Glastonbury 2027
With 2026 being a fallow year on Worthy Farm, all eyes look ahead to 2027 and who could be playing at the famous festival.
With 2026 being a fallow year on Worthy Farm, all eyes look ahead to 2027 and who could be playing at the famous festival. The 2025 edition truly had something for everyone, leaving fans with an unforgettable weekend of career-defining performances. In terms of headliners, the Pyramid Stage hosted a phenomenal lineup featuring The 1975, widely regarded as one of the most important bands of the 2010s and 2020s, alongside elder rock statesman Neil Young and alternative pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo. The weekend's main stage was further electrified by a monumental, pyro-heavy sunset performance from Scottish rock heroes Biffy Clyro, as well as a highly talked-about special guest appearance from The Cure's frontman, Robert Smith.
On the Other Stage, Charli XCX headlined on Saturday night to quite possibly the biggest, most vibrant crowd that stage had ever seen, bringing her global BRAT culture straight to the Somerset fields. Loyle Carner delivered a stunning headline performance on Friday, preceded by a stellar run of afternoon acts, including an energetic set from indie-rockers Wet Leg and a soaring, melodic performance by Dublin's Inhaler. On Sunday, electronic icons The Prodigy closed the stage, playing Worthy Farm for the first time since the tragic loss of frontman Keith Flint.
Across the rest of the weekend, the smaller stages packed a massive punch and highlighted the incredible depth of the lineup. Mainstage veterans The Libertines brought their classic indie-punk energy to the weekend, alongside a massive, crowd-pleasing set from Blossoms and a theatrical, genre-blending showcase by Irish pop-country star CMAT. Emerging music also took centre stage as Manchester's fast-rising four-piece Westside Cowboy conquered the Woodsies stage after being crowned the winners of the festival's prestigious 2025 Emerging Talent Competition.
The Park Stage hosted some of the weekend's absolute highlights, including a triumphant set by Wunderhorse, who proved unequivocally that they are currently one of the best live acts in Britain. The indie stalwarts The Maccabees reunited for a monumental show on the same stage, sending the crowd into a frenzy with a little help from surprise guest Florence Welch. Just before The Prodigy's closing set on Sunday night, Wolf Alice delivered an explosive performance that firmly made their stake for a future Pyramid Stage headline slot.
Irish talent made massive waves throughout the weekend, bringing both intense sonics and fierce political messages to the festival. Belfast rap trio Kneecap sparked massive crowd energy and subsequent media waves with their unapologetic, politically charged show. Meanwhile, Dublin post-punk rising stars Gurriers ignited the Woodsies stage with their sharp, raw energy, proudly flying a Free Palestine flag during their high-decibel performance.
True to tradition, Glastonbury 2025 wouldn't be complete without its legendary unannounced slots. Pop sisters HAIM delighted fans by returning to their beloved Park Stage for a high-energy secret set filled with new material and classic sing-alongs. However, it was Britpop icons Pulp who stole the secret-headline buzz; performing under the cryptic moniker "Patchwork," they pulled off what became the worst-kept secret in Glastonbury history, treating a heaving crowd to an unforgettable afternoon of hits.
The festival righted many of the wrongs of the previous year, which, in my opinion, was the worst Glastonbury of my lifetime.
As we look towards 2027, I'm going to run through some of the bookies' favourites to headline, and then I'll chuck some names in the hat, as well as some names I think could play on some of the other stages or further down on the Pyramid.
Frontrunners for 2027
Based on a post by the Official Charts, which can be found here. Here is a list of the frontrunners.
- Sam Fender- 6/4
- Harry Styles- 6/4
- Oasis- 2/1
- Taylor Swift 3/1
- Ed Sheeran- 3/1
- Sabrina Carpenter- 3/1
- Fred Again 4/1
- Radiohead- 4/1
- Florence and the Machine- 4/1
- Rhianna- 8/1
- Lady Gaga- 8/1
- Chappel Roan- 8/1
- Eminem- 8/1
Pop icon Madonna recently ignited massive speculation after dropping a major hint on The Graham Norton Show that she is in negotiations for Glastonbury 2027. This bombshell revelation looks set to finally revive the Pyramid Stage headline slot that famously fell through in the past over festival budget constraints.
Alongside the Queen of Pop, rock icons Fleetwood Mac have been heavily rumoured once again. The 2027 festival would perfectly mark the 50th anniversary of their masterpiece album 'Rumours', leading many fans to speculate that the band could finally make their mythical, long-overdue debut on the Pyramid Stage. Could Fleetwood Mac really take to the stage without Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, though?
Further down the billing, Olivia Dean has emerged as a heavily rumoured name across fan forums. Following an incredible couple of years packed with critical acclaim, breakout chart success, and stellar live performances, it feels inevitable that she will secure a prominent placement. While a top headline spot might be a step too far just yet, she feels like a perfect fit to bring her breezy soul sounds to a high-profile, sunny afternoon slot on the Pyramid Stage.
Meanwhile, Charli XCX remains an absolute force in the prediction markets. After her history-making, field-splitting performance on the Other Stage during the absolute height of her 'BRAT' phenomenon, many fans and critics view her as an immediate, nailed-on choice for a future, well-deserved Pyramid Stage headline promotion.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Arctic Monkeys are being rumoured for a return, despite their last headline appearance being relatively recent in 2023. However, this particular rumour feels incredibly unlikely to materialise. The Sheffield indie giants have released no new material since their last polarising performance on Worthy Farm, and with a new record cycle looking highly improbable anytime soon, there is very little creative incentive for them to return. A repeat booking so soon, without any new music. I can't see it.
Before I give a run-through of who I think would be good, let me tell you who I don't think would be, or in one case, who I cannot see doing it.
No/Not a Good Idea
From the bookies' list of favourites, I'm going to include three in this list. Two of the 3/1 picks and one of the 8/1 picks.
Starting with pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter, now on paper, she's one of the most popular artists on that list, and it's easy to see why. Her songs are pop gems. I like 'Espresso' and 'Man Child' as much as anyone.
I just don't think a Pyramid crowd will suit her. Olivia Rodrigo played it last year and arguably put in the performance of the weekend; however, I feel her songs offer more range than Sabrina's. They go from ballads like 'Driving Licence' to snarling rock bangers like 'All American Bitch' and festival anthems with huge choruses like 'Good 4 U'.
Does Sabrina have the range to do that, and will the crowd take to her pop princess sheen? I'm not sure.
A Reading & Leeds crowd, definitely. I can see her playing there next year, and if it's half as good as Chappel Roan's show last year, it will be brilliant. That crowd is a much younger demographic than Glastonbury, and pop has found a new home there in recent years. Melvin Benn, take notes.
Then there is Ed Sheeran, which begs the question: are we really still doing this one man, a guitar, and a loop pedal thing? Sheeran previously headlined the festival back in 2017, performing at a time when he was arguably at the absolute peak of his powers. Yet, even at his commercial zenith, that Sunday night closing set drew two wildly contrasting reactions.
On the one hand, reviewers from The Guardian hailed the performance as "thrillingly raw and defiantly alone," admiring his confidence in commanding a crowd of over 100,000 people without a backing band, dancers, or major visual gimmicks. Similarly, The Telegraph called his complex looping layers "dizzying and mesmeric," emphasising how his everyday, unpretentious persona was exactly why the massive crowd connected so deeply with him.
Conversely, reviewers from The Independent labelled it "one of the least satisfying" finales in the festival's history. Critics argued that his performance lacked the theatricality, charisma, and edge expected of a Sunday headliner, especially following the monumental rock sets delivered by Radiohead and Foo Fighters earlier in the weekend. Given that he received a divisive reception at his peak, and considering that his material over the subsequent nine years has never reached the heights of his blockbuster album '÷', a return to the Pyramid Stage just doesn't feel like a good idea.
