3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Rod Stewart reveals staggering cost of Glastonbury set as his kids had to buy own tickets
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Glastonbury Festival is undeniably the single most important event in the UK music calendar, and some of the most unforgettable moments in its 50-year history have come from the Sunday night "Legends slot."
Over the years, we've seen stars such as Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Kylie Minogue delighting audiences with their hit-packed performances, and 2025 will be no exception, with Sir Rod Stewart gracing the iconic Pyramid Stage.
This won't be Rod's first Glasto performance – he previously headlined the festival in 2002, sharing the bill with Coldplay and Stereophonics – but this summer's performance promises to be something special.
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Speaking to the BBC's Sidetracked with Annie and Nick, the veteran rocker revealed that he'll be splashing out around £300,000 of his own money for his Sunday afternoon show. He also mentioned that – as performers aren't given a guest list – three of his eight children will be purchasing their own tickets to what could potentially be the 80-year-old star's final major festival performance.
While it's unclear exactly how much Sir Rod will be paid for his Glastonbury gig, it's known that headliners at the festival rarely earn more than around £250,000. Festival organiser Emily Eavis has stated that Glasto headliners receive less than 10% of what they would typically make at other festivals.
A significant portion of the cost will be dedicated to transporting his band and their gear from California, USA. They'll all be lodging in a hotel in Bath for the weekend, and according to Rod, he's eagerly anticipating a lively weekend with his bandmates.
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In addition to his regular band, which includes guitarist Don Kirkpatrick, long-time bassist Conrad Kirsch and violinist J'anna Jacoby, Sir Rod has announced he will reunite with his former Faces bandmate – and current Rolling Stone – Ronnie Wood.
He also revealed plans to have a "small orchestra on stage" with him for his ballads, such as Tonight's the Night and I Don't Want to Talk About only 75 minutes of performance time, Sir Rod acknowledged it will be challenging to fit in all of his classic hits.
He intends to keep his between-song chatter to a minimum, so he can squeeze in as many of the classics as possible, although he'll pause for the occasional sip of Bacardi and Coke: "It's the only thing I drink," he explained, "and I only drink it when I do gigs. "
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Sir Rod confessed that he doesn't see old mates like Ronnie Wood and Sir Elton John as frequently as he did in the Seventies and Eighties, because "they don't drink and I still do. They stay away from me... bad influence!"
But Sir Rod, who has sold some 200 million records over his decades-long career, will need to take care of his own health too. He recently had to cancel a Las Vegas show due to a throat infection.
While he has no plans to retire, Rod confirmed his 2025 European and North American shows would mark the end of his "large-scale world tours," with future performances to be held at more intimate venues.
Sir Rod has no intention of hanging up his microphone, with a new album featuring collaborations with Rod and former Faces bandmates Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones set for release in 2026.
Speaking to music journalist Craig McLean, Sir Rod revealed that they have "15 tracks that are extremely worthy, some old, some new" already assured fans, "We will get it finished, I promise," and confidently stated, "No other band sounds like us. ".
