Coldplay break Glastonbury record with 2024 headline performance

British band are about to become the kings of Worthy Farm

Jacob Stolworthy
Sunday 30 June 2024 10:55
Glastonbury Festival: Top Seven Performances

Coldplay have broken a Glastonbury record with their 2024 headline set.

The British band, led by Chris Martin, played the Pyramid Stage on Saturday (29 June), one night after Dua Lipa impressed crowds with her very own headline set – despite a sound issue with the BBC broadcast.

While Martin makes regular public appearances at Glastonbury, Coldplay last played the festival in 2016, which was their fourth time headlining. That set saw them match The Cure’s record as the act to have headlined Glastonbury the most number of times. Coldplay’s fifth headline set has see enthem break this record.

Coldplay made their Glastonbury debut in the New Bands Tent in 1999, and went on to headline the festival in 2002, 2005 2011 and 2016.

Their performance, which saw them welcome several surprise guests including Michael J Fox and Palestinian-Chilean star Elyanna, clashed with Disclosure on the Other Stage, Jessie Ware on the West Holts stage and Gossip on the Woodsies stage. However, they attracted more than 100,000 revellers.

Coldplay are set to break a Glastonbury record
Coldplay are set to break a Glastonbury record (Getty Images)

While Dua Lipa tore through her pop hits on Friday (28 June), post-punk rockers Idles performed a rowdy set that has been branded one of the best in the festival’s 52-year history.

During their set, they took aim at King Charles and Nigel Farage – and had the show unexpectedly stolen by street artist Banksy.

In what has become one of the 2024 edition’s first viral moment, a prop appeared in the crowd depicting young refugees wearing life jackets in a small boat during the band’s rendition of their pro-immigration song “Danny Nedelko”.

Dua Lipa headlined Glastonbury 2024 on Friday (28 June)
Dua Lipa headlined Glastonbury 2024 on Friday (28 June) (BBC)

Across the weekend, an eclectic lineup will perform on the sprawling festival’s various stages – but organiser Emily Eavis has poured water on any rumours of “big surprises”. Here is the full Glastonbury 2024 lineup and set times.

One of Friday’s highlight were Sugababes – however, their performance on the West Holts stage drew such huge crowds there were reports of fans fainting during their show, while security blocked others from entering in an attempt to reduce overcrowding.

Rounding out the festival on Sunday (30 June) will be SZA.

Follow all the Glastonbury updates as they happen in our live coverage of the festival here.

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