So Glastonbury was wild this year

Elton John's final U.K. performance, Lewis Capaldi being lifted by his crowd, and Lana Del Rey getting kicked off stage are among Glastonbury highlights

By Mary Kate Carr | June 26, 2023 | 4:56pm

Music News Glastonbury

Elton John and Rina Sawayama Photo: Leon Neal

If you were lucky enough to attend Glastonbury this year, you could have borne witness to any number of iconic moments, ranging from emotional to hilarious to eyebrow-raising. The 53rd annual music festival, which is held in Somerset, England, attracted a lot of top talent as per usual—including Lizzo, Elton John, Lil Nas X, and more—and made a lot of headlines over its five-day run.

Perhaps most notable was Lewis Capaldi’s moment on the mainstage. The “Somebody You Loved” singer, who recently released his second album, apologized to the crowd because his voice was “really packing in.” As he began to play his big hit, he appeared to be struggling with Tourette’s tics (a condition he’s been open about in the past). Helpfully, the fans took over, singing the song back to him in a touching display. Capaldi recently announced he’d be taking a break for his mental health, reiterating as much as he left the stage (per the BBC). While he admitted to being “annoyed” with himself, he added that he “genuinely dreamt” of performing at Glastonbury before leaving the stage: “If I never get to do it again, this has been enough.”

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Elsewhere, Lana Del Rey also didn’t get to finish singing her songs, but for entirely different reasons. “My hair takes so long to do… super sorry I’m so late,” she said after rolling up 30 minutes past show time. “I’m about to rush this set to death.” According to the BBC, there were still six songs left in the artist’s setlist when her microphone cut off at midnight, and she was “clearly devastated” to be kicked off the stage. Del Rey salvaged the moment by leading the crowd in an acapella version of “Video Games,” but was eventually escorted offstage by security. Video of the event shows the crowd serenading her with “Summertime Sadness” mixed with a chorus of boos (whether for Del Rey or the festival’s strictness is unclear).

Someone who did not suffer from losing her voice in any capacity is Rina Sawayama, who delivered a call-out to Matty Healy, a former director at her record label Dirty Hit. “[I’m] sick and tired of these microaggressions. So tonight, this goes out to a white man that watches Ghetto Gaggers and mocks Asian people on a podcast,” Sawayama said in the introduction to her track “STFU,” per video from the show. Healy’s racist controversies have been the subject of much discussion in recent months, particularly in the wake of his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift. And speaking of Swift, Sawayama dropped another tidbit that the “Karma” singer can most certainly relate to regarding Healy: “He also owns my masters. I’ve had enough!”

To close out the roundup—and the festival—there’s Elton John, whose appearance marked what is meant to be his final concert in the U.K. “I never thought I’d play Glastonbury and here I am,” he said at his first and last appearance at the festival (per The Guardian). “It’s a very special and emotional night for me as it may be my last ever show in England, so I better play well and entertain you as you’ve been standing there so long.” John played a set full of hits and brought out special guests, including Sawayama and The Killers’ Brandon Flowers. The show was a hit with the festival crowd and the folks at home, reportedly drawing the biggest-ever overnight audience for a Glastonbury performance on the BBC One, according to Deadline. It’ll be hard to top all that action next year!

Elton John – Rocket Man (Glastonbury 2023)