Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney to headline Glastonbury 2022

More than half of acts announced on the lineup so far are women, in a nod to co-organiser Emily Eavis’s commitment to gender diversity

Glastonbury Festival organisers have unveiled the first line-up poster for its 2022 edition, which confirms that Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney will headline alongside the previously announced Billie Eilish.

Lamar and McCartney had been strongly rumoured to be booked to headline the Pyramid Stage this year, with McCartney issuing a cryptic Wordle-themed clue last month.

Eilish is headlining the Friday night, while McCartney and Lamar will headline Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Diana Ross will star in the traditional “Legends” slot.

The festival will also feature sets from renowned jazz artist Herbie Hancock, R&B trio TLC, rising UK stars Wet Leg, Grammy-nominated artist Phoebe Bridgers, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

More than half the acts on the lineup announced so far are women, in a nod to co-organiser Emily Eavis’s pledge in 2015 to commit to an equal gender balance of performers.

Brit Award-winning artist Little Simz is among the artists performing at Glastonbury this year (REUTERS)

“Many more acts and attractions still to be announced,” Glastonbury’s organisers promised in their announcement. The full lineup is expected to be revealed in May.

Eavis posted from her own Twitter account: “We are very happy to bring you the first shortlist of artists from the main stages for Glastonbury Festival 2022 – and if you can believe it there’s even more to come!”

Glastonbury was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, first due to the Covid lockdown and then because of logistical issues caused by the pandemic.

Eilish will become the youngest solo headliner in Glastonbury history when she takes to the Pyramid Stage on Friday 24 June.

In 2019, Glastonbury Festival was headlined by Stormzy, The Cure and The Killers.

In a five-star review of The Cure’s set, critic Jazz Monroe remarked that, “if Robert Smith once sounded wounded, time has lent him the sinister air of an avenging spirit, ready to reap vengeance through the medium of clingy boyfriend bangers”.

“In a climax that sweeps from ‘Lullaby’ to ‘Friday I’m in Love’, ‘Close to Me’ to ‘Why Can’t I Be You’, Smith lets loose: vogues and scats during ‘Close to Me’, hobbles around and scrunches his face,” he wrote.

“It’s a strange and mesmerising spectacle that reminds us, before we head back to reality, that the world’s greatest glories will always belong to the weirdos.”

The full line-up announced so far for 2022 is as follows (headliners, then in alphabetical order): Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Amyl and the Sniffers, Angelique Kiddo, Arlo Parks, The Avalanches, Beabadoobee, Bicep, Big Thief, Black Midi, Blossoms, Bonobo, Burna Boy, Caribou, Caroline Polachek, Cate Le Bon, Celeste, Charli XCX, Clairo, Confidence Man, Courtney Barnett, Crowded House, Declan McKenna, Doja Cat, Dry Cleaning, Easy Life, Elbow, Emma-Jean Thackray, First Aid Kit, Foals, Fontaines DC, Four Tet, Gabriels, Ghetts, Girl in Red, Glass Animals, Greentea Peng, Griff, Haim, Herbie Hancock, Holly Humberstone, Idles, Inhaler, Jarv Is..., Jessie Ware, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Joy Crookes, Kacey Musgraves, Khruangbin, Koffee, Leon Bridges, Lianne La Havas, Little Simz, Lorde, Megan Thee Stallion, Metronomy, Mitski, Nightmares on Wax, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Nubya Garcia, Olivia Rodrigo, Pet Shop Boys, Phoebe Bridgers, Primal Scream, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Roisin Murphy, Rufus Wainwright, Sam Fender, Sampa the Great, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Self Esteem, Sigrid, Skunk Anansie, Sleaford Mods, Sarky Puppy, Squid, St Vincent, Supergrass, Tems, TLC, Turnstile, Warmduscher, The Waterboys, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, Years & Years and Yves Tumor.

Glastonbury 2022 takes place between 22 and 26 June. Read about ticket resales here.