Glastonbury is finally taking the risk and putting Gen Z artists front and centre
After some stadium-sized rock'n'roll? Check out Irish rock band Inhaler, whose impressive third album Open Wide came out last month, or Leeds band English Teacher, whose Mercury Prize-winning album This Could Be Texas was hailed by music critics as 'one of the finest debuts of the decade'. Florida rapper Doechii, with her sizzling charisma and tongue-twisting flow, is one of the most exciting breakout stars in years, bar none. Elsewhere, even the most po-faced of jazz snobs will have a ball watching Ezra Collective tear it up on stage, while pop devotees will find plenty to enjoy from Lola Young, Myles Smith, CMAT, Gracie Abrams and, of course, headliner Olivia Rodrigo.
In 2023, the future of Glastonbury Festival – and the wider live music scene in the UK – felt somewhat bleak. The usual air of fun accompanying the lineup announcement was gone, replaced instead by a defensive 'we're trying our best' from organiser Emily Eavis as it was revealed that the Pyramid Stage would be headlined by an all-male trio of Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses and Elton John.
Pre-empting the backlash amid an ongoing debate surrounding the poor representation of women on festival lineups, Eavis said the industry needed to invest in more female musicians to create future headliners: 'The pipeline needs to be developed,' she said. 'This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board.'
But while Eavis fulfilled her promise that Glastonbury would have two female headliners in 2024 – with British pop star Dua Lipa and US R&B artist SZA both taking to the Pyramid Stage – the rest of the lineup still left much to be desired. Yes, there were some gems, such as Michael Kiwanuka's dazzling blend of cinematic soul and psychedelic rock, Irish rock stars Fontaines DC and Mercury Prize-winning rapper Little Simz. Elsewhere, though, it was a bizarre mix of Nineties nostalgia (Sugababes, Avril Lavigne, The Streets) and Noughties indie (Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party, Bombay Bicycle Club). Plenty for the millennials seeking to relive their youth, then, but where were the future music stars championed by Gen-Z?
In the year since, the music industry has undergone a radical shift with the undeniable might of artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan on full display in end-of-year industry figures. Female artists have dominated the conversation in live music, whether it was Swift's record-breaking, globe-trotting Eras tour or Chappell Roan's jaw-dropping audience at Lollapalooza – the largest daytime crowd the festival had ever seen.
Streaming, too, has seen women claim all five spots on the Spotify albums chart, including Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft, and Colombian singer Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito. At the 2025 Grammys, the Recording Academy celebrated new pioneers such as the thrillingly talented Doechii, who won Best Rap Album over heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and J Cole. The year before, women ruled again – including in the traditionally male-dominated rock and alternative groups – with major wins for Boygenius, Wet Leg, Paramore and Kylie Minogue, plus Swift, Miley Cyrus, SZA and Eilish triumphing in some of the biggest categories.
Thankfully, Glastonbury organisers seem to have decided to snap up the next generation of stars. It's not a moment too late. This (hopefully kicked) habit of going with tried and tested acts over newcomers (arguably a panic mode response to the shaky position of live music events post-pandemic), along with the ever-increasing price of tickets, has been steadily reflected in Glastonbury's audience. While the festival does not collect demographic data from its 200,000-plus attendees, it is known for attracting a more 'mature' crowd. Tickets last year went up by £13.50 in price to a grand total of £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee. Is it any wonder that, according to a recent survey from consumer trends platform GWI, less than a third of Gen Zers said they actively seek out live music events?
This, along with the coterie of bright young things making their way up the charts (and now, joyfully, the Glastonbury lineup), should offer other festival bookers a chance to rethink their strategy when it comes to 2026, as Worthy Farm takes its traditional fallow year and musicians suddenly find themselves with a gap in their summer schedules. For too long, British festivals have resorted to the tired rotation of acts, sometimes booking the same headliners two or even three times within a five-year period. It's a soggy plaster over a massive gaping wound – no matter how much bookers try to claim it's a 'commercial decision' to put Snow Patrol or The Kooks at the top of their billing, it's only going to hurt them in the long run.
So kudos to Glastonbury, who should have the lion's share of exciting debut headliners in the years to come, if the talent on the 2025 poster is anything to go by.
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