I’ve been to Glastonbury 20 times – 2025 has the best line-up

It’s become almost as big an event as the festival itself – every year the lineup for Glastonbury is announced and everyone shares their opinion. 

But for me, someone who will be attending their 20th edition of Glasto, this is one of the best initial line-up announcements for as long as I can remember.

Usually, when that poster drops, I usually find one major act I’m excited about then spend my actual time at the festival bouncing between smaller stages. 

But this year, there’s so much choice and variety. 

Pop-rock 90s legend Alanis Morissette and rapper Loyle Carner are just two of the big names on the Friday. Raye, Doechii and Charlie XCX on the Saturday are the zeitgeist acts to get fans excited, while Sunday pits the young pop stans versus old dance heads with a clash between Olivia Rodrigo and The Prodigy. 

I’m buzzing just thinking about it.  

Not everyone is happy, there’s lots of moaning on social media, X user calling it ‘the worst lineup this century’ and another said it was ‘wall to wall mediocrity.’

There’s haters saying that Olivia Rodrigo shouldn’t headline due to her apparently slim back catalogue, despite the fact she has two studio albums and numerous EPs under her belt.

Then there’s the ‘Neil Young is too old’ narrative doing the rounds, now he is properly confirmed for the festival after all the back and forth last year.

Well I saw Paul McCartney in 2022, aged 80, and that was one of Glastonbury’s biggest ever audiences. 

Another thing to remember is that this isn’t the final line up! There are always twists and turns. 

And don’t get me wrong, I’ve felt the same previously. 

I remember the years when I saw the initial line-up announcement and felt a bit meh, even last year’s Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA main stage headliners weren’t to my taste.

And don’t get me started on 2019’s The Killers, The Cure and Stormzy offering, or 2014’s Arcade Fire, Metallica and Kasabian showcase.

Glastonbury isn’t just about the big names, so anyone complaining should dig a little deeper into the famous announcement poster and see a world of gems to be found – especially now it’s more legible than the cancelled 2020 dartboard style poster that made everyone’s eyes hurt. 

So even if you aren’t enamoured with the headline, as a seasoned Glasto-goer I can tell you there’s a treasure trove of acts that are worth seeing.

Starting with The Libertines, their secret set on the Pyramid Stage in 2015 is one of my top festival moments of all time, closely followed by The Maccabees 2015 performance – they’ll also be at Glastonbury this year.

And it’s not just indie fans being spoiled. 

For rap devotees, Busta Rhymes is playing and Denzel Curry is hidden among the names lower down, performing one of just a handful of UK dates this year. 

For girl power, there’s Lola Young, Self Esteem, Jade and 90s R&B legends En Vogue, to name just a few.

Dance music is something Glastonbury excels at, with countless stages across the site, and most of the main acts announced in second and third versions of the line up. 

After two decades of attending, I can tell you this initial line-up has something for practically everyone, and has ticked more boxes for me than any festival line-up in years, which is no mean feat as someone with very diverse taste. 

But, I must say, cliche as it may sound, Glastonbury isn’t just about the music – you really could spend the whole weekend there without seeing a single musical act and still have the best time of your life. 

In my 19 years at Worthy Farm, I’ve seen everything from circus and theatre performances, Latino dance classes and inspiring talks, to crafts stalls, the healing fields and art installations such as Banksy’s Terminal One last year.  

I have no complaints about this line-up, but if I was going to pick holes, I’d say I’m worried about the clashes, with this many good acts, the potential for your favourites playing at the same time is huge.