Finally, there is Eminem, but anyone who thinks he is a genuine Glastonbury headliner needs to have a serious word with themselves. The reality is that he would not fit the festival's unique ethos at all. Glastonbury has embraced hip-hop royalty with immense success in the past, but those artists brought something truly cinematic or culturally monumental to the Pyramid Stage. Kanye West conquered the farm because he possessed a catalogue of universal anthems like 'Stronger', 'Flashing Lights', 'Heartless', and 'Runaway' that resonated far beyond traditional rap fans. Years later, Stormzy delivered one of the most profound, historic headline sets the festival has ever seen, elevating his performance into a piece of high art complete with a striking Banksy-designed stab-proof vest, a full gospel choir, and deep cultural commentary.
Eminem, by contrast, simply lacks that contemporary cultural relevance, having not released a critically acclaimed or universally praised record in a very long time. His live reputation in the UK has also faltered; during his last major UK festival headline appearance at Reading & Leeds in 2017, his set was plagued by controversy as disappointed fans openly accused him of miming along to a backing track. When you couple a fading live reputation with multi-million-pound fee demands that completely eclipse Glastonbury's strict, charity-first budget, it becomes clear that the self-proclaimed rap god belongs firmly in the past, rather than on the Pyramid Stage in 2027.
Maybe
I know Taylor Swift was booked to headline in 2020 alongside Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar, and when the festival came back around in 2022, she was replaced by Billie Eilish. This twist of fate perfectly mirrors the exact conversation happening within the music industry right now, as Swift remains one of the most polarising and fascinating rumours for Glastonbury 2027. While there are massive logistical and financial hurdles to overcome, recent insider leaks suggest that "wheels are in motion" for her to finally take the stage, with bookmakers positioning her at 3/1 odds just behind joint favourites Harry Styles, Sam Fender and Oasis.
The argument against her performing comes down to the stark reality of the "Glastonbury Pay Cut" and her absolute dominance over global stadiums. Organiser Emily Eavis has openly stated that Glastonbury pays headliners less than ten per cent of their standard commercial festival rate, capping payouts at an estimated £200,000 to maximise charitable donations. Financially, stepping away from her own highly controlled stadium setup, where she commands a historic billion-dollar gross, makes zero business sense. It's also not her crowd. I'm unsure how her show would work with her fans mixed in with a festival crowd. Would the songs and moments within the show have the same impact?
Furthermore, because Glastonbury sells out before any acts are announced, the festival doesn't need her star power to shift tickets, and injecting her fiercely dedicated fanbase into the general sale could drastically alter the traditional crowd dynamic.
However, the case for her headlining is fueled by unfinished business and pure legacy. Emily Eavis has maintained an open invitation ever since that 2020 cancellation, and insider sources claim that behind-the-scenes discussions are progressing very positively, suggesting she is "almost nailed on" to settle the score. For a superstar who has conquered every stadium on Earth, playing Worthy Farm right after the 2026 fallow year isn’t about the money. It is about the ultimate critical validation, the challenge of winning over a famously diverse festival crowd, and cementing an iconic milestone in British music history
Yes/Who'd I'd Like
Now we're onto those on the bookies' list, I think, would be good. There are a few options here, from massive bands to pop icons and arguably the greatest songwriter of his generation.
Harry Styles
First up, Harry Styles. As I write this, Harry is just over halfway through his twelve-night residency at Wembley Stadium and is quite simply the biggest pop star on the planet right now. Following these Wembley shows is a record-breaking 30 nights at Madison Square Garden, alongside huge stadium dates in São Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Sydney. You can only imagine that going into next year, even more global dates are on the way.
This monumental trek, officially named the 'Together, Together' tour, has seen Styles temporarily turn global stadiums into massive, tightly knit communities. Instead of a traditional touring schedule, he has opted for these long, high-concept residencies. The live setlist is a masterclass in pacing, designed to showcase how seamlessly he has evolved from a boyband pop icon into a bona fide rock and electronic visionary.
The foundation of his solo career began with his 2017 self-titled debut album, 'Harry Styles', which boldly proved his classic rock sensibilities. Driven by the grand, sweeping theatrics of 'Sign of the Times' and the gritty blues-rock edge of 'Kiwi', the record drew heavy comparisons to David Bowie and 1970s British rock. He followed this up in 2019 with 'Fine Line', a vibrant record packed with massive, sunshine-soaked radio anthems like 'Watermelon Sugar', 'Adore You', and 'Golden'. On the current tour, the transition from these high-energy pop hits into an acoustic, emotional rendition of the title track 'Fine Line' has become a theatrical centrepiece, with thousands of fans holding up paper hearts across the stadium.
His third era, defined by the global phenomenon 'Harry's House' in 2022, pushed his sound toward sleek, funk-driven indie-pop. It delivered the record-breaking, juggernaut single 'As It Was' alongside intricate, fan-favourite grooves like 'Music for a Sushi Restaurant' and 'Keep Driving'. The record beautifully captured a warmer, more intimate side to his songwriting, balancing upbeat, horn-drenched tracks like 'Late Night Talking' with the delicate, introspective storytelling of 'Matilda'. This mastery of shifting from stadium-sized pop energy to vulnerable acoustic moments proved he could effortlessly control the dynamic of any crowd.
However, it is his fourth studio album, released in March 2026, titled 'Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.', that makes the most compelling argument for a Pyramid Stage headline slot. The record marks a thrilling sonic departure into electronic dance music, heavily inspired by Styles attending a festival and watching New York dance-punk legends LCD Soundsystem live. This new musical direction replaces traditional guitars with late-night, bass-heavy grooves, Moog synthesisers, and steady, thumping house beats.
The album's lead single, 'Aperture', builds into a euphoric, slow-burning dance ballad driven by house piano stabs that echo the dancefloor unity of early 2000s Brooklyn. On the 'Together, Together' tour, the new track 'Dance No More' has quickly become an explosive highlight, transforming from its smooth disco-pop studio foundations into a horn-heavy, synth-drenched stadium anthem. Melding these new bass grooves with tracks like 'Coming Up Roses' and 'American Girls', Styles has created a live experience that bridges the gap between raw musicianship and late-night festival hedonism. Having already proven his headliner credentials across the Atlantic at Coachella, his current trajectory makes him look entirely unmissable for the ultimate crowning moment at Glastonbury 2027.
Sam Fender
Next up is Sam Fender. For many festival-goers, the Geordie rock icon feels like the most natural and deserved heir to a Pyramid Stage headline slot. Fender is no stranger to the grandest stage at Worthy Farm, having delivered a legendary, career-defining performance in 2022 on the Friday afternoon, playing directly before Billie Eilish. That sub-headline set drew an absolutely colossal, spine-tingling crowd that filled the entire field, cementing his status as a future headliner in waiting.
His journey to the top is built on a discography of raw, blue-collar indie rock that carries the torch of Bruce Springsteen while remaining fiercely British. His 2019 debut album, 'Hypersonic Missiles', introduced the world to his driving guitar hooks and sharp social commentary, packed with festival anthems like the explosive title track 'Hypersonic Missiles', 'The Borders', and the raw energy of 'Play God'. He elevated his songwriting even further with his 2021 masterpiece, 'Seventeen Going Under', an album deeply rooted in working-class struggles and personal catharsis. The title track, 'Seventeen Going Under', became a generational anthem, generating one of the loudest, most passionate crowd sing-alongs in Glastonbury history during his 2022 appearance, alongside other massive live staples like 'Get You Down' and the thunderous, horn-backed 'Spit of You'.
The most compelling argument for his 2027 headline slot, however, lies in his third studio album, 'People Watching', which was released in early 2025. The record shows a songwriter at the absolute peak of his storytelling powers, blending his trademark soaring saxophone and driving guitars with a grander, more cinematic sonic landscape. The lead single and title track, 'People Watching', is a breathtaking, heart-on-sleeve anthem inspired by the passing of a close mentor, while tracks like 'Wild Long Lie' and the nostalgic, heavy-hitting 'Remember My Name' feel custom-built to be shouted back by 100,000 people. There are festival anthems littered throughout his discography too; tracks like 'Get You Down', 'Chin Up', and 'That Sound' are all ready-made for festival fields.
Fender’s live power has already been proven at the highest level, having completely sold out massive, back-to-back stadium shows at St James' Park in Newcastle, alongside a historic headlining performance at Finsbury Park and his own massive UK arena tours. Backed by his fiercely tight, horn-flecked live band, he brings a raw, authentic rock-and-roll grit that Glastonbury crowds crave. After a quiet fallow year in 2026, seeing Sam Fender close out a night on the Pyramid Stage in 2027 would be the ultimate culmination of a spectacular rise, offering the kind of emotional, unifying headline moment that defines the festival's legacy.
