Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot
Organisers went all out to turn the backstage area into a sanctuary
SHEER JOY Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot
OLIVIA Rodrigo sent her fans wild tonight when she surprised them by bringing out Ed Sheeran at her sold out BST gig in Hyde Park.
Just two days before she closes Glastonbury Festival, Olivia proved why she's one of the best pop stars on the planet with a set jam-packed with catchy, angsty anthems.
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Olivia Rodrigo performed a powerful set at BST tonight
Credit: AP
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The singer had a special guest waiting in the wings
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Ed and Olivia performed his hit The A Team
Credit: The Sun
And superstar Ed's cameo was the icing on the cake of a glorious sunny day in the capital.
Drivers License singer Olivia, 22, dressed to impress for her huge headline show, kicking off in a black sequined leotard.
Ahead of the performance, she was able to unwind in her own private sanctuary with organisers adapting the backstage area with wildflower planters.
And it was much needed as Olivia used up every ounce of energy in a lively set split into three parts.
READ MORE ON OLIVIA RODRIGO
STARLET TO SUPERSTAR Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo from Disney star to Glasto headliner
It was in the final part that Ed came out for a rendition of his early hit The A Team, having watched the show from the side of the stage.
Olivia introduced him as "one of the best songwriters of all time".
There were famous faces in the crowd including James Corden, who stood beside Olivia's boyfriend Louis Partridge, and Sabrina Carpenter, who will perform on the same stage next week.
Ed's no stranger to guest appearances, having stepped on stage with everyone from Limp Bizkit to Stormzy and Taylor Swift.
And his acoustic anthem lent itself perfectly to
California girl Olivia's meteoric rise to fame has taken her from Disney Channel starlet to 46million monthly listeners on Spotify, 14 Grammy nominations and collaborations with David Byrne and Lily Allen.
Olivia Rodrigo praised for her 'iconic' FireAid performance - but fans all have the same complaint
In 2016, Olivia was cast in Disney's Bizaardvark and three years later she starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary that sees a bunch of teens putting on a stage production of the hit.
Between High School Musical takes, the young actress worked away on her guitar, writing more music, until eventually Disney bosses invited her to create an original song for her character to sing in the show.
The piano ballad that emerged — All I Want — went viral, and she was soon in line for a record deal.
But unlike others who went from Disney favourite to superstar, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Olivia shunned the in-house label and decided to do things her own way.
Everything changed overnight in January 2021 when Olivia released her debut single Drivers License in the middle of winter lockdown.
It became the first song on Spotify to hit 80million streams in just seven days.
The tune also shot straight to No1 on charts globally and propelled her into what she called a 'crash course in adulthood'.
'That was the craziest time of my life,' she said back then.
'I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, and I called my A&R guy.
'It had just gone No 1 on Apple music, which is hard for a pop act to do.
'We were looking at each other on FaceTime, speechless.
'That was the moment I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.'
Her second single, Deja Vu, was certified four times platinum in the States, then May 2021 saw the release of her debut album Sour, with pop-punk hit Good 4 U going six times platinum in the US.
She earned rave reviews from critics, while artists including Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne heaped praise upon her.
Her first live performance in the UK was at the Brit awards in 2021, while her festival debut here was at Glastonbury the following year.
In just a few short years, she's now at the very top of the pile, holding her own beside fellow headliners The 1975 and Neil Young.
