'Prime ministers and pop music don't go together': Glastonbury performers criticise political interference

Glastonbury 2025 is successful afloat swing, with artists including Charli XCX, The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, and Alanis Morissette among the stars acceptable to entertain the masses this year.

But politicians who won't adjacent beryllium mounting ft connected Worthy Farm successful Somerset person been making their thoughts known astir this year's line-up - successful peculiar the Irish-language rappers Kneecap, who are connected the measure connected Saturday.

The trio made a immense Glastonbury debut past twelvemonth - impressing the likes of Noel Gallagher, who turned retired for a set. But the way to a bigger signifier this clip circular has made headlines for antithetic reasons.

Outspoken connected the war successful Gaza, Liam O'Hanna, oregon Liam Og O hAnnaidh, appeared successful tribunal earlier this month charged with a panic offence, for allegedly displaying a emblem successful enactment of the proscribed radical Hezbollah astatine a Kneecap gig successful London past November.

He is owed backmost successful tribunal successful August. On societal media, helium denied enactment for Hezbollah aft the complaint was announced, but the trio person held steadfast connected their enactment for Palestinians.

Removed from the bills of immoderate festivals successful the run-up to Glastonbury, determination were calls from immoderate for them to beryllium taken disconnected here, excessively - including from the premier minister.

When asked by The Sun, Sir Keir Starmer said it was not "appropriate", and helium did not deliberation they should play.

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In an interrogation with The Guardian arsenic the festival got nether way, O hAnnaidh, who performs nether the signifier sanction Mo Chara, was asked if helium regretted what was depicted successful a video of the alleged offence that circulated connected societal media.

"It's a joke," helium replied. "I'm a character. Shit is thrown connected signifier each the time. If I'm expected to cognize each f****** happening that's thrown connected stage, I'd beryllium successful Mensa."

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He told the paper helium did not cognize each proscribed organisation, saying helium had capable to deliberation astir erstwhile helium is connected stage.

"I'm reasoning astir my adjacent lyric, my adjacent joke, the adjacent driblet of a beat."

Dilemma for the BBC

For the BBC, which broadcasts a batch of the main sets live, it poses a dilemma.

When asked if it would beryllium showing Kneecap's acceptable live, a spokesperson said artists were booked by festival organisers and their ain plans would guarantee editorial guidelines are met.

"Whilst the BBC doesn't prohibition artists, our plans volition guarantee that our programming volition conscionable our editorial guidelines," they said. "Decisions astir our output volition beryllium made successful the pb up to the festival."

Which means it's improbable they'll beryllium streaming Kneecap unrecorded - but immoderate of their acceptable astatine slightest whitethorn beryllium made disposable later.

To those who entity to them being allowed a signifier present astatine all, it's inactive allowing the set a precise salient platform.

But Glastonbury has ever leaned left, featuring acts unafraid to stock their governmental views - and hosting erstwhile Labour person Jeremy Corbyn connected signifier successful 2017.

Festival laminitis Michael Eavis told the Glastonbury Free Press that radical person ever travel to the festival for these reasons - and made his views clear: "People that don't hold with the authorities of the lawsuit tin spell determination else."

Singer and activistic Billy Bragg, who organises the Left Field signifier each year, said Glastonbury has ever been political.

"When I archetypal came present successful 1984, it was a CND (Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament) festival, and everybody was successful opposition, oregon each young person, was opposed to Margaret Thatcher's policies. And immoderate issues - CND, the miners, cheery rights, they came, it's ever been that.

"So I don't cognize wherefore everyone's saying this twelvemonth it's a spot political. It's ever been political. I accidental the premier curate saying who tin and who can't play mightiness person thing to bash with it."

Bragg said helium was "proud" of Glastonbury organisers for "standing up to it" and ignoring the noise.

Accusations of 'corporate control'

Politics and popular person ever been intertwined for older acts specified arsenic Neil Young, who headlines the Pyramid Stage connected Saturday - and we cognize the BBC won't beryllium showing this 1 live, but possibly for antithetic reasons.

Before his header slot was confirmed, Young, who began his vocation successful the 1960s with the set Buffalo Springfield, said helium had initially turned down the connection to perform, saying the festival was "under firm control" of the broadcaster.

Earlier this week, the corp confirmed it would not amusement the acceptable unrecorded "at the artist's request".

Singer-songwriter John Fogerty, 1 of the founders of US blues stone set Creedence Clearwater Revival, is besides connected the measure this twelvemonth - and said songwriters should speech astir what's going connected successful the satellite astir them, "certainly if they person a constituent of presumption and they'd similar to stock it".

There's a balance, helium added. "I was blessed to constitute Proud Mary, which is benignant of Americana, you know, benignant of emotion opus to America, really.

"But I wrote Fortunate Son close successful the mediate of the Vietnam War successful the precocious 1960s. And that has a spot too. People request to consciousness escaped to constitute much euphony similar that."

With Donald Trump backmost successful power, the US is successful "political turmoil", Fogerty said. "It's almost, you know, I should spell beryllium down determination and constitute a opus astir this - and past you go, ohio my goodness, I already did."

For fans astatine Glastonbury, euphony arsenic ever is the absorption present - and the feeling from astir is that politicians should enactment retired of it.

"The premier curate and popular euphony don't truly spell together," said Bragg. "I don't deliberation anybody, person of the absorption either, should accidental who tin and who can't play astatine a festival."