Oasis
Then there is Oasis, and no name in the current prediction market generates quite the same level of deafening noise. Following the historic chaos of their massive 'Live '25' reunion tour, bookmakers have placed the Gallagher brothers at incredibly strong 2/1 odds to make their monumental return to the Pyramid Stage. Because Liam Gallagher has publicly ruled out any live appearances for 2026, the 2027 festival slots perfectly into their rumoured timeline for a massive global tour extension. A headline slot on the farm would be their first time topping the bill together since 2004, offering the ultimate, high-stakes victory lap for British rock royalty.
If they do step onto the stage, they possess a timeless, multi-generational catalogue that is practically woven into the DNA of British festival culture. We already have a perfect blueprint of what this would look like on the Pyramid Stage thanks to their massive, highly disciplined 'Live '25' reunion setlist, which was a masterclass in stadium rock pacing. After the traditional PA playback of 'Fuckin' in the Bushes', the brothers kicked off each night with the sharp, swaggering energy of 'Hello', immediately transitioning into the fan-favourite call-and-response of 'Acquiesce' and the heavy crunch of 'Morning Glory'. The fast-paced first half kept the energy high with early punk-infused tracks like 'Bring It On Down' and 'Fade Away' nestled tightly alongside 'Supersonic'.
The mid-set functioned as a brilliant dynamic shift, allowing Liam to temporarily exit the stage while Noel took over lead vocals for a run of intimate, acoustic-leaning fan favourites, including 'Talk Tonight', 'Half the World Away', and 'Little by Little'. Upon Liam's return, the band ramped the momentum back up to maximum capacity with the cinematic 'Stand by Me' and 'Slide Away'. They brought the main set to a crashing, emotional climax with 'Live Forever' and a roaring rendition of 'Rock 'n' Roll Star'. Returning to the stage for a truly legendary four-song encore, they treated the crowd to 'The Masterplan', 'Don't Look Back in Anger', and 'Wonderwall', before sending everyone home with the psychedelic, sky-scraping wall of sound that is 'Champagne Supernova'.
However, the main obstacle to an Oasis headline slot has always been the band's notoriously turbulent relationship with Worthy Farm itself. Liam Gallagher has famously and repeatedly expressed his dislike for the main stage crowd, once jokingly comparing the Pyramid Stage audience to playing to a room full of "jamboree teachers" rather than proper rock-and-roll fans. Additionally, their last headlining appearance in 2004 was widely criticised by reviewers as cold and detached, a memory that Noel Gallagher might be hesitant to replicate. Yet, the sheer scale of their 'Live '25' reunion tour proved they are now operating on a completely different level of global demand. That monumental run saw them completely conquer the UK with historic, sold-out nights at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Manchester's Heaton Park, and Wembley Stadium, before taking the phenomenon worldwide with massive stadium dates across North America, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo.
If the Eavis family can successfully negotiate past the brothers' massive ego dynamics and notoriously high financial demands after such a lucrative global trek, an Oasis closing set in 2027 would undoubtedly become one of the most anticipated, sing-along-heavy spectacles in Glastonbury history.
Radiohead
Radiohead is a name that carries an almost mythical weight whenever it comes up in the Pyramid Stage conversation. Following the band's emotional, deeply profound 2025 European tour, their first live shows in seven years, and guitarist Ed O'Brien's subsequent confirmation that the band plans to hit the road for twenty shows a year starting in 2027, rumours of a massive Glastonbury comeback have reached a fever pitch. The timing could not be more poetic; 2027 marks exactly thirty years since the release of their magnum opus, 'OK Computer', and their subsequent headline set that same summer, which remains widely regarded as the greatest and most legendary performance in the festival's history.
To truly understand why a 2027 return would be so monumental, you have to look back at that historic 1997 Saturday night headline set, which was forged in a perfect storm of apocalyptic weather and technical chaos. The festival site was a freezing, sinking swamp, and the crowd was utterly exhausted by the mud. Just two weeks prior, the band had released 'OK Computer', an album that perfectly captured the pre-millennium tension, technological paranoia, and societal anxiety of the era. When the band stepped onto the stage, their monitors blew out completely, meaning the musicians could not hear each other playing. Thom Yorke was on the verge of walking off in frustration, but guitarist Ed O'Brien convinced him to stay.
Visually, the set was blinding, as stark, strobing white lights cut through the thick Somerset rain and mist, transforming the band into ghostly silhouettes. Despite the near-catastrophic tech failures, the band played with a raw, frantic intensity, relying on pure instinct to pull through tracks like 'Paranoid Android' and 'No Surprises'. It wasn't just a great gig; it was a cultural flashpoint that defined a generation and set the gold standard for what a Glastonbury headline set could achieve.
If Thom Yorke and company do agree to headline in 2027, their setlist blueprint is already perfectly primed to honour that legacy. During their highly acclaimed 2025 arena runs, the band leaned heavily into 'OK Computer' material, regularly treating audiences to a staggering eight out of the eleven performable tracks from the record. The pacing of those shows proved they still know exactly how to guide a crowd through beautiful, atmospheric tension and explosive release. Starting their sets with the aggressive, biting crunch of '2 + 2 = 5' and 'Airbag', they seamlessly wove essential 1990s masterpieces like 'The Bends', 'Lucky', and the heartbreaking 'Exit Music (For a Film)' into a sprawling, career-spanning tapestry.
The mid-set electronic and art-rock movements of their live show are unmatched in their ability to captivate a massive, outdoor audience. Tracks like 'Everything in Its Right Place' and the frantic, syncopated rhythms of '15 Step' and 'Idioteque' transform standard rock shows into massive, hypnotic dancefloors. What makes a 2027 return so tantalising, however, is the way the band closed out their 2025 performances. The final encores were a masterclass in emotional release, pairing the soaring melodies of 'Let Down', 'Fake Plastic Trees', and 'Paranoid Android' with the absolute, crowd-wide catharsis of 'Karma Police', a song that famously results in the Worthy Farm crowd singing the chorus back to the band long after the instruments have stopped playing.
Yet, the only real question mark surrounding a Radiohead booking is whether the band feels any desire to revisit the past. They have already topped the Pyramid Stage three times, and they have historically resisted the urge to become a nostalgic legacy act. But with the 30th anniversary of 'OK Computer' providing the ultimate thematic backdrop, and the band explicitly stating how profoundly emotional and unified they felt on stage together during their recent return, the pull of the farm might be too strong to resist. If the Eavis family can lock them in alongside the likes of Oasis and Taylor Swift, a Radiohead headline slot would provide the perfect, critically revered balance to a historic 2027 lineup.
Fred Again...
Fred Again, this would represent the ultimate modern curveball for a Pyramid Stage headline slot. While traditionally a closing spot of this magnitude is reserved for guitar bands or legacy pop royalty, the meteoric, boundary-breaking rise of South London’s Fred Gibson makes him an incredibly tantalising prospect for 2027. He has already proven he can command festival main stages on his own terms, having delivered an absolute masterclass in electronic showmanship during his historic headline slots at the Reading & Leeds Festivals. Transforming those massive fields into giant, open-air warehouses, his live sets balanced euphoric, thumping club energy with moments of raw, vulnerable musicianship that left tens of thousands of fans completely spellbound.
To give him the keys to the Friday or Saturday night closing slot on the Pyramid Stage would undoubtedly be seen as a massive risk by festival traditionalists, but Glastonbury has a long, proud history of taking monumental gambles that ultimately pay off. Back in 2008, Michael and Emily Eavis faced an unprecedented wave of media backlash and sluggish ticket sales when they booked hip-hop icon Jay-Z to headline the Saturday night, a move critics claimed would ruin the festival's rock-centric ethos. Years later, in 2015, the festival took another massive swing by booking Kanye West, resulting in an online petition signed by over 130,000 people demanding he be dropped. West responded by delivering an intense, visually stark, and universally discussed performance that remains one of the most talked-about sets in Worthy Farm history. With dance music, the Eavis family gave The Chemical Brothers the nod in 2000. A dance act topping the Pyramid has happened before. Why not again?
