Glastonbury’s metamorphosis from the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival into the most-anticipated date in Britain’s musical calendar is undeniably complete.
But if further proof was needed, this year’s event, which has been dubbed the most starstudded Glastonbury in history, offered it up in spades.
Five-time Grammy Award winner Shania Twain said her coveted Legends slot set was “life-changing”, while Coldplay made festival history as the first act to headline five times. And Dua Lipa described her own Pyramid Stage performance as “the best night of my life”.
There were also surprise appearances by a Spice Girl, an Oscar-winning actress, a Hollywood legend, BRIT Award winners, and a certain Mission: Impossible star.
Aside from all the “secret performances” – and some unfortunate sound issues that plagued a number of acts for viewers at home – it was Canadian country singer Shania’s big moment that really set the stage for this year’s musical and spiritual extravaganza.
Shania, 58, was met with a sea of cowboy hats, as she stepped out wearing a ruffled pink floor-length cape (and black cowboy hat), accompanied by six dancers and two drag queens – before performing global hits including That Don’t Impress Me Much, You’re Still The One and closing with Man! I Feel Like A Woman!.
“This is amazing, because I can see everyone, everything, every flag,” she declared to the crowd. “I see a lot of cowboy hats and leopard print... and it’s really, really special.”
Continuing with the “legend” theme, there was also a surprise cameo by Hollywood star Michael J Fox, 63, who has Parkinson’s disease. He joined Coldplay to play guitar in his wheelchair for what he later described as a “mind-blowing” performance of Fix You (with Tom Cruise, Gillian Anderson and Simon Pegg watching on).
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