Love him or hate him, Neil Young is a man of principle. The legendary rocker once turned down a $1 million headlining gig at Woodstock 1994. In addition to releasing timeless classics like “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man,” Young is also known for championing causes such as environmentalism and indigenous people’s rights. Now, the Canadian singer-songwriter has backed out of a headlining gig at the famed Glastonbury Festival.
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Neil Young Calls Glastonbury “A Corporate Turn-Off”
Back in 2009, Neil Young helmed the massive Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England. Festivalgoers were looking forward to his return with his band, The Chrome Hearts, this June.
However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer announced in a letter on his website Tuesday (Dec. 31) that he will not play “one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs” after all.
“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way that we were not interested in,” Neil Young wrote. “It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
He continued, “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.”
Well that’s not a very Happy New Year… Neil Young seemingly out of @glastonbury 2025
— OOFestivals (@OOFestivals) January 1, 2025
Posted on his personal blog last night
😬@TheGlastoThingy @Glastopia @GlastoPhot0 @glastopedia @glasto360 @AddictGlasto https://t.co/Wer2zWGmPh pic.twitter.com/qVmr9av8yN
Neil Young offered no further clarification as to what exactly the BBC was asking him to do. As Rolling Stone reports, the network broadcasts and streams large portions of the event, and it was available globally for the first time last year.
[RELATED: How a Popular TV Show Appearance Led to Neil Young Leaving Buffalo Springfield]
Will Young Hit the Road in 2025?
Glastonbury has not officially confirmed any 2025 performers, aside from Rod Stewart. However, reports began circulating in the press that the festival had booked Neil Young as its headliner. Young himself added fuel by hinting at an outdoor-only European tour.
In a Jan. 1 letter to a fan, the three-time Grammy winner promised, “Tour announcements for the summer are coming very soon!”
Featured image by Mark Large/ANL/Shutterstock
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