In the grand history of the festival, electronic dance acts have very rarely been handed the keys to the absolute top spot on the Pyramid Stage, making a potential Fred again.. booking an even more exciting prospect. While foundational electronic bands like Orbital famously broke the glass ceiling for the genre by headlining the NME Stage (now the Other Stage) in 1994, only two pure electronic dance acts have ever officially crossed over to headline the legendary Pyramid Stage: The Prodigy in 1997, and The Chemical Brothers in 2000.
The Chemical Brothers' headline set on Friday, 23 June 2000, remains a towering, historic milestone for electronic music. Stepping onto a brand-new, 100-foot-high silver incarnation of the Pyramid Stage, which had just been rebuilt after burning down years prior, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons transformed the entire valley into one giant, unified house party. It drew one of the largest, most tightly packed main stage crowds the festival had ever seen up to that point. Performing behind a massive, blinding wall of strobes, laser systems, and surreal visual projections, they proved that a duo armed with synths, mixers, and thumping beats could captivate an outdoor festival crowd just as powerfully as a traditional rock band with guitars.
If Fred again.. does get the nod for 2027, he has a deeply emotional, highly cinematic catalogue that is perfectly engineered for a massive communal festival experience. His groundbreaking 'Actual Life' trilogy, comprising 'Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020)', 'Actual Life 2 (February 2 – October 15 2021)', and 'Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)', is built on a foundation of human connection, weaving found-sound voice notes and beautiful piano melodies with driving house beats. Tracks like the beautiful, building 'Kyle (I Found You)' and the bittersweet catharsis of 'Sabrina (I Am a Party)' feel custom-built for a late-night Somerset field. Furthermore, his collaborative juggernauts like 'Marea (We've Lost Dancing)', 'Jungle', and 'leavemealone' possess the exact kind of explosive, bass-heavy energy needed to get 100,000 people moving in perfect unison.
His ability to fuse electronic beats with distinct British indie poetry has only grown more potent with his recent material. A prime example is his brilliant, moody collaboration with Jamie T on the track 'Lights Burn Dimmer', which pairs frantic rhythms with raw, rough-around-the-edges vocal energy that would instantly resonate with a UK festival crowd. Even more spectacular for a massive Pyramid Stage moment is 'lights out', his euphoric, bass-driven anthem with HAAi and Romy. On his recent tours, Fred has masterfully blended these tracks with the unreleased fan-favourite 'burn immer', which builds into an absolute wall of electronic sound, sending crowds into a complete meltdown when the bass finally drops.
The live blueprint Fred has developed on tour is far more than just a DJ pressing play; it is a high-wire performance in which he bounces between a grid of MPC sample pads, a grand piano, and a microphone, projecting intimate close-ups of his frantic finger drumming onto towering LED screens. Transitioning seamlessly from the frenetic, garage-infused energy of 'Danielle (smile on my face)' into a stripped-back, piano-led sing-along of 'Angie (I've been lost)', his show captures a rare balance of club hedonism and festival unity. Ending a headline set with the euphoric, sky-scraping crescendos of 'Adore u' and 'Delilah (pull me out of this)' would provide a transcendent, youth-quake moment perfectly suited to usher in a new era for the festival after the 2026 fallow year.
Florence & the Machine
Then there is Florence and the Machine, a force of nature that feels spiritually bound to the very fabric of Worthy Farm. Whenever Florence Welch enters the Pyramid Stage discussion, thoughts instantly return to her legendary, historic headline performance in 2015. Originally booked to sub-headline, she was drafted into the Friday night top spot with just a week's notice after Foo Fighters were forced to pull out due to Dave Grohl breaking his leg. What could have been a logistical disaster became one of the most triumphant, career-defining moments in Glastonbury history. Welch delivered a theatrical, barefoot masterclass in high-energy showmanship, sprinting across the stage, leaping into the crowd, and famously covering Foo Fighters' 'Times Like These' in an emotional nod to the fallen headliners. A return to the absolute top of the bill in 2027 would mark a beautiful, long-overdue victory lap for an artist who has spent the last decade cementing her status as live music royalty.
If she does step onto the Pyramid Stage, she possesses a cinematic, baroque-pop discography built entirely for massive, open-air communal catharsis. Her phenomenal 2009 debut, 'Lungs', provides the ultimate festival foundations with the driving, harp-led euphoria of 'Dog Days Are Over', the soaring romanticism of 'You've Got the Love', and the raw punk energy of 'Kiss with a Fist'. She expanded this into stadium-sized proportions with 2011’s 'Ceremonials', a record stacked with thunderous, drums-heavy anthems like 'Shake It Out', 'No Light, No Light', and the ghostly majesty of 'What the Water Gave Me'. Her subsequent eras, spanning 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful', which provided the triumphant title track and the horn-drenched punch of 'Ship to Wreck', and the introspective soul of 'Queen of Peace', proved she could manipulate a crowd's energy from a delicate whisper to an absolute roar.
What makes a 2027 headline slot look entirely unmissable, however, is the dark, witchy, and theatrical energy of her latest eras, spanning the 2022 masterpiece 'Dance Fever' and her fiercely anticipated 2025 follow-up 'Everybody Scream'. Heavily inspired by choreomania, the Renaissance phenomenon of people dancing to the point of total exhaustion, the live tracks from 'Dance Fever' are custom-built to turn a festival field into a pagan ritual. The relentless, driving synth-rock of 'Free' has quickly become an essential live staple, alongside the commanding, heavy-hitting feminism of 'King' and the explosive, chanting climax of 'Choreomania'. On stage, these tracks allow Welch to morph into a swirling, folkloric high priestess, leading the audience in a state of collective, breathless ecstasy.
This high-octane theatricality is further elevated by the raw, gothic punk energy and sweeping orchestral arrangements throughout 'Everybody Scream'. Where 'Dance Fever' looked outward at folk traditions, 'Everybody Scream' turns inward with a heavier, more visceral wall of sound, driven by thunderous industrial percussion and sharp, distorted string sections. The album’s lead single, 'Resurrection', is a towering anthem of survival that builds to an earth-shattering vocal crescendo, while the furious, fast-paced rhythms of 'The Dream' feel deliberately engineered to spark giant, spinning mosh pits in front of the Pyramid Stage. Backed by her flawlessly tight, multi-instrumental band and her own jaw-dropping, operatic vocal range, a Florence closing set after the 2026 fallow year would provide the exact brand of mystical, unifying, and high-octane magic that Glastonbury is famous for.
Chappell Roan
Then there is Chappell Roan, the Midwest Princess who has taken the pop world by storm and stands out as one of the most electric, highly anticipated possibilities for Glastonbury 2027. Her meteoric rise throughout 2024 and 2025 has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, transforming her from an underground indie-pop darling into a global juggernaut. If anyone doubts her ability to command a festival crowd, they only need to look at her record-breaking sets across the US festival circuit, where she drew some of the largest daytime crowds in music history, completely overwhelming stage infrastructures with seas of fans dressed in hyper-stylised, camp outfits. Giving Chappell Roan a headline slot on the Pyramid Stage right after the 2026 fallow year would be a masterstroke of contemporary booking, bringing a burst of pure, unadulterated queer joy, theatrical storytelling, and high-energy pop maximalism to Worthy Farm.
Should she take the stage, her setlist would be a sparkling, non-stop celebration anchored by her celebrated 2023 debut album, 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess'. The record is a treasure trove of ready-made festival anthems, blending 1980s synth-pop with camp theatre. Tracks like the explosive, cheer-led 'Femininomenon' and the shimmering disco-pop of 'Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl' would turn the entire valley into a giant dancefloor, while the synth-heavy, heartbreak bop of 'My Kink Is Karma' offers the perfect crowd sing-along. Her absolute signature staples, 'Pink Pony Club' and 'Casual', would undoubtedly provide two of the most emotional, spine-tingling vocal moments of the entire weekend, with 100,000 people shouting back every single word.
