More than 3,000 acts. More than 200,000 revellers. The delayed 50th anniversary of Glastonbury Festival was a riotous event leaving behind a trail of unforgettable moments and some of the greatest musical memories of all time.
Glastonbury Festival 2022 / Image credit: Matt Crossick / Empics / Alamy Live News
Paul McCartney
The oldest solo headliner to grace the Pyramid Stage, Paul McCartney performed on Saturday night with a number of special guests including Dave Grohl for the songs Band on the Run and I Saw Her Standing There, Bruce Springsteen for Glory Days and I Wanna Be Your Man, and even the voice of his late Beatles bandmate John Lennon for I've Got A Feeling. “That is so special for me,” he said of the latter duet. “I know it's virtual, but there I am singing with John again. We're back together.”
Billie Eilish
On the other end of the scale, Billie Eilish became the youngest solo headliner when she took to the main stage on Friday night, accompanied by her backing-musician brother and producer Finneas. The pair came together for a stunning acoustic rendition of Your Power, before which Billie referenced the latest ruling in the US Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v Wade's protection of abortion rights.
“This song is about power and its use and abuse, and today is a really dark day for women in the US,” she told the crowd. “I'm just going to say that cos I can't bear to think about it any more in this moment.”
Olivia Rodrigo
Similarly, Olivia Rodrigo also commented about the situation during her set saying she was “devastated and terrified”, while her rather unexpected guest, Lily Allen, dedicated her 2009 song F*** You to the five Supreme Court justices, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh.
Skunk Anansie
This British rock band delivered a knock-out set 23 years after lead singer Skin became the first black headliner to play Glastonbury. It was incredible to see such an iconic act with such an empowered female figure performing at the biggest festival in the UK in 2022. They certainly got the crowd singing along to Hedonism.
Greta Thunberg
One of the more unexpected guests this year was 19-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who delivered a warning message and a message of hope regarding the future of our planet.
“We are capable of the most incredible things,” she said. “Once we are given the full story… we will know what to do. There is still time to choose a new path, to step back from the cliff. Instead of looking for hope, start creating that hope yourself.”
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Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar closed the festival wearing a crown of thorns, and championed women with the chant: “They judge me; they judge Christ. Godspeed for women's rights.” Highlights from his set included songs like Humble, N95 and Savior.