With Glastonbury 2024 tickets selling out in November, the rumour mill around who will headline the festival next year is starting to whir.
The full festival lineup typically isn’t unveiled until May – just one month before it takes place at Worthy Farm, Somerset – but that won’t stop music fans from speculating over who could top the Pyramid Stage.
In a recent episode of Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw’s podcast Sidetracked, Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis revealed she was recently offered a “really big American artist” she hopes will headline next year.
“I thought it was kind of taking shape, and then last week I just got a call, and this is what happens if you wait a little longer, because quite often we’ll be booked up from July. But this year we’re holding out for a little bit longer,” she told the hosts.
“And then last week I got a call from [a representative of] a really big American artist saying, ‘This person’s around next year’, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible. Thank God we held the slot.’”
Fans began speculating that Madonna could be one of Glastonbury’s headliners in October, after Eavis praised the pop icon on Instagram for her “incredible” performance at the O2 Arena in London.
Madonna was long rumoured to be making her Glastonbury debut in 2024— (Madonna/Instagram)
“I walked away and I was like, ‘I’ve got a post about this’. I’ve posted about going to lots of gigs before, but I didn’t expect it to be quite such big news,” Eavis later explained. “Everybody knows that I’ve always wanted Madonna to play Glastonbury. It’s not a big news story.”
But according to reports, 2024 may not be Madonna’s year at Glastonbury after all. The Daily Mail reports that the 65-year-old – who has never performed at Worthy Farm – was lined up for the Sunday “legends” slot. However, talks are said to have broken down due to the cost required to bring the set-up from Madonna’s Celebration world tour to the festival.
The Sun has now reported that former headliner Bruce Springsteen, 74, is in talks to replace her. However, Eavis had previously hinted that next year’s festival could be headlined by two women following fierce criticism at 2023’s all-male headliners.
However, recent comments by pop legend Cher have also bolstered rumours that she could be joining the lineup.
Let’s take a look at some of the rumours doing the rounds:
Cher
Cher has said that she’d like to play the Legends slot— (Getty Images)
It’s hard to believe that Cher hasn’t performed at Glastonbury before, but the “Believe” singer has been dropping hints that she’d love to perform at Worthy Farm. Appearing on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday (20 December), the 77-year-old told host Rylan Clark that she’d “like to” take on the Sunday afternoon Legends slot. When the shocked Clark told her: “So hang on; you’re saying if I manage to make this happen, you’ll be on that stage?”, she reiterated “yes”. The pair then shook hands as Clark promised to “get you that Legends slot”.
Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen on stage in November 2023— (Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Fo)
“Born to Run” singer Springsteen’s name often is mentioned amid Glastonbury rumours. The musician, who last appeared on the Pyramid Stage with Paul McCartney as part of the Beatles star’s headline set in 2022, headlined the festival with his E Street Band in 2009. In September, Springsteen cancelled and postponed all of his remaining 2023 shows as he recovered from peptic ulcer disease. However, new shows were added in Europe for 2024, with no performances currently taking place on the Friday (28 June) and Sunday (30 June) of Glastonbury.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has yet to headline Glastonbury— (2018 Invision)
It was widely reported that Swift was the unnamed pop star who had to pull out of headlining in 2023, due to touring commitments. Unfortunately, she ruled herself out earlier this year after booking one final Dublin show on 28 June, which is the Friday night at Glastonbury. Sorry, Swifties!
Coldplay
Coldplay are Glastonbury favourites— (AP)
The British pop-rock band have headlined Glastonbury five times already, but that doesn’t mean organisers would be put off booking them again. They’re booked to tour Europe through summer, but also happen to have a gap in their dates around the time the festival will take place.
Beyoncé
Beyonce— (Getty Images for Coachella)
The Lemonade artist enjoyed one of the most successful tours in music history with Rennaissance, the live show in support of her album of the same name. The reviews were ecstatic, as was the feedback from fans. She hasn’t headlined since 2011, so it seems about time she made a return to Worthy Farm.
Rihanna
Rihanna at the Super Bowl— (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Despite there being virtually zero chance of this happening, fans can’t help but dream of a Rihanna headline set at Glastonbury 2024. While her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance provided a glimmer of hope, Rihanna hasn’t released a new album since 2016’s Anti, and any work on a new record seems to have been sidelined by her Fenty empire and a growing family with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky. So don’t hold your breath.
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters play Glastonbury 2023— (PA Wire)
After their “surprise” set in 2023 as mysterious band The ChurnUps, the Foo Fighters could be back at Worthy Farm next year, following the release of their latest album, But Here We Are. Frontman Dave Grohl is a huge Glasto fan, performing with the band in 1998 and 2017, and also joining Springsteen as a guest for McCartney’s 2022 Pyramid Stage performance.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is preparing to release new music— (AP)
The British-Albanian pop star recently entered a new era of her music with single, “Houdini”, following the release of her second album, Future Nostalgia, in 2020, and a spot on the hit soundtrack to the Barbie movie. Fans were gutted when she didn’t make a surprise appearance during Elton John’s headline set this year – maybe her own headline set would make up for it?
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher could return to Worthy Farm as a Glastonbury headliner— (PA Archive)
The Oasis star is heading out on tour next year to celebrate 30 years of the rock band’s classic album, Definitely Maybe. It seems like the perfect time for a Glastonbury singalong or, dare we say it, a reunion?