What makes a 2027 headline appearance feel even more definitive is the material rolling out from her highly anticipated next musical era. Her juggernaut standalone single, 'Good Luck, Babe!', showed a massive leap into synth-pop royalty, showcasing her jaw-dropping vocal acrobats and a soaring, heartbreaking chorus that has already cemented itself as a generational anthem. On stage, Roan behaves more like a rock-and-roll frontwoman than a traditional pop star, backed by a fierce, all-female live band that strips away backing tracks in favour of raw, driving instruments. Her shows are highly interactive, complete with synchronised dance routines for the crowd during 'HOT TO GO!' and dramatic costume changes inspired by drag culture and horror cinema. A Chappell Roan closing set would capture the exact youthful, boundary-pushing, and ecstatically fun energy that Glastonbury needs to spearhead its next generation of main-stage icons.
Lady Gaga
A true chameleon of modern entertainment and an artist who feels overdue for a monumental return to Worthy Farm. Gaga is no stranger to the festival, having performed a chaotic, avant-garde daytime set on the Other Stage way back in 2009 just as 'Just Dance' and 'Poker Face' were reshaping the global pop landscape. In the nearly two decades since that muddy debut, she has evolved into an EGOT-chasing icon, a stadium-filling powerhouse, and one of the most respected live vocalists on the planet. Rumours of her headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2027 have gained serious traction, especially as she steps back into the pure, electronic pop arena following the cinematic deviations of her career. A headline slot would offer the ultimate critical coronation for a generational talent who perfectly bridges the gap between weird, alternative art-pop and massive, universal stadium spectacles.
If she stepped onto the Pyramid Stage, her setlist would be a masterclass in the history of theatrical pop, drawing from a catalogue that changed the shape of 21st-century music. Her early eras provide a relentless run of high-octane festival fuel, from the dark, industrial-pop pulse of 'Bad Romance' and 'Monster' off 'The Fame Monster' to the electronic synth-rock liberation of 'Born This Way' and 'Judas'. She can effortlessly pivot from the glam-rock stomp of 'Applause' from her 'Artpop' era to the euphoric, house-infused stadium dance tracks of 2020’s 'Chromatica', like 'Rain on Me' and ' Emergency '. Gaga’s live shows are famous for their sheer, uncompromised scale, featuring avant-garde costume architecture, pyrotechnics, and intense choreography, but crucially, she always grounds the spectacle with moments of raw, jaw-dropping musicianship, frequently stripping things back to just her and a grand piano for powerful renditions of 'The Edge of Glory' or 'Million Reasons'.
What makes a 2027 booking line up so perfectly, however, is the dark, heavy electronic energy of her seventh studio album, 'Harlequin', and her subsequent pop projects. Returning to her roots in hard-hitting club music, her latest era features thumping techno beats, menacing synths, and aggressive vocal performances that would sound absolutely monumental echoing across the Somerset hills at midnight. New tracks would seamlessly sit alongside her most iconic anthems, offering a live experience that satisfies both the casual hit-seeker and the alternative festival-goer. Gaga possesses the exact kind of eccentric, high-art charisma and flawless vocal power that the Pyramid Stage demands, and her closing set would undoubtedly go down as one of the most visually spectacular and musically flawless headline performances in Glastonbury history.
Finally, there is Rihanna, a global pop megastar whose name has hovered at the very top of Emily Eavis’s wish list for years. The Barbadian icon represents the ultimate bucket-list booking for the festival; she is a generational titan who has conquered the global charts but has uniquely never performed at Worthy Farm. Rumours of her headlining have intensified significantly following her spectacular, record-breaking solo performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show and her subsequent hints that new music and a massive global stadium tour are on the horizon. Giving Rihanna the keys to the Saturday night closing slot on the Pyramid Stage would be a monumental cultural event, bringing a sleek, hit-heavy American pop spectacle directly into the heart of the Somerset hills.
Should she agree to make her Worthy Farm debut, her setlist would essentially be an unparalleled, non-stop parade of some of the biggest pop, R&B, and electronic anthems of the 21st century. Her early dance-pop era provides ready-made festival fuel with the reggae-infused grooves of 'Pon de Replay' and the synth-heavy juggernauts 'SOS' and 'Don't Stop the Music'. She then shifted global pop culture entirely with '(Good Girl Gone Bad)', a record packed to the brim with universal, crowd-igniting staples like the timeless 'Umbrella' and the dark, driving pop-rock of 'Shut Up and Drive'. Her subsequent run of blockbuster albums, including 'Rated R', 'Loud', and 'Talk That Talk', offers an absurdly deep well of festival bangers, from the euphoric Calvin Harris collaboration 'We Found Love' to the thumping energy of 'Only Girl (In the World)', 'S&M', and the menacing bassline of 'Rude Boy'.
However, the real artistic crown jewel that proves she belongs on a headline stage is her critically revered 2016 masterpiece, 'Anti'. The record showed a mature, boundary-pushing side to her musicianship that aligns perfectly with a discerning Glastonbury crowd. The smoky, bass-heavy R&B of 'Work' and the sleek synth-pop of 'Needed Me' would sound massive rolling across the valley, while the raw, guitar-driven balladry of 'Love on the Brain' and her brilliant, psychedelic Tame Impala cover 'Same Ol' Mistakes' would provide jaw-dropping vocal moments.
Ultimately, there is only one real hurdle for Rihanna, but it is a massive one: actually convincing her to come back and perform live again. When you consider her highly selective approach to touring and the vast production demands of her solo shows, it remains a pretty big hurdle to clear. Can the Eavis family truly convince a global fashion and beauty mogul that her first major show back should be in a muddy farm field in Somerset rather than a highly lucrative, climate-controlled stadium circuit? If they can pull off the impossible and convince her to embrace the Worthy Farm magic, a Rihanna headline set in 2027 would stand as one of the most glamorous, historical, and heavily anticipated pop milestones the festival has ever seen.
Beyond the Grooves Picks
Here are a few bands and artists I'd like to take to the stage at Worthy Farm next year. Whether that be on the Pyramid Stage, or further down the bill. Some of these have been rumoured, and some are just on my wish list.
Fontaines D.C.
Fontaines D.C. are charging toward a massive Glastonbury performance at absolute breakneck speed. The Dublin post-punk outfit has been on an unstoppable, critically acclaimed trajectory, and they are certainly no strangers to the unique energy of Worthy Farm. Festival-goers still vividly remember their blistering, packed-out performance on the Park Stage in 2024, which took place just a couple of months before 'Romance' was officially released. Dropping into the secret-set slot under a storm of anticipation, they gave fans an explosive first taste of their new material, proving even then that their live stature was rapidly outgrowing the smaller stages.
Since that evening, their momentum has expanded rapidly; they recently conquered their biggest headline show to date, performing a monumental, sold-out gig to 45,000 fans at London's Finsbury Park. Looking ahead, they are set to make their highly anticipated live comeback by stepping up to top the bill at the Reading & Leeds Festivals in August 2026, which will comfortably cement their status as true festival headliners.
With rumours also swirling that the band is lining up a massive UK arena tour for the end of 2026, their momentum heading into the 2027 summer window will be entirely unmatched. Because of this phenomenal growth, they may not necessarily headline the Pyramid Stage just yet, although if they did, it would be an absolutely spectacular, high-octane moment for guitar music. Instead, I can definitely see a prestigious, night-closing headline position on the Other Stage for the boys from Dublin. Taking the top spot on the festival's second stage would give them the perfect platform to unleash their blistering live energy without the rigid constraints of the main stage, offering a dark, thunderous alternative for the Worthy Farm crowd.
Should they secure that headline slot, their setlist would be a fierce masterclass in modern alternative rock. Their early records laid a ferocious foundation, with the jagged punk energy of 'Dogrel' providing high-octane crowd-starters like 'Too Real' and 'Boys in the Better Land'. They expanded their sonic palette with the brooding, melancholic post-punk of 'A Hero's Death' and the sweeping, stadium-sized Irish gothic rock of 'Skinty Fia', which boasts massive live staples like 'Jackie Down the Line' and 'I Love You'. However, it is the colossal, neon-tinted rap and nu-metal inflexions of 'Romance' that prove they have the physical sonic weight to shake the valley. The relentless, thumping bassline of 'Starburster' and the cinematic grandeur of 'In the Modern World' are ready-made to echo across a heaving field. They bring an intense, uncompromising attitude that Glastonbury crowds deeply crave, making them in my opinion an essential fixture for the 2027 lineup.
