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THE GATES ARE open, the music has started and thousands of flimsy, coffin-sized tents have gone up – Glastonbury has officially kicked off.
It’s once again a jam-packed lineup this year, with over 3,000 performances scheduled across dozens of stages – including a whopping 33 Irish (and Northern Irish) acts.
Glastonbury Festival’s gates opened on Wednesday, with the full music schedule set to kick off in force tonight.
Headliners for the weekend include British pop-rock band The 1975, rock legend Neil Young, US pop-punk star Olivia Rodrigo, and national treasure Rod Stewart, who returns to the festival for the first time in 23 years to fill the iconic Sunday “legend slot”.
But the headliners are just the beginning. The line-up also features major names like Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, The Libertines, Wet Leg, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy and Scissor Sisters.
Throwback sets from the Kaiser Chiefs, Rizzle Kicks and En Vogue promise a hit of nostalgia, while debut performances by Alanis Morissette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and Doechii bring fresh energy to the fields of Worthy Farm.
Rumours are also swirling about secret sets from Lewis Capaldi, and Pulp—each marked as “TBA” on the festival schedule, the same as Lorde (who did indeed host a secret set today).
33 bands, musicians and DJs from the island of Ireland will be performing at Glastonbury this week, including some well-known stars.
You’ve likely heard the news that Kneecap are performing, in spite of vocal opposition from the powers-that-be in the UK (Labour and the Conservatives).
The Belfast rap trio will play at the West Holts stage on Saturday at 4pm.
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, globally known as CMAT, will grace the main stage (the pyramid stage) this afternoon at 1.30pm.
Tomorrow, the Script will also play main stage at 3pm.
Other Irish acts to watch out for are Annie Mac, DJ extraordinaire who will play at the Arcadia stage at 1pm tomorrow, Dublin-based punk band Sprints (Woodsies stage at 2pm) and popular singer-songwriter Orla Gartland (Avalon stage at 6.35pm tonight).
Here’s the schedule for some other Irish acts:
Friday
Inhaler: 2.15pm–3.15pm (Other Stage)
Gurriers: 5.05pm–5.40pm (Leftfield Stage)
Ash: 5.05pm–6.05pm (Avalon Stage)
Max Cooper: 10.50pm–11.50pm (Arcardia Stage)
Saturday
Lorraine Nash: 12.10pm–12.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
Oisin Leech: 1pm–1.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
Liam O’Maonlai (Not Completely Unknown a celebration of the songs of Bob Dylan): 3pm–4pm (Acoustic Stage)
The Coronas: 5.10pm–6pm (Acoustic Stage)
Sunday
Dea Matrona: 11.25am–12.05pm (Avalon Stage)
The Henry Girls: 1pm–1.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
The Riptide Movement: 3pm–3.40pm (Acoustic Stage)
For Those I Love 7.45pm-8.15pm (Lonely Hearts Club Stage)
Yes – though your viewing will be somewhat limited. Still, there’s arguably no better weekend for music on TV than during Glastonbury.
With sweeping crane shots capturing every moment, you actually get a clear view of the action—no muddy crowds or distant stages. And instead of trekking miles across Worthy Farm to chase overlapping sets, you can stay planted on the couch, turn up the volume, and enjoy it all on record.
While Irish viewers will miss out on the full expreience on the BBC iPlayer, it’s not all bad, as the festival will feature across three BBC television channels (BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four) during the day.
Plus, the BBC’s Glastonbury YouTube channel will also allow you to catch up with the day’s heaviest hitters.
BBC One offers a curated slice of Glastonbury this weekend, with The 1975 on Friday, Raye and Charli XCX on Saturday, and Olivia Rodrigo on Sunday, preceded by Rod Stewart in the afternoon.
For broader daily highlights, BBC Two is your go-to, with a round-up show that’s basically Match of the Day with glitter and wellies.
Prefer your music a little more indie or alternative? BBC Four has you covered all weekend with acts like Franz Ferdinand, Wunderhorse, Amyl and the Sniffers, Beth Gibbons, St Vincent and Snow Patrol.
And for the electro faithful, The Prodigy’s Sunday night set will also air there.
Despite the extensive list of Irish acts at Glastonbury this year, BBC’s schedule sadly appears to show that no Irish acts will make the TV cut this year – it’s not just Kneecap, though there’s still question marks around that.
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines,” the British broacaster said, when asked whether Kneecap’s set would be broadcast live or as part of the BBC’s catchup services.
“Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch are among the objectors to Kneecap’s highly-anticipated performance at the festival.
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