Neil Young pulls out of Glastonbury over accusations festival is under ‘corporate control’ of BBC
Neil Young has pulled out of Glastonbury over accusations the festival is under the “corporate control” of the BBC.
The veteran singer said he and his new band The Chrome Hearts had been booked to play at Worthy Farm in Somerset this summer but are no longer, as the broadcaster “wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in”.
In an open letter posted to his website on Tuesday, the 79-year-old wrote: “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favourite outdoor gigs.
“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it 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.
“Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour. Love Neil. Be well.”
The BBC declined to comment. The Independent has approached Glastonbury for comment.
The festival, which will take place between 25 to 29 June, has not yet published its line-up for the 2025 event nor said whether Young would be involved, with Sir Rod Stewart the only artist confirmed so far.
In his statement, Young did not expand on the details of the BBC’s requirements that he had taken issue with.
Emily Eavis, who runs the festival with her father Michael, has previously praised the corporation’s coverage as “an integral part of what we do at Glastonbury”, with the partnership established in 1997.
Young previously headlined Glastonbury in 2009, with many fans complaining about the BBC’s coverage of his two-hour set after a mere five songs were shown.
The corporation responded at the time: “Many viewers have left comments on the Glastonbury website asking why we are not showing all of Neil Young's set on the website or last night on television.
“The BBC has spent the last couple of months talking to Neil's management about how much of his set we might be able to show on TV, radio and online over Glastonbury weekend.
“Neil Young's career has been conducted on his own terms. Last night Neil's management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist.”
