Introduction
If you’ve been following the festival’s evolution, you’ve probably noticed how Glastonbury has opened its gates to pop, hip hop, R&B and other mainstream sounds. Embracing these genres only adds to the festival’s vibrant buffet of musical delights—because variety truly is the spice of life.
Yet this shift can leave some of the festival’s rock icons in an unexpected limbo. On this particular evening, attendees faced a tough decision: Pop provocateur Charli XCX, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii, disco-era Scissor Sisters, ’90s dance pioneers Leftfield—or the evening’s most prestigious billing, Neil Young on the Pyramid Stage. Among them, Young felt like an outlier—yet, in that moment, he reclaimed his status as the genuine maverick legend we’ve always revered.
When the hour approached, the Pyramid Stage remained sparsely populated—a clear sign that many festival-goers were swept up by the laser shows and elaborate productions back at other stages. It’s strange, even surreal, to see an artist of Neil Young’s stature greeted by such a modest crowd.
Then Young strolled on, seated on a simple stool, acoustic guitar in hand, his eyes shaded by a cap and bathed in a single white spotlight. His opening rendition of “Sugar Mountain” was deliberately unvarnished—no pyrotechnics, no backing dancers, just a 79-year-old artist pouring his heart into a song. It might seem underwhelming on paper, but if the music’s honest, who needs the spectacle?
As soon as his band, The Chrome Hearts, joined him for the thunderous riff of “Be the Rain,” the raw power of Young’s guitar tone cut through the air like a breath of fresh wind. This set—stripped-down folk and rock at its finest—felt like an antidote to the overproduced excesses that have come to dominate modern festivals. Each song was a rediscovery of treasure: “Cinnamon Girl,” “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black),” “Harvest Moon,” “Old Man,” “Like a Hurricane”—timeless anthems crafted with heart and soul.
Watching a sea of glowsticks and lasers elsewhere, you might envy the raver on the Other Stage, but Neil Young’s catalog endures beyond fleeting trends. His work has withstood decades, and will continue to resonate long after the current pop idols have faded from memory. When he delivered a haunting “The Needle and the Damage Done” solo, it was a profound reminder of music’s power to move us in its purest form.
At his age, Young’s movements are calmer and his once-youthful vocals a little weathered, but that only adds to the authenticity of the performance. Backed by a top-tier band and wielding a guitar tone that musicians have chased for years, he reminded us why he’s “the Godfather of Grunge.”
The set peaked with a raucous “Rockin’ in the Free World,” a fitting climax that had the crowd on their feet. Admittedly, closing with “Throw Your Hatred Down” felt like a minor stumble—but even legends have their off moments.
Overall, this performance was a triumphant celebration of a music icon—quite possibly Neil Young’s swan song at Glastonbury. The festival may be transforming, but its storied rock heritage is still alive and kicking.