Neil Young has announced his decision to pull out of Glastonbury 2025, saying that it has become a “corporate turn-off”. The biggest UK music festival returns to Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset on June 25. Young and his band, The Chrome Hearts, were one of the acts rumoured to headline this year.
The Canadian rockstar posted on his website, Neil Young Archives, earlier this week, saying “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favourite outdoor gigs. We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.”
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being,” he continued. “Thanks for coming to see us the last time!”
“We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
Neither Glastonbury nor the BBC have commented. The festival has worked closely with the BBC since 1997 and is its exclusive broadcast partner. It’s unclear what requests the BBC made to Young.
Neil headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2009, but only allowed the BBC to broadcast portions of his two-hour set. The BBC, who claimed they spent months negotiating with Young’s management about how much of his set they could show, said that “Neil’s management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist.”
Glastonbury started from humble beginnings in 1970, with £1 tickets and an audience of around 1,500. It’s since become a gigantic event with international stars and a crowd of around 200,000 music fans. Some have criticised it for becoming too expensive, corporate and middle-class. Tickets for 2025 sold out in 35 minutes – even though their prices have risen again, this year being bumped up to £373.50, with a £5 booking fee and £75 deposit.
While its ticket costs grow steeper, festival organizer Emily Eavis insists that they’ve faced “enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show, whilst still recovering from the huge financial impact of two years without a festival because of Covid.”
— Emily Eavis (@emilyeavis) October 17, 2022
Responding to backlash from rising prices a few years back, she wrote on Twitter: “In these incredibly challenging times, we want to continue to bring you the best show in the world and provide our charities with funds which are more vital than ever. We are always, hugely appreciative, of your ongoing support.’
It’s also worth noting the impact that Glastonbury brings beyond the five-day festival, bringing interest to local businesses and communities – in 2023, Somerset businesses saw an income of £32 million during the festival. The event organizers also keep charity in mind, funding infrastructure, social housing and community facilities in Pilton.
No acts have been confirmed for this year’s line-up, aside from Rod Stewart, who will play the Sunday afternoon Legends Slot. Nile Rodgers also let slip that he would be performing, accidentally announcing his involvement at the Rolling Stone Awards. Other rumoured headliners include Sam Fender, Rihanna, Madonna and more.
Stewart, who has played the festival in 2002, wrote on social media: “I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I’ll be playing @glastonbury 2025!” he wrote. “After all these years, I’m proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. I’ll see you there!” You can read more on his confirmation here.
