Since its first outing in 1970, Glastonbury festival has grown to hold a capacity of over 200,000 people, and its stages have been graced by an enormous list of the world’s biggest artists; from Oasis to Jay-Z, The Smiths, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and many, many more. With hundreds of artists playing on the iconic Pyramid stage (as well as the many smaller stages), what does it take to make a Glastonbury performance truly stand out?
From elaborate staging, groundbreaking firsts or simply one hell of a performance, see our list below for just a few of the most iconic performances from Glastonbury’s history.
Beyoncé - 2011
One of the world’s most successful global superstars took to the Pyramid Stage in 2011, and pulled off an astounding performance while (unknown to the public at the time) pregnant with first child Blue Ivy. Wearing a gold sequinned jacket, Beyonce stormed through hits including ‘Crazy in Love’, ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Halo’, and her performances have continued to raise the bar ever since.
Radiohead - 1997
Radiohead were riding off the success of their 1997 album OK Computer when they performed on the Pyramid stage, and this performance helped cement them as one of the greatest UK bands of the century. Combining eerily beautiful vocals with more traditional thundering rock in songs like ‘Paranoid Android’, Radiohead put on a show that Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis described as, ‘the most inspiring festival gig in 30 years’.
T-Rex - 1970
Glastonbury’s first ever headliners weren’t even set to perform (they replaced The Kinks who had dropped out), but Marc Bolan made sure the original headliners were just a distant memory. Arriving to Glastonbury’s farmsite in an American cadillac, he played a lengthy full set covering all the hits as the sun set behind the main stage.
New Order - 1981
Former Joy Division members Bernard Summer and Peter Hook established themselves as a success in their own right by bringing the modern sound of new-wave to a traditional rock festival. The reception was frosty at first, and the crowd was mainly made of bikers waiting for the next band, Hawkwind. But they turned things around and the performance has since been cemented in Glastonbury history.
Jay-Z - 2008
Jay-Z made history in 2008 by being the first hip hop artist to ever headline the festival. Opening with a mashup of Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ and his own track ‘99 Problems’, Jay-Z silenced his critics (Noel Gallagher being one of them), and proved that hip hop has just as much relevance at Glastonbury as traditional rock and indie music.
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