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Ed loves collaborating with artists from all genres
Credit: The Mega Agency
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Doechii's Glastonbury slot is all part of her five-year plan
In 2023, Doechii announced she was three years into her five-year plan for becoming one of the biggest names in music."By year five I want to be at my peak," she told Billboard magazine."I want to be in my Sasha Fierce era, the top of my game with still a long way to go - but I want to reach my prime and never leave it."Back then, it felt like a bold claim. The Florida-born rapper and singer had scored a couple of viral hits - most notably Persuasive, an ode to marijuana that ended up on Barack Obama's summer playlist - but nothing that had crossed over to the mainstream jump-cut to 2025 and Doechii is a Grammy Award-winning "woman of the year", who's about to play one of the most hotly-anticipated sets at Glastonbury hard to identify the turning point. Some people say it was her mesmerising performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last her hair carefully braided to her backing dancers, she delivered a meticulously-choreographed performance of Boiled Peanuts and Denial Is a River - a cartoonish character piece, in which she confides to her therapist that her boyfriend's been cheating on her with another man. Others pinpoint her Tiny Desk Concert, released on YouTube two days later. The 15-minute set bursts with joie de vivre, simultaneously soulful and fiery, as the star rattles through jazzy, full-band recreations of her mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal. She won even more fans at the Grammys in March, where she won best rap album, making her just the third female artist to win in the her speech, she spoke directly to young, black, queer women like her: "Don't allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can't be here, that you're too dark or that you're not smart enough or that you're too dramatic or you're too loud."She capped off her win with an ultra-physical performance that referenced Michael Jackson, Missy Elliott and Bob Fosse - and ended with her pulling the splits while being held aloft by five male dancers. With three "star-is-born" performances in just four months, Doechii became the most talked-about new rapper of her generation... just like she planned. So where did it all start? Doechii was born Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon in Tampa, Florida and raised in a "heavily Christian" single-parent household by her mother, Celesia Moore.A studious kid who loved writing poetry, she invented her alter-ego at the age of 11, after being viciously bullied in school."I was in a position where I thought about killing myself because the bullying was so bad," she told Dazed magazine in February."Then I had this realisation: I'm not gonna do that, because then they're gonna all get a chance to live and I'm gonna be the one dead."Overnight, her attitude shifted."Jaylah might've been getting bullied, but I decided Doechii wouldn't stand for that," she recalled in an interview with Vulture. "And then," she told The Breakfast Club, "I went to school in a tutu and I started doing music." As a teenager, she spent four years at Tampa's Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, after winning a place on the choral programme by performing Etta James' At Last. The school unlocked her creativity, allowing her to take classes in everything from nail design and hair, to ballet, tap, cheerleading and stage production. However, it was gymnastics that left the biggest impression."The way that gymnasts train is really, really tough. It's brutal and hard and difficult," she told Gay Times. "But at some point in my gymnastic career I learnt how to embrace and really love pain. To view pain as me getting stronger and better. That caused a deep discipline that has never left me."The school also helped the teenager accept her sexuality."Even though I was aware [that I was queer], I didn't feel as comfortable until I started surrounding myself with more gay friends at my school. "Once I had gay friends it was like, 'OK, I can be myself, I'm good, I can feel safe, this is normal, I'm fine.' 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In 2019, she was booked for a showcase in New York City and hopped on a bus - without the money for her return trip. "The night after, I slept at a McDonald's," she recalled in a 2022 interview. "And then I had to call one of my mom's friends... and, like, beg her to let me sleep at her house. And I ended up living there until I got back on my feet." 'Drowning in vices' Things started to turn around with the release of 2020's Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, named after Junie B. Jones's children's book, in which Doechii sketched out her own to the lyrics, she was precocious ("I try to act smart 'cause I want a lot of friends"), competitive ("I get a little violent when I play the game of tag") and frequently broke ("My momma used stamps 'cause she need a little help").The song marked a breakthrough in her writing."I was lacking this sense of vulnerability and honesty in my music," she told Billboard, until "I learned accuracy and just saying exactly what it is, like on Lucky Blucky Fruitcake".The song went viral, winning her a record deal with Top Dawg Entertainment - the label that launched Kendrick Lamar and SZA. She followed it up with the effortlessly hooky Persuasive, earning praise from SZA (who jumped on a remix) and former President Barack Obama."I can't imagine Obama just jamming my song," she exclaimed. "I just don't believe it, but if he really does – that's crazy." 