Wunderhorse
Wunderhorse have rapidly established themselves as one of the most vital, raw, and exhilarating guitar bands in the UK right now. Led by the mercurial Jacob Slater, the band’s trajectory has been a steady, undeniable rise built on pure word-of-mouth devotion and a reputation for completely ferocious live shows. Festival-goers still talk about their spectacular appearance at Glastonbury 2025, where they delivered a definitive, breakout performance that left packed crowds in absolute awe. While their stadium-sized sonics could comfortably shake the main stages, they might actually be best suited to the atmospheric, curation-led environments of the festival's alternative hubs.
Looking ahead to the 2027 return, especially since the band is highly likely to have an entire batch of brand-new music out by June 2027, I could easily see them taking a prestigious, night-closing headline position on a stage like Woodsies or The Park. It would be a monumental moment very similar to what The Maccabees pulled off on The Park Stage in 2025, offering a dedicated, packed-out crowd an unforgettable headline experience away from the madness of the Pyramid.
Should they secure one of those tent or hilltop headline slots, their setlist would be a fierce showcase of their evolving catalogue, masterfully balancing loud-quiet-loud dynamic tension with cathartic crowd sing-alongs. Their brilliant 2022 debut album, 'Cub', laid an exceptional foundation with the driving, melancholic indie-rock of 'Leader of the Pack', the beautiful, slow-burning fragility of 'Purple', and the explosive grunge energy of 'Teal'. However, it is the uncompromising, heavy-hitting textures of their 2024 sophomore record, 'Midas', proves they have the sonic muscle to command a massive field. Recorded entirely live to tape, the album's title track, 'Midas', hits with a raw, visceral punch, while tracks like the sprawling, emotional epic 'Silver' and the frantic, screaming energy of 'Rain' are custom-built to be bellowed back by a sea of thousands under the Somerset sky.
Wunderhorse bring a refreshing, completely unpretentious attitude to the stage that channels the spirit of 1990s alternative rock while feeling entirely essential for the present day. Slater's gravelly, throat-shredding vocals and the band's tightly wound, twin-guitar assault create a live experience that feels genuinely unpredictable and deeply emotional. They don't rely on flashy visual gimmicks or polished backing tracks; instead, they let the sheer power of their songwriting and raw musicianship do all the heavy lifting. A headline placement on The Park or Woodsies in 2027, backed by the fresh energy of a potential third album cycle, would not only be the perfect reward for their relentless touring hustle, but it would also provide Glastonbury with the exact brand of organic, sweat-drenched rock brilliance that cements a band's legacy.
Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice are an absolute cornerstone of modern British alternative rock who feel completely undeniable heading into Glastonbury 2027. Having delivered a truly explosive, tectonic-plate-shifting performance in 2025 right before The Prodigy closed out the Other Stage, Ellie Rowsell and company firmly staked their claim for the very highest tiers of the festival's billing. That blistering 2025 Other Stage set was a monumental statement of intent, drawing a colossal crowd and proving that their atmospheric, heavy-hitting live show was fully capable of commanding a headline-sized audience. When Worthy Farm reopens its gates after the 2026 fallow year, the band will find themselves at a critical career crossroads; they have completely outgrown standard festival slots, meaning they either need to be positioned incredibly high up on the Pyramid Stage or handed the keys to officially headline the Other Stage themselves.
Should they secure one of these massive slots, their setlist would be a towering masterclass in genre-blurring rock brilliance, seamlessly shifting from delicate folk-pop to blistering, high-decibel grunge. Their 2015 debut album, 'My Love Is Cool', provides the ultimate festival bedrock with the sun-drenched indie melodies of 'Bros', the driving pop-rock of 'Your Love's Whore', and the ferocious, screaming release of 'Giant Peach'. They elevated their sonic weight further with 2017's 'Visions of a Life', a record packed with stadium-sized power, including the dark, menacing bassline of 'Yuk Foo', the shoegaze-infused euphoria of 'Don't Delete the Kisses', and the sprawling, cinematic title track 'Visions of a Life'.
The band also have the enduring legacy of their Mercury Prize-winning 2021 masterpiece, 'Blue Weekend', combined with the massive impact of their fourth studio album, 'The Clearing', which dropped to widespread critical acclaim in late 2025. This record marked a bold, expansive leap forward for the band, perfectly positioning them to conquer the grandest stages at Worthy Farm. The cinematic, widescreen storytelling of their catalogue acts as a flawless blueprint for stadium-sized festival fields, beautifully balancing the driving, emotional onslaught of 'Smile' and the soaring pop perfection of 'How Can I Make It OK?' with the stunningly atmospheric sonic landscapes of their newer material.
On 'The Clearing', Wolf Alice have masterfully leaned into a richer, more visceral wall of sound while embracing dazzling new stylistic sonic textures. The track 'Passenger Seat' shuffles along with a beautiful Americana, meets a Haim-like feel, carrying subtle, nostalgic hints to the band's brilliant earlier song 'Leaving You'. Meanwhile, 'Just Two Girls' shines with a crisp, folk-like delivery that floats over an almost disco-inspired backing track, evoking a brilliant, high-concept musical marriage of Joni Mitchell meets the Bee Gees that absolutely works in a live setting. They push this nostalgia further on the 70s-inspired, sun-soaked anthem 'Bloom Baby Bloom', which feels explicitly engineered to ignite massive, bouncing festival crowds.
Rowsell’s spellbinding vocal range, capable of shifting from a haunting, ethereal whisper to a throat-shredding rock roar in a single second, backed by Joff Oddie’s cinematic guitar walls, makes Wolf Alice one of the most formidable live acts on the planet. This exact blend of critical acclaim, multi-generational appeal, and raw, sweat-drenched live power is precisely why they belong at Glastonbury 2027. They represent the absolute pinnacle of modern British guitar music, and whether they are tearing up the Other Stage at midnight or conquering a main stage sunset slot, their presence is absolutely essential.
Blossoms
Then there is Blossoms, Stockport’s finest pop-rock exports, who have evolved into an absolute staple of the UK festival circuit and feel ready-made for a massive promotion at Glastonbury 2027. The band shares a long, deeply affectionate history with Worthy Farm, having climbed the festival's ranks from early slots on the John Peel Stage to pulling off some of the most talked-about moments in recent memory. We can't forget the pure, unadulterated joy of the 2023 festival, when they teamed up with pop icon Rick Astley for a completely unannounced, legendary secret set to cover songs by The Smiths. That collaborative spectacle on the festival's smaller stages treated a packed-out, ecstatic crowd to a hit-heavy celebration that permanently cemented Blossoms in Glastonbury folklore.
Since those indie-pop beginnings, their live stature has grown exponentially, operating on a completely different level of venue capacity. In August 2024, they proved their heavyweight headliner credentials by conquering a monumental, sold-out outdoor show to 30,000 fans at Manchester's Wythenshawe Park. They carried that incredible momentum straight into 2026, officially making the massive, well-deserved jump into full-scale UK arenas. This rapid expansion has been fueled by the runaway success of their infectious, critically acclaimed hit 'Gary', a track that became an instant radio staple and a massive live favourite, as well as the fierce anticipation surrounding their upcoming studio album, 'Songs from the Wedding Cake'.
With a brand-new record cycle spinning into full gear ahead of the summer, a high-profile slot on the Other Stage looks absolutely ready-made for the band. They possess the exact brand of breezy, synth-kissed, and melody-driven indie-pop that thrives in the open air, making them the perfect candidates to step into the prestigious Other Stage sunset slot, the very same career-defining position that Wolf Alice conquered back in 2025.
Should they secure that golden hour performance, their setlist would essentially be a flawless parade of some of the most infectious indie-pop anthems of the last decade. Their self-titled 2016 debut album provides a timeless, crowd-igniting bedrock with the glittering synth lines of 'Charlemagne', the driving rhythm of 'Getaway', and the punchy pop hooks of 'Honey Sweet'. They can effortlessly pivot into the sleek, groove-heavy textures of 'Cool Like You' with live staples like 'There's a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Call)' and 'I Can't Stand It', before showcasing the more mature, acoustic-leaning songwriting of 'Foolish Loving Spaces' and 'Ribbon Around the Bomb', including 'The Keeper.'
