FEATURE:
Changing the Headlines
IN THIS PHOTO: Is Olivia Rodrigo a possible Glastonbury Festival 2024 headliner?/PHOTO CREDIT: Théo de Gueltzl for Vogue
Glastonbury 2024: Speculation, Hopes and Progress
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EVEN if we have…
IN THIS PHOTO: Glastonbury 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Ford/NME
just had Glastonbury Festival, there is a lot of excitement and speculation around next year’s event. Although Glastonbury this year was great, one thing that was highlighted was the headliners. A female headliner was originally booked for the Saturday – whilst organiser Emily Eavis has not named who it is, one suspects it was Taylor Swift -, though they pulled out. As it was, there was an all-male line-up. Lizzo performed an incredible set that was headline-worthy. So too did the sublime and genius Lana Del Rey. I am miffed as to why these two modern queens were not headliners on the Pyramid Stage, as the sets blew people away! Not that there was anything wrong with Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses (Elton John was brilliant and really did have to be a headliner), though one feels Del Rey and Lizzo would have been much better and more memorable! In any case, there are rumours and speculation as to who will play next year. Even if the ‘legends slot’ is not technically a headliner, a female legend has been confirmed. Emily Eavis also says that two actual female headliners have been confirmed. As we look to next year and wonder whether music festivals will actually affect progress and do more to make women headliners – there is ample choice and no barriers to booking them! -, let’s hope that Glastonbury sets an example that others follow. I will go on in a minute.
IN THIS PHOTO: Emily Eavis/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
First, NME report on news and information that Emily Eavis revealed to Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw on their BBC podcast, Sidtracked. It suggests that, after a male-heavy line-up this year, things will improve in 2024:
“Emily Eavis has teased line-up details for next year’s Glastonbury Festival, hinting once again that there could be two female headliners.
The 2024 edition of the legendary Worthy Farm event will take place between June 26-30, with the first batches of tickets due to go on sale next week. No acts have been announced as of yet.
Speaking on the latest episode of Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw’s Sidetracked podcast, Glastonbury co-organiser Eavis spoke about the progress the team has made in putting the bill together.
“2024 is still a little up in the air. I thought it was kind of taking shape and then last week I just got a call, and this is what happens if you wait a little longer, because quite often we’ll be booked up from July,” she began.
“This year we’re holding out for a little bit longer, and last week I got a call from a really big American artist saying this person’s around next year. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible’. Thank God we held the slot.”
Eavis went on to reiterate that she is “really passionate about gender split” on the line-up, having faced some criticism in regards to last year’s all-male headliners (Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Elton John).
“Our problem was that I’d been so outspoken about it that having a year where there wasn’t a female [headliner] sent people a bit mad, or some people,” Eavis continued. “And actually, we did have a female [but] she pulled out and we replaced them with Guns [N’ Roses] on the Saturday.”
She added: “I’m always trying to make it the most balanced, diverse bill. It is difficult with female artists because there aren’t enough headliners. But we’re also creating them. We’re putting the bands and female artists on smaller stages and bringing them through all the time so I feel like the pool is going to be bigger soon.
“And who knows? Next year we might get two [female headliners]. And certainly, I can say that the legend [slot] is female.”
Back in 2019, Eavis promised that she was aiming to ensure “as close to” a 50/50 gender split as possible on the Glastonbury line-up. “I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said in 2018 on the strive for gender equality at the festival and in the wider music industry.
Acknowledging this year’s all-male bill-toppers during an interview in March, Eavis attributed the lack of viable female headliners to an industry “pipeline” problem.
Fans are currently speculating over whether Madonna could headline Glastonbury 2024 after Eavis shared an image from a ‘Celebration Tour’ concert in London. The Queen Of Pop is available next June as it stands, with her run of North American dates scheduled to end in April.
Rhianna has also been long rumoured to headline Glastonbury, and has recently been reported as planning a new album and live return for 2024.
Other rumoured artists include Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Foo Fighters and Blur. The first line-up poster is traditionally revealed in March”.
I can appreciate that some artists pull out and others are unavailable. I am not convinced by any argument that suggests there were no suitable female headliners available! I have named two that were already booked that could have done it. There were so many other options too. Even though Glastonbury is incredible and the best festival in the world, there is still that issue with not really doing enough to ensure that there are female headliners. Emily Eavis is really trying, that is clear - though this year was a huge, missed opportunity. Two brilliant women stormed their sets lower down the bill, whereas at least two of the male headliners were not exactly mind-blowing and at their best. In any case, we do get to look ahead - and, let’s hope, genuine progress is created that will stick and not be a one-off. That is always the danger. Almost a novelty booking female headliners, only for things to be returned to their former state! I think that, as she is on such a high, Olivia Rodrigo is going to be one of the headliners. The twenty-year-old, like Billie Eilish in 2019, could well be a case of this young artist commanding the world’s biggest festival stage. Both of these American modern icons are among the most important artists of their generation. I don’t think Madonna will headline, given the fact her Celebration Tour is going to be exhausting and extensive. I do think that either Dua Lipa or Rihanna are more likely. It would, of course, be wonderful if all three headline slots were given to women. That said, if we had Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna and someone like Blur headlining in 2024, that would be pretty amazing!
IN THIS PHOTO: Corinne Bailey Rae
There are plenty of options when it comes to the legend who will fill that converted slot. It is a woman, as has been confirmed. I do feel like the rest of the bill will also tip ion the favour of women. With incredible new artists like The Last Dinner Party almost guaranteed to get a slot, they join a wave of other solo artists, duos and groups who have made such an impact this past year. Most of the best albums and singles this year have been made by women, so you will see that reflected at Glastonbury 2024 – and I feel everyone from Nadine Shah, Iraina Mancini, boygenius, Mitski, RAYE, Jessie Ware, and Corinne Bailey Rae will be included, alongside newer artists like Panic Shack. Whilst Glastonbury is far from the only festival who have been put under the microscope when it comes to gender balance, on the plus side, they have always been ahead of so many others when it comes to balance and at least getting close to a fifty-fifty split. It is that issue of the headline acts and ensuring that there is female representation there. It will definitely change in 2024!
IN THIS PHOTO: The Last Dinner Party
That leads us to ask whether other festivals, fully capable of doing the same, will. As more and more amazing women come through the industry, it becomes more apparent that many festivals are not doing all they can. Quite angering when you get a lot of male headliners who are far less worthy than their female peers. I do feel that all festivals need to commit to equality across the bills, including female headliners. It is something many other people want to. Glastonbury 2024 is already shaping up to be pretty exciting. We shall hold our breath to see who is announced when the poster comes out early next year. You know that Emily and Michael Eavis are going to be leading the way when it comes to gender representation at festivals. I do think Olivia Rodrigo is going to be one of the headliners, though it is a personal wish rather than anything concrete. In any case, two female headliners plus a woman in that legend’s slot means that we definitely have…
SOMETHING to look forward to.