With so much to keep up with crammed into the space of just one weekend, even the most avid of music fans will struggle to stay on top of everything that goes on at Glastonbury.
The iconic festival took place over the weekend, and while you might have heard about Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay’s headlining performances, as well as Shania Twain’s appearance in the coveted “legends” slot, other acts further down the bill may have passed you by a little.
Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered.
Here are 17 stand-out moments from Glastonbury 2024 that you might not have spotted at the time…
What a moment ❤️
— BBC Somerset (@bbcsomerset) June 27, 2024
Sir Michael Eavis has made his first appearance at #Glastonbury Festival 2024 with a performance on the Park Stage.
The festival founder sang "My Way", "Suspicious Minds" & "It Was A Very Good Year". pic.twitter.com/yvGNrn0EzT
As has become a long-held tradition, Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis was the first person to perform, before the actual festival got underway on Friday.
This year, he decided to channel the crooners of old with renditions of the melancholic ballads My Way and It Was A Very Good Year, as well as covering Elvis Presley’s more upbeat Suspicious Minds.
Crowd lighting up for Olivia Dean on the Pyramid stage! Supremely confident!
— Jonathan Boyers (@jmboyers) June 28, 2024
She’s going to be a star!#oliviadean#glastonbury2024pic.twitter.com/mmi2Uer9ab
Olivia Dean - Time (Glastonbury 2024) #OliviaDeanpic.twitter.com/8D8WX9Hp9D
— Rare Live Music ⚡️ (@ravenvinyl) June 28, 2024
When you’re one of the first acts on the Pyramid Stage, it’s essential that you bring the energy – and Olivia Dean more than delivered.
The second act on the festival’s iconic main stage on Friday afternoon, she had the crowd in the palm of her hand, and undoubtedly won herself a legion of new fans and supporters in the process.
#SEVENTEEN ; making history at glastonbury pic.twitter.com/Nkq05EHCWN
— eL pash-rahin (@1004jejebean) June 30, 2024
While Glastonbury traditions are an important part of what makes the festival so special, one thing you have to praise co-organiser Emily Eavis for is the way she’s also always trying to bring something new to the event.
This year marked a landmark moment for both Glasto and K-pop, as boyband Seventeen became the genre’s first act to ever perform on the Pyramid Stage, keeping the good vibes coming straight after Olivia Dean’s set.
The crowd going wild for the Sugababes at Glastonbury is giving me chills ???????????? pic.twitter.com/twtwMa3n9S
— JR (@jamster83) June 28, 2024
And speaking of good vibes on the Friday afternoon – Sugababes famously shut down the Avalon tent when they performed back in 2022 with a set that’s still revered two years later.
This time around they were boosted up to the West Holts Stage, where they once again reminded everyone why they’re one of the UK’s most beloved girl groups of all time, whizzing through a set packed with hits that also looked to the future (the three-piece recently teased new music during an interview with BBC News leading up to their Glasto performance).
Simplesmente AURORA durante a performance de “The Seed” discursando a favor da Palestina em frente a um dos maiores festivais do mundo. FREE PALESTINE! ???????? pic.twitter.com/P07DzmPsHg
— Cabaré da AURORA ???? (@AURORAcabare) June 28, 2024
Taking a moment to make a serious political point during her Friday set, Norwegian singer Aurora called out the leaders of the world for “fucking us all over, again and again”.
More specifically, she dedicated her set to the children of Palestine, Sudan, Congo and Yemen.
Jungle, Glastonbury 2019
— Gl⛺️stobation ???? (@glastobation) June 7, 2024
This year: 10:15pm West Holts
Amongst the biggest offering of clashes over the week, faced against Idles, Fontaines DC, Jamie XX and Dua Lipa and many more.
Hard to argue against this as a choice though ????#Glastonbury#Glasto@jungle4evapic.twitter.com/M5P3idQo8h
As you can see from the video above, those who decided to take a chance were definitely rewarded.