When you layer those classic tracks with the thumping, disco-infused energy of 'Gary' and the fresh, untamed sonics of 'Songs from the Wedding Cake', the Stockport five-piece will have a strong crowd singing every single lyric back to them. Frontman Tom Ogden possesses an effortless, unpretentious charm and a sharp, theatrical showmanship that can control a massive field with ease. Backed by their tight, meticulously polished live musicianship, a sunset performance from Blossoms on the Other Stage would deliver a unifying, feel-good celebration perfectly designed to welcome the sunshine back to Worthy Farm.
Geese
Then there is Geese, the Brooklyn five-piece who have rapidly established themselves as one of the most unpredictable, thrilling, and fiercely creative forces in modern post-punk. The band has been on a meteoric, critically acclaimed trajectory following the release of their spectacular sophomore record, and they are certainly no strangers to the unique, muddy magic of Worthy Farm. Looking ahead to the festival's return in 2027, the band is heavily anticipated to have an entire batch of brand-new music out in the world, making the timing for a triumphant Glastonbury return look completely seamless. They have built a ferocious live reputation that has seen them transition effortlessly from dark, sweaty basement clubs to completely dominating massive festival stages, proving that their erratic, high-octane stage energy is fully capable of commanding a massive crowd.
Should they secure a prominent placement, their setlist would be a wild, genre-blurring showcase of their evolving catalogue. Their brilliant 2021 debut album, 'Projector', laid an exceptional foundation with the jagged, math-rock guitar lines of 'Disco' and the raw, post-punk tension of 'Low Era'. However, it is the uncompromising, heavy-hitting textures of their 2023 masterpiece, '3D Country', that prove they have the physical sonic weight to shake a massive open-air field. The album's title track, '3D Country', hits with a raw, blues-infused, gospel-tinged punk punch, while tracks like the sprawling, emotional epic 'Cowboy Nudes' and the frantic, screaming energy of 'Mysterious Love' are custom-built to be bellowed back by thousands under the Somerset sky.
Geese bring a refreshing, completely unhinged attitude to the stage that channels the spirit of 1970s art-rock and 2000s indie-sleaze while feeling entirely essential for the present day. Frontman Cameron Winter’s gravelly, operatic, and throat-shredding vocals, shifting from a croon to a manic yelp in a split second, create a live experience that feels genuinely unpredictable, dangerous, and deeply emotional. They don't rely on flashy visual gimmicks or polished backing tracks; instead, they let the sheer power of their intricate twin-guitar assault and raw musicianship do all the heavy lifting.
A high-profile placement closing out a stage like Woodsies or anchoring an afternoon slot on the Other Stage would not only be the perfect reward for their relentless touring hustle, but it would also provide Glastonbury with the exact brand of organic, sweat-drenched rock brilliance that cements a band's legacy.
The Royston Club
The Royston Club, this Wrexham four-piece have rapidly evolved into one of the most vital, adored, and fast-rising indie-rock bands in the UK right now. The band shares a deep, passionate history of climbing the ranks of the UK festival circuit, building a massive, fiercely loyal following through pure word-of-mouth devotion and an endless touring hustle. Their phenomenal upward trajectory was local folklore well before hitting the mainstream, famously drawing completely overwhelming, safety-hazard-sized crowds at major showcase events like Liverpool Sound City and Warrington's Neighbourhood Weekender. They proved this massive drawing power yet again on a national scale during their milestone appearance at the Reading Festival in 2025, where the field was packed with thousands of fans, screaming every word.
The band are further cementing their heavyweight status by playing as main support on Blossoms' massive 2026 arena tour, having already served as lead support for rock royalty Richard Ashcroft at his biggest arena shows earlier this year. These high-profile slots have perfectly introduced their music to a completely new, multi-generational demographic of music fans, just as they gear up for the next chapter.
Should they secure a prestigious slot on a stage like the Other Stage or a high-profile afternoon position on the Pyramid, their setlist would essentially be a flawless parade of some of the most infectious indie anthems of the decade. However, I can realistically see the band completely dominating the Woodsies stage; a massive, sweaty tent would provide the absolute perfect, high-octane environment for their frantic energy. Their brilliant catalogue provides a timeless, crowd-igniting bedrock packed with jangly, sun-kissed guitar hooks. Tracks like the explosive 'Blisters', the driving rhythm of 'The Deep End', and the punchy, bittersweet pop hooks of 'I'm a Liar' and 'Mrs Narcissistic' are tailor-made for a passionate indie crowd, while the massive fan-favourite '52' offers the ultimate, arms-around-shoulders festival sing-along.
The Royston Club bring a refreshing, completely unpretentious charm to the stage, combining Tom Faithfull’s crisp, melodic vocals with a tight, meticulously polished live musicianship that can control a massive outdoor field or a heaving tent with ease. Their live show captures a rare balance of youthful indie hedonism and beautiful, unifying crowd connection, letting the organic power of their hooks do all the heavy lifting. A prominent slot at Glastonbury 2027 would be the ultimate culmination of their spectacular rise.
Courteeners
Courteeners are a band who carry a truly unique, almost religious level of devotion across the UK festival circuit and stand out as an incredibly compelling prospect for Glastonbury 2027. The Manchester indie-rock titans share a long, deeply affectionate history with Worthy Farm, having climbed the ranks over the last two decades to play almost every major platform the festival has to offer. Most recently, they pulled off a spectacular, packed-out headline performance on the Woodsies stage back in 2023, drawing a colossal, raucous crowd that completely overwhelmed the tent infrastructure. That legendary set wasn’t just a victory lap; it was a definitive statement of intent. In fact, festival co-organiser Emily Eavis has openly praised the band's enduring live power, famously noting in interviews that Courteeners are a band who absolutely possess the stature and anthemic catalogue to headline the Pyramid Stage one day.
Should Liam Fray and company finally receive that well-deserved main stage headline coronation, or a monumental top slot on the Other Stage, their setlist would essentially be a flawless masterclass in high-energy, crowd-unifying festival anthems. Their iconic 2008 debut album, 'St. Jude', provides an unmatched, timeless bedrock of guitar classics. Tracks like the sharp, swaggering energy of 'Cavorting', the gritty romance of 'What Took You So Long?', and the driving rhythm of 'Please Don't' would instantly ignite a 100,000-strong field into a sea of flying pints and flares. They can effortlessly pivot into the grander, synth-kissed textures of 'Falcon' and 'Anna' with massive live staples like 'Take Over the World' and 'Lose Control', before unleashing the thumping, electronic-tinged stadium grooves of 'The 17th' and 'Modern Love'.
What makes a 2027 booking so perfect, however, is the band's phenomenal, record-breaking live momentum and the continuous evolution of their music. They made history when 'St. Jude' hit number one on the UK album charts for the first time fifteen years after its release, and they have comfortably commanded their own massive, sold-out stadium shows at Heaton Park and the Emirates Old Trafford to 50,000 fans at a time. Furthermore, with their brilliant, critically acclaimed 2024 studio album, 'Pink Cactus Cafe', throwing fresh, breezy pop hooks and collaborative textures into their arsenal, led by the infectious title track 'Pink Cactus Cafe' and the driving anthem 'Solitude of the Night Bus', they have all the fresh ammunition required for a massive new festival cycle.
Frontman Liam Fray possesses a rare, magnetic northern charisma and a razor-sharp, theatrical showmanship that can control the dynamic of a massive outdoor crowd with absolute ease. Backed by a fiercely tight, meticulously polished live band, their performances are famous for generating an unmatched atmosphere of working-class camaraderie and euphoric, arms-around-shoulders sing-alongs. Bringing the weekend to a close with the sky-scraping, generation-defining crescendo of 'Not Nineteen Forever' and the beautiful, acoustic-led catharsis of 'What Took You So Long?' would deliver a transcendent, deeply emotional headline spectacle. It would be the ultimate fulfilment of Emily Eavis’s prediction.