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"If this is the sound of Doechii pushing against constraints, a little friction might not be the worst thing," added Pitchfork. As word spread, she was booked to play the Colbert show and Tiny Desk. Those performances lit a rocket under her career. By April, Alligator had chomped into the US Top 10, and the UK Top 40. Around the same time, she bowed to fan pressure by releasing her 2019 YouTube song, Anxiety, a pop-rap crossover based on a sample of Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know. With an eye-catching video that recreated a full-on panic attack, it hit number three in the UK, and even earned Doechii a citation in medical journal Psychology Today."The song and accompanying video work so well in showing exactly how anxiety feels in our bodies and minds," wrote Professor Sandra Chafouleas. "Think about quick and short breaths, racing thoughts, and worrying about things that haven't happened yet. Anxiety feels like 'Anxiety' sounds, with brilliant mirroring of how the experience can hijack us."Since then, Doechii's been hard at work on her debut album. There'd been rumours she'd release it in time for her Glastonbury slot on Saturday night, but perfectionists have got to perfect. At the time of writing, she's still in the to Dazed, she dropped a few hints of what's in store. "In Alligator Bites Never Heals, the archetype was a student of hip-hop. For this next project, I'm thinking about how this student develops. "Who does she develop into? What has she learned? I'm still unpacking how that character develops into this next project."Despite the delay, Doechii's headline set remains one of Glastonbury's biggest draws. She might only be performing for 45 minutes, but she'll make every one of them the star boasted on her single Nosebleeds: "Will she ever lose? Man, I guess we'll never know."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Your front-row pass to who the performers will be watching at Glastonbury
Hello from Worthy Farm, home to Glastonbury festival! As is tradition, this newsletter is coming to you from a sparsely apportioned cabin behind the festival's legendary Pyramid stage, which this weekend will feature headline sets from The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. The festival proper is kicking off right about now, though really it has been whirring away for two days already. The official opening was on Wednesday night: a circus spectacular on the Pyramid stage featuring jugglers, drummers, fire-flinging dancers and a bloke doing handstands on a fairy-light-strewn bike suspended above the audience. The extravaganza came courtesy of the talented folk from Glastonbury's theatre and circus fields, who were tasked with opening the festival for the first time since the early 90s. (Incidentally, the Theatre and Circus Fields have a pretty remarkable origin story: in 1971 Winston Churchill's granddaughter Arabella was being relentlessly hounded by the paparazzi in London, having created a bit of a stink by daring to speak out against the Vietnam war. She legged it to Somerset, and there helped one of her father Randolph's former employees, Andrew Kerr, and some farmer named Michael Eavis, launch a certain summer festival. Churchill would devise the Theatre and Circus fields a decade later and handled their running until her death in 2007. You'd imagine she would have been thrilled to see her charges back doing their daredevil stuff on the Pyramid.) The theatre and circus folk will be doing their thing all weekend, part of the more than 3,000-strong army of performers at this year's festival. As ever the Guardian is your one-stop shop for coverage of the biggest and best of those performances. All manner of goodies have already been published: an interview with the band Keir Starmer wants banned from the festival, Kneecap; music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas's tips for the best acts to see this year; Glasto returnees, including Billy Bragg and Kate Nash, recalling their festival debuts; and, most importantly of all for those of you at home, an exhaustive viewing guide. Then, all weekend we'll have news, reviews, galleries, features and of course the big Glastonbury liveblog, which runs from lunchtime to after midnight today, tomorrow and Sunday. That will be topped off on Monday by a special Glastonbury edition of the Guardian's G2 newspaper supplement, with a full exhaustive review of the festival. Drink it all in because next year Glastonbury takes a year off, to allow the farm to recover from hundreds of thousands of people stomping all over it. I'm dreading it already, but let's worry about that later and make the most of this year first. To help maximise your enjoyment of the festival, whether on site or at home, we've asked some of this year's performers to share the one act they're most excited to see this year … Tom Odell | Eternally boyish indie pop singer songwriter 'I'm such a huge fan of CMAT – Ciara is an incredible artist and such a fun person to be around. She supported me last year in Amsterdam at the Ziggo Dome, and we all ended up getting incredibly drunk in the backstage bar afterwards. I'm so happy to see her absolutely smashing it right now, and I can't wait to watch her perform on the Pyramid Stage!' Tom Odell plays Woodsies 9pm, Saturday Lambrini Girls | Sardonic, sweary Brighton punk trio 'I'm really looking forward to see Turnstile take the Other Stage [4:30 PM Sunday]. They're undeniably one of the most hyped bands right now, and it's for good reason. Their live shows are beautifully orchestrated chaos. I really respect their willingness to evolve. They've pushed the boundaries of hardcore, embracing pop and indie influences without losing their edge. It's ruffled some feathers because a lot of hardcore fans want to gatekeep hardcore – and that is what I love most about