Why did Neil Young initially refuse to play at Glastonbury? Singer confirms he will attend music festival after reversing decision

Neil Young has confirmed his participation in the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, reversing his earlier decision to pull out. The Canadian rocker, along with his band the Chrome Hearts, is set to headline the Pyramid Stage in June. Young clarified on his blog that his initial withdrawal stemmed from "an error in information" and expressed excitement about returning to the festival.

On January 3, 2025, briefly noting the error without providing further details on its nature, Young wrote:

"Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved. Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing! Hope to see you there!"

Emily Eavis, the festival's organizer, confirmed the news on Instagram the same day, expressing her delight.

"What a start to the year! Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way, and that’s why we love him. We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June," she wrote.

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Neil Young's initial withdrawal over corporate concerns

On January 1, 2025, Neil Young announced on his website, the Neil Young Archives, that he would not perform at Glastonbury due to concerns over perceived corporate influence. He cited the BBC's long-standing partnership with the festival as a major factor, calling the event a "corporate turn-off."

"The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favorite outdoor gigs. We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being," Young wrote.

The BBC has partnered with Glastonbury since 1997, broadcasting performances on television, radio, and online platforms. According to The Guardian, in 2009, when Young last headlined the festival, the BBC reached an agreement to broadcast only five songs from his two-hour set.

In recent years, audiences have seen full headline performances streamed globally, including sets by Coldplay and Dua Lipa in 2024.

The 2025 Glastonbury Festival will take place at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, from June 25 to June 29. Tickets for the event sold out in 35 minutes when they went on sale in November 2024, as per a report by The Guardian. Young joins Sir Rod Stewart and Nile Rodgers with Chic as the only confirmed acts for this year's lineup.

Other rumored performers include The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, and Sam Fender. Headliner announcements are typically made in March, with the full lineup revealed closer to the festival date.

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More about Neil Young and Chrome Hearts

At 79, Neil Young continues to be creatively active. He and the Chrome Hearts are working on a new album, tentatively titled Talking to the Trees, produced by Lou Adler. The project marks the end of a two-year period during which Young struggled with writer's block. In a recent interview on The Mentors Radio podcast, he said:

"You don't have a plan. I went for two years without writing anything, and I was wondering, 'Well, is that it?'"

One of the album's tracks, Movin' Ahead, reflects on contemporary issues such as climate change and societal challenges. Neil Young has also announced plans for a European tour, featuring mostly outdoor venues, set to coincide with the album's release.

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According to the Financial Times, the Glastonbury Festival doubled its annual profits in the 12 months leading up to March 2024, donating £5.2 million to charities and local groups. Additionally, £3.7 million was spent on acquiring new land, and founder Michael Eavis, 89, transferred his shares to his daughter Emily, solidifying her role as the event's leader.