Tame Impala
Tame Impala is quite simply one of the most important of recent memory, and he is no stranger to the grandest platforms at Worthy Farm, having delivered a truly legendary, mind-melting headline performance on the Other Stage back in 2019. That sunset-into-night slot was widely hailed as a visual and sonic triumph, transforming the Somerset hillside into a swirling, psychedelic wonderland of lasers, strobes, and pristine, stadium-sized psych-pop. His deep connection to the festival's modern history was cemented further during Dua Lipa's triumphant Friday night Pyramid Stage headline set, when Parker made a spectacular surprise appearance on stage alongside her. Having co-produced much of her chart-topping material, stepping out to perform with her was a beautiful, full-circle moment that proved his unmatched status as the ultimate producer and pop auteur of our time.
having delivered a truly legendary, mind-melting headline performance on the Other Stage back in 2019. That sunset-into-night slot was widely hailed as a visual and sonic triumph, transforming the Somerset hillside into a swirling, psychedelic wonderland of lasers, strobes, and pristine, stadium-sized psych-pop. His deep connection to the festival's modern history was cemented further during Dua Lipa's triumphant Friday night Pyramid Stage headline set, when Parker made a spectacular surprise appearance on stage alongside her. Having co-produced much of her chart-topping material, stepping out to perform with her was a beautiful, full-circle moment that proved his unmatched status as the ultimate producer and pop auteur of our time.
The foundation of this global reverence lies in a flawless, boundary-pushing discography that completely rewrote the rules of modern alternative music. His early records, 'Innerspeaker' and 'Lonerism', introduced a generation to his fuzzy, heavy-hitting guitar psych-rock, packed with festival anthems like the driving 'Elephant' and the hypnotic 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards'. However, it is his 2015 masterpiece, 'Currents', that serves as the ultimate cornerstone and a watershed moment for an entire generation.
Over 13 songs and 51 minutes, Kevin Parker fused his obsessive nature and production trickery with a love for The Beatles, synths, and a newfound passion for R&B to create something uniquely his own. 'Currents' is an audiophile’s dream and a teenager’s gateway into the avant-garde; it is the soundtrack of a great night out and a kaleidoscopic mixture of Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, and Led Zeppelin. While it functions as a breakup record addressing his split from Melody Prochet, it also chronicles Parker’s departure from the guitar, as he lets go of the instrument that defined his early career. It is staggering to consider that such a massive sound was engineered by one man in one of the most remote places on Earth. 'Currents' captures the sound of Kevin Parker finding freedom in the unknown. In doing so, he invited the world to join him on an exhilarating ride: an invitation that was accepted by a generation of indie kids, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Travis Scott.
When you couple the enduring cultural weight of 'Currents' with the sleek, disco-infused grooves of his 2020 follow-up 'The Slow Rush', which boasts massive, field-ready staples like 'Borderline' and 'Breathe Deeper', Tame Impala possesses a live armoury that is fully equipped for the absolute highest billing. With the groundbreaking club-psych evolution of his fifth studio album, 'Deadbeat', which dropped to widespread acclaim in late 2025. Kevin Parker is a future primitive electronic visionary.
On stage, this new material provides a relentless, thumping energy designed to transform the festival into one massive, open-air warehouse party. The spectacular, Grammy-winning seven-minute epic 'End of Summer' serves as a hypnotic live centrepiece, while the four-on-the-floor momentum of 'Loser' and the bass-heavy, late-night electro-pop crunch of 'Dracula' are custom-built to set a heaving festival field into complete meltdown.
Yet, Parker masterfully balances this high-octane club hedonism with layers of pure, atmospheric beauty. The gorgeous, fan-favourite dream-pop track 'Piece of Heaven' floats across the audience like a love letter to music itself, enveloping the valley in sweeping, ethereal synths. When you layer these new club anthems alongside his most iconic legacy tracks, Tame Impala would stand out as one of the most exciting, visually spectacular headliners.
Gorillaz
Finally, there is Gorillaz, Damon Albarn’s pioneering virtual band that serves as a legendary wildcard in the 2027 headline discussion. Gorillaz have headlined the Pyramid Stage once before, stepping in at the last minute to replace U2 back in 2010. While that performance divided critics at the time due to its experimental pacing and heavy reliance on unreleased material from the then-fresh 'Plastic Beach' album, the project has spent the subsequent decades evolving into one of the most celebrated, hit-dense live spectacles on the planet. Albarn is essentially Glastonbury royalty, and a return to the top of the bill with Gorillaz in 2027 would offer a triumphant, polished redemption arc on the main stage, showcasing a project that is uniquely built to thrive in the collaborative, boundary-less spirit of Worthy Farm.
A Gorillaz setlist on the Pyramid Stage would essentially function as a massive, career-spanning celebration packed with a revolving door of iconic special guests. Their self-titled 2001 debut and the 2005 masterpiece 'Demon Days' provide a flawless run of multi-generational anthems, from the dub-infused grooves of 'Clint Eastwood' and 'Tomorrow Comes Today' to the irresistible, crowd-igniting funk of 'Feel Good Inc.' and 'DARE'. They can effortlessly slide into the breezy, electronic melancholy of 'Plastic Beach' with staples like 'On Melancholy Hill' and 'Stylo'.
What makes their current billing potential so terrifyingly strong is the sheer mountain of music Albarn has released since that 2010 performance. The band has been on a hyper-prolific run, dropping the synth-heavy 'The Fall', the star-studded 'Humanz', the breezy funk of 'The Now Now', and the frantic, multi-genre collaborations from 'Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez' and 2023's 'Cracker Island', including 'New Gold' and 'Silent Running'.
This immense evolutionary arc is capped off by their ninth studio album, released earlier in 2026, titled 'The Mountain'. Inspired by Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s joint travels through India following profound personal losses, the record explores death not as a hard stop, but as a transitional state or "Bardo". The live power of this new material was fully realised just this summer during their monumental, sold-out headline show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the fresh, driving rhythms of the new tracks comfortably held their own against the band's most iconic legacy hits.
Stepping out for the biggest and first-ever stadium show of their career. The stadium environment proved to be the ultimate canvas for 'The Mountain's panoramic, world-building soundscapes, masterfully merging subcontinental textures with a star-studded revue. In a 30-song, setlist the band played nearly all of 'The Mountain', alongside classics like 'Feel Good Inc', '19/2000', 'On Melancholy Hill', 'Tranz', 'DARE' and ended the exactly where the journey started 25 years ago, with the dark, looping melodies of their debut single, 'Clint Eastwood'.
The true magic of a Gorillaz show, however, lies in imagining the absolute madness of the Pyramid Stage guest list, a sprawling Rolodex of musical history that only Albarn could pull off. A 2027 performance could easily transform into the ultimate cross-generational festival summit. You could see indie and rock royalty like Johnny Marr, Paul Simonon, and Peter Hook anchoring the rhythm sections, while his former Britpop rival Noel Gallagher steps out to complete their historic peace treaty on the world's biggest stage. The pop and alternative elite would be out in full force, with show-stopping appearances from Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, modern master Beck, or even rock legend Stevie Nicks joining the circus. The rap and electronic blocks would operate at maximum velocity, with dynamic bars from Little Simz, Bashy, and Kano sitting comfortably alongside old-school icons like Yasiin Bey and the surviving members of De La Soul. Throw in the eccentric theatrics of Sparks, the glorious chaos of Shaun Ryder, or a spine-tingling vocal from Neneh Cherry, and you have a performance that transcends a standard concert and would make for one of the best Glastonbury performances ever.
Will all of those guests happen? Probably not. However, I can see Gorillaz making a return to Worthy Farm. Albarn has history in Somerset; Blur played one of the best shows of their career there in 2009, and he has looked back on the Gorillaz show that followed a year later with some contempt; a redemption story makes sense.
Conclusion
There are various brilliant bands and artists who could step out at Worthy Farm next June. The Eavis family are usually pretty good at booking acts, with the exception of 2024, they have always pulled something out of the hat. I hope that with the wealth of options available to them next year, they make the right choices.
Who would you like to see on the farm next year? Let me know in the comments.