it. Punk was never meant to be exclusive, Turnstile are making it accessible for everyone!'Lambrini Girls play Left Field, 7.50pm Saturday Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion Billie Marten | Soulful jazz folk, straight from Yorkshire 'There are oodles of treats to watch this weekend; Four Tet, Father John Misty, Amyl and the Sniffers, Nilüfer Yanya, Jalen Ngonda … but it's all about Beth Gibbons for me. What a hero! I grew up listening to her aching vocals on the Portishead records, and then her solo work. Mysteries is a masterpiece in writing, structure and production. Having never seen her live, only through the shiny barrier of YouTube and TV, I am totally ready for one hell of an arresting performance. Long reign Beth!' Billie plays the Acoustic Stage, 5pm today. Ros Atkins | BBC analysis editor and rave master 'My head's spinning from the array of DJs I'd like to see. But one time I won't be listening to them is 3.15 on Saturday afternoon. Instead, I'll be at the Greenpeace stage. Last year, I was a guest on Huw Stephens' Roundtable on BBC 6 Music and one of the songs we reviewed was Antarctica by Divorce. It stopped me in my tracks and I've been a fan ever since. There's a brilliant creativity and range to their songwriting and sound; I also find their tracks really affecting – in a good way! I've not seen Divorce live and plan to put that right. Emotions may run high.'Ros played the Stonebridge bar on Thursday. You can listen to The Festival is Here, his Glastonbury-themed collaboration with Crissy Criss, here If you want to read the complete version of this newsletter please subscribe to receive The Guide in your inbox every Friday
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Rod Stewart's rigorous pre-show routine is revealed ahead of highly-anticipated Glastonbury Legends slot - amid news it was nearly CANCELLED
Forget the drugs and alcohol, Sir Rod Stewart is reportedly taking his personal trainer to Glastonbury for his Legends set. The legendary singer-songwriter, 80, is descending on Worthy Farm on Sunday to perform on the Pyramid Stage in the coveted Legends slot. But after recently falling ill and being forced to cancel five shows, Sir Rod has been taking every precaution to ensure he's in his best shape for the show. Speaking to The Mirror, a source has now lifted the lid on Rod's preparation for Sunday's gig, saying: 'He is fully-fit and raring to go. 'His trainer works wonders so it was a no-brainer to have them at the festival.' The publication reported that Sir Rod has been swimming lengths in his pool four times a week and been on a period of vocal rest to ensure his raspy voice is firing on all cylinders in preparation. 'It's been quite hard as Rod is a chatterbox, but he knows he needs to preserve what's his biggest weapon…his voice,' the source added. The star's 90-minute set list is being kept secret but reportedly his hits Maggie May, Sailing and Downtrain Train will feature. Sir Rod and his wife Penny Lancaster are staying at a £1000-a-night hotel in Bath along with the band. But three of his children, including 19-year-old Alastair and Ruby, opted for camping tickets after purchasing their own thanks to Glasto's 'no freebies' rule. However they won't be staying overnight in their tents, as the kids are reportedly staying at the ultra lush Pop-Up Hotel - which costs a whopping £30,000 for the duration of the festival. The rock star's highly-anticipated gig almost didn't happen though, with Sir Rod telling The Sun ahead of the festival that he nearly cancelled after coming down with the flu. 'This time last week I was thinking of cancelling,' he said. 'It was a close shave. I have had Influenza A. it's been so terrible.' There are also set to be appearances from three special guests on Sunday, who are reportedly Mick Hucknall, Lulu and Ronnie Wood. It comes after it was revealed that Glastonbury denied Rod an extra 15 minutes on stage for his coveted Legends slot, despite him losing £180,000 to play there. The 80-year-old said: 'It's difficult because they only gave me an hour-and-a-quarter slot. 'So I begged them, 'Can I do another 15 minutes? Because usually I play for two hours.' 'It means that there's a lot of songs that people love that I won't be able to play and I've got three guests coming on.' The Maggie May singer, who has not performed at Glastonbury since 2002, confirmed that his Faces co-star and Rolling Stones guitarist, Ronnie Wood, will be making an appearance. Sir Rod currently has a Las Vegas residency and has completed 217 shows, but because Glastonbury organisers asked him to perform, he is missing some shows at a hefty price. He told the Radio Times 'It was about eight months ago when I was asked to do it. Maybe a little longer, but it didn't fit with my schedule because I've got to bring everybody back from America. Factoring in the price of shipping over the equipment and staging, the father-of-seven said: 'It's going to cost me £300,000 to do it and they only pay you about £130,000. 'So, it's going to cost me.' But Sir Rod insisted 'it doesn't matter' and that he was not scrimping for the sake of his team and confirmed his dancers and band would be flying Premium Economy from Vegas to the UK. He added: 'We've got a little orchestra coming on to play with us and we may have some bagpipes. 'I've got the band all decked out in proper outfits. They all wear white jackets and black ties and the girls wear sequins. 'It's a bit more Las Vegas than it's been before because obviously, I'm doing my residency.' The You Wear It Well singer is set to perform next Sunday at the coveted teatime Legends slot but fears are mounting if he will be well enough to perform after he had to cancel or postpone six of his June concerts in the US because he was suffering from flu.
