The 2023 edition of Glastonbury generated headlines as soon as the lineup was announced in March. The festival promptly addressed its all-male headliners as a “pipeline” issue and set the expectation for female headliners in 2024.
Regardless, women made their presence known from June 21 to 25 in Worthy Farm, Pilton Somerset, England.
Lizzo left The Telegraph wondering why she wasn’t a headliner. Rina Sawayama used her set to seemingly call out The 1975’s Matty Healy, “a white man that watches Ghetto Gaggers and mocks Asian people on a podcast.” Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey left fans literally wanting more. She released Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd in March, and the album’s title is just about longer than her time spent at Glastonbury.
According to several reports from the likes of Billboard and The Guardian, Del Rey’s set on Saturday night, June 24, was abbreviated because she started 30 minutes past her scheduled 10:30 p.m. local time. (Per Glastonbury’s official website, Del Rey was slotted from 10:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. on the Other Stage.)
“I was so f*cking late that I’m about to rush this set today,” Del Rey told the crowd once on stage, as captured in a fan video. “If they cut power, I’m super f*cking sorry. My hair takes so long to do. I love you to death. Let’s keep on running the set as it’s supposed to go.”
Lana Del Rey apologizing to fans for being late pic.twitter.com/WbITGRDC50
— jude (@jfloridakilos) June 24, 2023
“Del Rey’s microphone was cut off at midnight while she was performing her 2012 track ‘Video Games,’ forcing her to sing it a cappella alongside festival-goers,” Billboard relayed. “She then walked around the stage for a brief time before being gently escorted away by what appeared to be security and stagehands.”
Muse’s Matt Bellamy would have stayed up all night to experience Del Rey’s full set as intended.
“Can’t believe they cut Lana Del Rey sound @glastonbury before finishing set, best Glasto performance I’ve seen for years. Insanity,” Bellamy tweeted.
Can’t believe they cut Lana Del Rey sound @glastonbury before finishing set, best Glasto performance I’ve seen for years. Insanity
— Matt Bellamy (@MattBellamy) June 24, 2023
See more footage from Del Rey at Glastonbury below.
Lana Del Rey was escorted off stage by security at Glastonbury Festival due to her set being cut off after showing up late. pic.twitter.com/JnE4Q2iufT
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 25, 2023
Only one way to end this year’s Glastonbury tweeting. What should have been one of the highlights of the weekend was rescued from being a total disaster by Lana Del Rey and a chorus of about 10,000 at the Other Stage.
Lana Del Rey (well, Lana Del Rey’s crowd) – Video Games pic.twitter.com/8gUV6k70Ru
— David J (@DamJef) June 25, 2023
After her mic was cut due to going over time, Lana Del Rey coordinates singing ‘Video Games’ with the crowd at Glastonbury! pic.twitter.com/tGCXT6OhkY
— Lana Del Rey Online (@LanaDReyOnline) June 24, 2023
Lana Del Rey with fans at Glastonbury
pic.twitter.com/5mMVarEynV
— DelReyDid ★ (@DelReyDid) June 25, 2023
Lana Del Rey at Glastonbury review – modern pop’s greatest auteur gets cut off in her prime https://t.co/17myUmeGj3
— Guardian US (@GuardianUS) June 25, 2023
Fans give their opinions on Lana Del Rey’s show at Glastonbury 2023 being cut short. pic.twitter.com/UduL8qsAFQ
— LDR BUZZ ★ (@LDRBUZZ) June 25, 2023
lana’s entrance to glasto was EVERYTHING #lanadelrey #lana #glastonbury pic.twitter.com/Be7OeBck97
— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) June 24, 2023
Lana Del Rey meeting fans at Glastonbury after her set! pic.twitter.com/rArSKsbgx4
— Lana Del Rey Online (@LanaDReyOnline) June 25, 2023
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.