???? Idles leading the chant of “Fuck The King” with The Other Stage crowd during their headline set ????#Glastonbury#Glastonbury2024pic.twitter.com/2zxub0nI85
— Far Out Magazine #Glastonbury2024 (@FarOutMag) June 28, 2024
The Daily Mail is gonna have an aneurysm about this Idles set, they got the crowd to shout “fuck the king” called Farage a fascist, had a prop of kids in a small boat crowdsurfing during a pro immigration song and ended by shouting ceasefire now. Fucking legends. #Glastonburypic.twitter.com/qsSUCmNwhB
— Supertanskiii (@supertanskiii) June 28, 2024
Idles’ politically-charged set included leading the crowd in a mass chant of “fuck the King”. The group also lambasted Nigel Farage, made an impassioned display of solidarity with migrants and were one of several acts who explicitly called for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
People on Twitter deffo need to put more respect on SZA’s name, I saw this exact set yesterday and she was 10/10. Sound engineers at glasto have done her so dirty!!! #Glastonbury
— Taaamzin???? (@Taamzin_) June 30, 2024
What the hell is going on with the sound at Glastonbury this year? They’ve done Shania Twain dirty here #painfulpic.twitter.com/sMvhWfP8rf
— Jason Alexander Davies (@Jayson_Davies) June 30, 2024
Can someone sort out Cyndi’s sound please?! Start by turning her mic up! @glastonbury
— Lozza (@LKPMac) June 29, 2024
Glastonbury has let down a lot of its biggest female acts this year. SZA should have been Fri or Sat headliner, Avril, Janelle and Sugababes on bigger stages, Shania and Cyndi without being plagued by sound issues.
— Roisin O'Connor (@Roisin_OConnor) June 30, 2024
Most notably during SZA, Cyndi Lauper and Shania Twain’s sets (but also Dua Lipa’s), many viewers watching the coverage at home complained about the sound quality, which affected several of the artists’ overall performances.
So we’ve got nothing but praise for all of those artists for soldiering on despite the issues, completing their sets in front of thousands in person and millions watching at home.
Keane
— Cat At Night (@Cat_At_Night) June 30, 2024
Somewhere only we know
Glastonbury 2024
People decided this is one of the highlights moments this year#Keane#KEANE20#Glastonbury2024pic.twitter.com/TlP4LxYY4K
Yes, we’d probably be a bit teary-eyed hearing Somewhere Only We Know by this point on the Saturday afternoon, too.
Nitin Sawhney on West Holts welcomes a surprise guest on tenor saxophone — the actor Andy Sirkis! Gollum can blow! JL pic.twitter.com/y87g4MRFH1
— Glastonbury Live (@GlastoLive) June 29, 2024
Who knew he was such an accomplished saxophonist?
Glastonbury 24!!! thank you for tearing the place to pieces. That was the most epic experience of our lives. Every single one of you gave everything. There was something super natural about that show. we do it, for days like this. Until next time @glastonbury
— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) June 30, 2024
????: @neilbedfordpic.twitter.com/BrRXOEsMD9
No, it probably wasn’t the “surprise” set they wanted, but fans still enjoyed themselves all the same.
???? Little Simz with a beautiful performance of ‘Woman’ on the Pyramid Stage ????????
— Far Out Magazine #Glastonbury2024 (@FarOutMag) June 29, 2024
“Next one for the girls then!” ????#Glastonbury2024#Glastonburypic.twitter.com/xdNM60dNbh
Let’s just say her set proved why she’s such a force to be reckoned with within the UK rap scene, and why she’s one of this country’s most innovative (and criminally underrated) artists.
We can’t wait to see what she does next.
Thank you Michael J. Fox for making our dream come true ???? pic.twitter.com/ahzOzGaP5J
— Coldplay (@coldplay) June 30, 2024
Chris Martin explained that he wanted to form a band after watching Marty McFly in Back To The Future, so Michael J Fox’s surprise guitar solo was a full-circle moment for Coldplay.
Rachel Chinouriri performing ‘All I Ever Asked’ at Glastonbury this weekend! pic.twitter.com/axYZWchrCZ
— ???? (@concertleaks) June 30, 2024
Rachel getting emotional on stage today at Glastonbury. pic.twitter.com/aCGQfN8ZCs
— Rachel Chinouriri Updates (@UpdateRachel_) June 30, 2024
Even Rachel herself was moved to tears by the crowd’s reaction to her set.
the avril lavigne crowd is a joke… just taken an entire hour to walk like sardines from one side of the stage to the other. why the fuck is she not on pyramid? they keep putting people on the wrong stages it’s unsafe pic.twitter.com/yIdsMoY84J
— summer (@summerferrett) June 30, 2024
Avril Lavigne reignited everyone's emo phase with her quality performance of 'I’m with You' on the Other Stage ????????#Glastonbury#Glastonbury2024pic.twitter.com/EgmiJ7SNCr
— Far Out Magazine #Glastonbury2024 (@FarOutMag) June 30, 2024
Just get her on a bigger stage next time, alright?
— . (@BTOMichael01) June 30, 2024
— . (@BTOMichael01) June 30, 2024
the Radio 2 Instagram account providing some remarkable Paul Mescal at Glastonbury content pic.twitter.com/ibg0mdAMqS
— Pete Allison (@Pete_Allison) June 30, 2024
Excellent.