Rock star Neil Young has announced he will not perform at Glastonbury this year, saying he believes the festival, which is in partnership with the BBC, is “now under corporate control”.
Neil Young has pulled out of this year’s Glastonbury festival. The folk rock legend announced the news by accusing the event of having fallen “under the control” of the BBC, partner of the musical event which will take place at the end of June.
The artists who will perform for the 2025 edition of the festival have not yet been announced, but rumors gave him there with his group The Chrome Hearts. “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my favorite outdoor concerts of all time,” wrote Neil Young. “We were told that the BBC were now partners at Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way that we were not interested in,” he continued. “It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and the festival is no longer what I remember it being,” he added.
A history with the BBC
Neil Young, who performed during the 2009 edition, does not give precise explanations as to his grievances towards the festival which pushed him to make this decision, and the BBC which broadcasts a large part of the concerts. As AFP recalls, in 2009, fans of the artist criticized the BBC for not having broadcast his concert in its entirety. British public television then explained that it had “spent two months” negotiating with Neil Young’s entourage what could or could not be broadcast. This artist “believes in live concerts and in preserving its mystery,” the BBC indicated at the time, as it recalled Thursday on its website.
The next edition of Glastonbury will take place from June 25 to 29, before taking a break in 2026 to allow time for the land at Worthy Farm, where the event takes place, to regenerate.
On sale in mid-November, tickets were sold out in 35 minutes, while rock star Rod Stewart is so far the only artist to have been officially announced. Other names are already being rumored, however, like those of Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna, Eminem, Sam Fender and Ed Sheeran. You had to pay 373.50 pounds for a ticket and 5 pounds for the reservation fee, or 452 euros.
