Glastonbury 2023: Everything you need to know



The two bands complete the top bill of an all-male headline roster for this year, after much speculation surrounding the coveted spots on the Pyramid Stage.

The announcement comes as the festival have released their line-up poster, with huge acts including Blondie, Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, Aitch, Central Cee, Lana Del Rey, Lil Nas X, Manic Street Preachers, The War On Drugs and Royal Blood set to attend.

Here’s everything else we know about Glastonbury so far.

Who is performing?

Glastonbury has released their line-up poster

/ Glastonbury Festival

Sir Elton John was the first headliner to be announced for this year’s festival, taking to the Pyramid Stage for the first time. The performance will also mark his last UK show before his retirement.

The Rocketman singer said previously he “couldn’t be more excited” to appear at the festival, as his last gig in the country after more than 56 years on the road.

Guns N’ Roses had already self-confirmed their appearance at Worthy Farm, as bassist Duff McKagan let it slip on his radio show on Sirius XM that the group would be appearin g at the festival this summer.

While speaking about their summer shows this year, he added: “And Glastonbury is going to be iconic for us. We’re going to be announcing some shows soon guys.”

Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses performs at the O2 arena in London (Ian West/PA)

/ PA Archive

Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis expressed excitement for the bands performance, which will mark their debut on the Pyramid Stage.

“They’ll be brilliant and provide something totally different to the rest of the headliners”, she told The Guardian.

The Arctic Monkeys were rumoured to be headlining the festival for some time prior to the poster’s release, with reports suggesting the band had signed a contract to headline the festival as early as September last year.

British singer-songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens is set to take to the Pyramid Stage for the legends slot at this years event.

The line-up features big names including Lizzo, Aitch, Blondie, Central Cee, Fatboy Slim, Fever Ray, Fred again..,Kelis, Lana Del Rey, Lewis Capaldi, Måneskin, Nova Twins, Raye, Rina Sawayama, Rudimental, slowthai, Wizkid and many more acts.

What has the reaction been?

News of the line-up has taken social media by storm, with the festival trending soon after the poster was released.

While reaction to the line-up has generally been positive, the all-male headline acts has been a topic of discussion on Twitter.

One user said: “Awful lack of diversity in the headliners. The undercard is excellent though.”

Another said: “As much as I’m looking forward to this year’s Glastonbury, not having female headliners on the Pyramid Stage in 2023 is not it.”

Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis greeted ticket-holders as the gates opened for last year’s festival (Yui Mok/PA)

/ PA Wire

Emily Eavis addressed the issue in an article discussing “pipeline” problems in relation to the absence of female headline acts.

In a piece for The Guardian, Eavis said Guns N’ Roses replaced a female singer who “changed her touring plans.” No names were mentioned, but it is widely suspected that Eavis may have been referencing Taylor Swift, who was booked to perform at the 2020 festival, before it was pushed back to last year, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

When is it on?

The 2023 music event will run from June 21 to 25, 2023.

Can I still buy tickets?

It might come as no surprise that Glastonbury tickets are no longer available, given that approximately ten people want every available ticket.

This year, during the November 6 sale, it took more than an hour to sell out after the site experienced a “technical problem”, with many fans reporting that the site repeatedly crashed at different stages of the booking process.

However, a lucky few still might be able to pick some tickets later: there will be a re-sale of any cancelled or returned tickets in Spring 2023.

Tickets this year cost £335 plus a £5 booking fee for standard tickets.

Has accommodation gone on sale?

Yes, bookings for caravan and campervan, on-site tipis and official off-site pre-erected campsites went on sale from December 1.

There were a range of accommodation options to go for: from campervan and caravan tickets (£150 for a regular pitch and £250 for oversized vehicles) to the Glastonbury Bell Tent (approximately £875 for up to five people) there was something for every kind of camper.

Accommodation could also be bought via Sticklinch, Worthy View’s sister campsite, which offers a “more gently undulating walk to the festival site” with accommodation ranging from Podpads, Tipis, Yurts and Bell Tents. Prices vary from £525 for a two-person Podpad to £1200 for a six-person 16ft Yurt.

Something to note if you do manage to bag a Spring ticket and will be looking for somewhere to stay: accommodation at both Sticklinch and Worthy View are both unfurnished so guests have to bring their own bedding.

What happened at the festival in 2022?

As always, Glastonbury was a huge success, with Billie Eilish, Sir Paul and Kendrick Lamar all headlining, and with Diana Ross performing in the traditional Sunday Legends slot.

Eilish’s Friday slot made her the youngest ever solo performer while Sir Paul’s Saturday headline gig on the Pyramid Stage saw the former Beatle become the festival’s oldest solo headliner, performing a week after he celebrated his 80th birthday.

The festival featured countless other memorable moments including Greta Thunberg delivering a passionate speech from the Pyramid Stage calling on society to take on its “historic responsibility to set things right” with the global climate crisis.

It also hosted an array of Ukrainian representatives, with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky giving a poignant address via a video message and Kalush Orchestra playing their first UK performance since they triumphed at Eurovision 2022.

The festival also – finally – celebrated its 50th year this summer, after the coronavirus pandemic forced organisers to cancel twice.



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