK so yes, the fields at Worthy Farm are buzzing with speculation that Britney Spears could be one of Elton John’s special guests at his headline show tonight. Some are dismissing this as nonsense, but a very reliable source told me the locals around the festival site were talking about this before revellers even turned up, and they usually hear these things first.
Britney’s definitely in a British mood, too - her Instagram is suddenly full of images of apples cut into a St George’s flag shape, along with fish and chip sandwiches, and the caption GBGBGB. There is a completely unverified/unconfirmed report that she was spotted at Bristol airport yesterday, though I’m not too sure how much I believe that one.
I’m not saying I think she’s going to perform, but I do think there’s a strong chance she might pop in to say hello.
We’re loving Blondie on the Pyramid Stage!
I think I’ve seen Blondie three times now, and it never gets old, so the fomo is real as I watch this Pyramid Stage set from home. Debbie Harry’s such a legend, and they know how to do a crowd-pleasing set: “Maria”, “Call Me”, “Rapture”... And she gets the crowd going!
Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Of recent years the Legend Slot has tended towards the camp mid-afternoon party starter – Barry Gibb, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Diana Ross – and pop, soul and country one-namers: Kylie, Dolly, Lionel.
Anything that the stage-front security can do a synchronised routine in aid of consigning to history the phrase “guilty pleasure”. 2023, however, recalls the roots of the slot, when Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Brian Wilson would take a Sunday lunch pedestal as Yusef Islam - the artist previously known as Cat Stevens - emerges with a gently supportive band and an acoustic guitar set to “glistening arpeggios”.
“What a journey” he says of his path from the 1960 folk clubs to the Pyramid, then takes a skipping trip back along it. For a dedicates peacenik – his suggestion to end all war, he tells us, is to “lock all the leaders up in London Zoo” – it’s a pretty punk statement to throw “Moonshadow” away early, but he has plenty more folk gold in the vault.
An early medley takes in “The First Cut is the Deepest”; the stirring gospel “Tea For The Tillerman”, theme from Extras, floats sweetly out of the cultural subconscious; “(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard” is a synthesised diversion into truly classic pop.
By the time “Wild World” and “Father and Son” – accompanied by footage of a young Cat – drift by and “Morning Has Broken” arrives like all of your assemblies come at once, it’s apparent that Yusef is so embedded within pop culture, he comes across as a folk Nile Rodgers. As lovely as a “Here Comes the Sun” tribute to George Harrison is, he’s quite enough sunshine on his own.
The Chicks review
Who’s ready for a hootenanny?” asks Natalie Maines, frontwoman of The Chicks, during their Sunday afternoon set on the Pyramid Stage.
The Texas three-piece (Maines is joined by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer) remain one of country’s most purely anarchic acts, celebrating the historic sounds of bluegrass and pop but also always pushing forward, tangling with politics, feminism and race (the Confederate connotations of their previous name, The Dixie Chicks, led to their decision to change it in 2020).
They’re born rebels, with the historic controversies to prove it (they were famously blacklisted by US radio for criticising President George W Bush and his invasion of Iraq, and absolutely refused to apologise despite taking a massive commercial hit).
Their set is a brilliant encapsulation of their appeal, with a mix of Nineties classics such as the uplifting “Wide Open Spaces” and modern hits like the glitchy, atmospheric “March March”.
A cover of Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons” massively pops off, as does a cover of Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s “Rainbowland” to acknowledge Pride Month. For sheer potency, though, look no further than Maines belting out the group’s 1999 pop crossover anthem “Ready to Run” at the front of the stage with a silver-frosted mohawk.
Cat Stevens’ birthday message for Ricky Gervais
Cat Stevens gave comedian and TV writer Ricky Gervais a special shout out during his Glastonbury set.
The music festival continued on Sunday (25 June) at Worthy Farm, with The Chicks, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Blondie all taking the stage before Elton John’s much-anticipated headline show.
Yusuf Islam – commonly known by his other stage name Cat Stevens – performed on the Pyramid Stage in the sunny afternoon.
The 74-year-old and his band delighted the crowd with hits including the 1967 tracks “The First Cut Is the Deepest” and “Here Comes My Baby”.
Introducing his 1970 song “Tea for the Tillerman”, Stevens shouted out one of his biggest fans, Ricky Gervais.
“Oh Glastonbury, are you enjoying yourselves?” Cat Stevens asked his audience. “You should be, it’s teatime! The only person missing right now is Ricky Gervais.”
The comedian and actor – who celebrates his birthday on Sunday (25 June) – is known to be a huge fan of Stevens.
Full story:
Cat Stevens gives special shout out to Ricky Gervais during Glastonbury Legends set
The comedian celebrates his birthday on Sunday 25 June
Breaking news: Man in his 40s dies at Glastonbury after ‘medical incident'
Just in:
A man in his 40s has died at Glastonbury Festival after suffering a “medical incident”, police have said.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “Shortly before 4am today emergency services responded to a medical incident involving a man in his 40s at Glastonbury Festival.
“The incident happened on a footpath known as the old railway line.
“Sadly, the man died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
“The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and officers are carrying out inquiries on behalf of the coroner.”
More to follow
Cat Stevens closes his Legends set with two classics, “Wild World” and “Father and Son"
What a perfect afternoon set from Cat Stevens, and how wonderful he sounds up there on the Pyramid Stage. These are the vibes we need.
‘Lock all the leaders up in London Zoo, that’s my solution’ - Cat Stevens
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