Neil Young has confirmed via his website that he will not perform at this year’s Glastonbury festival due to the festival’s corporate association with the BBC. The Canadian rock star and his band the Chrome Hearts had planned to perform at one of Young’s “all time favourite outdoor gigs” but were told by the BBC that they wanted them to do things “in a way we were not interested in”. Young has explained that since 2009, when he headlined Glastonbury, the festival has become “corporate controlled” and is “not the way I remember it being”.
While Young has stated his reasons behind cancelling his appearance this year, festival organisers and the BBC have yet to comment on the situation. The festival has been partnered with the BBC since 1997, with the broadcaster acting as the exclusive broadcast partner.
Fans of Young were impressed with his performance in 2009, when he headlined the Pyramid Stage alongside Bruce Springsteen and Blur, and ended his set with a cover version of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life”. However, this appearance wasn’t without controversy; comments section on the Glastonbury website highlighted the fact that not all of his set was shown on TV or the website. The BBC responded to claims that they chose not to cover all of Young’s set by the saying they were “forced to negotiate with Young’s management about what they could show”.
Despite Young’s cancellation, the 2025 event has sold out. The current line up only includes Rod Stewart, who’s been named for the the traditional Sunday “legends slot
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