Neil Young has withdrawn from his scheduled appearance at the UK’s Glastonbury Music Festival in 2025, citing concerns that the legendary event has taken a “corporate turn.”
The musician’s issues with Glastonbury apparently stem from its ties with the BBC. In a note posted to his website, Neil Young Archives, Young wrote, “We were told that the BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way that we were not interested in. it seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way i remember it way being.”
“We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn – off, and not for me like it used to be,” Young added. “Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
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It’s worth noting that Glastonbury’s partnership with the BBC isn’t new; for years, the British public service broadcaster has aired portions of the music festival across its various television and radio stations. In fact, as Rolling Stone points out, Young’s most recent performance at Glastonbury in 2009 was broadcast on the BBC.
Young is set to tour in 2025 with his new band, The Chrome Hearts, which features Micah Nelson on guitar, Spooner Oldham on organ, Corey McCormick on bass, and Anthony LoGergo on drums.
With the exception of confirming Rod Stewart in the Sunday teatime legend slot, Glastonbury has yet to officially announce its 2025 lineup. The festival will take place June 25th-29th in Pilton, UK.
