Lewis Capaldi's 'breakdown' before Glastonbury 2023 was 'most important day' of his life
Lewis Capaldi has opened up about the intense struggles he faced before his now-famous onstage breakdown at Glastonbury in 2023, calling that moment a turning point in his life.
The 28 year old singer made an emotional return to Worthy Farm last month, surprising fans with an unannounced set at Glastonbury 2025 - two years after his panic attacks and anxiety cut his performances short and led to him taking a lengthy two year hiatus from the spotlight.
Reflecting on that difficult period, Lewis revealed the extent of his panic attacks in the lead-up to the 2023 festival, admitting that the worst actually occurred during a show in America just weeks before his Glastonbury appearance.
Speaking on This Past Weekend with American star Theo Von, Lewis said: "A few weeks prior to that show we were playing in Chicago and I had a very similar episode - it was probably even worse."
"I couldn't come back and finish a song. I was backstage convulsing and having this crazy panic attack and mental episode. Way worse than what happened at Glastonbury."
The Glastonbury 2023 performance, though painful, was a public wake-up call that led Lewis to finally seek the help he needed.
"Because Glastonbury is such a big stage, it was the first time people outside my shows had seen it," he said. "At Glastonbury, when I came off stage it was weird, I had this (feeling) 'everything's alright now, I can actually go and get help and fix myself for the next two years.'"
"In a weird way, it's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wouldn't have stopped otherwise," he confessed.
"Glastonbury 2023 was, for sure, really important - maybe the most important day in my life."
He heartbrokenly confessed that he doesn't know where he would be if it wasn't for that performance waking him up to his mental health, stating: "Someone upstairs was like "this has to happen now otherwise..." I don't want to think of where I would be now if I'd continued."
Lewis revealed that he was meant to head to Australia shortly after that performance, but now believes that tour could have pushed him beyond his limit.
"We were meant to go to Australia. It could have been really, really horrible. I dread to think what would have happened," he admitted.
Since stepping away from music, Lewis has dramatically overhauled his lifestyle. He's committed to intensive therapy, made progress in managing his Tourette's syndrome, cut back significantly on alcohol, focused on improving his physical health and switched medications, finding relief with antipsychotics after antidepressants failed to help.
Returning to the Glastonbury stage in 2025 marked more than just a comeback for him but a "mental win" as a sign that he's found the perfect balance between his mental and physical health and performing.
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