Rod Stewart Confirmed for Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage
Glastonbury Festival has confirmed Rod Stewart as the legendary Sunday afternoon performer on the Pyramid Stage, adding one of rock’s most recognisable voices to the 2025 line-up. The music icon will take the coveted legends slot at Worthy Farm in Somerset on Sunday, June 29, giving festivalgoers a chance to see a catalogue filled with enduring anthems, soul standards and classic pop-rock hits.
The booking places Stewart among the biggest names announced for this year’s event, which runs from June 25 to June 29. For Australian fans, the news carries a familiar festival appeal: a major overseas performance that can become the centrepiece of a European summer trip, whether watched from the front of the crowd, followed from a campsite or streamed after a late night in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
A signature Glastonbury booking
The Sunday legends appearance has become one of Glastonbury’s most anticipated traditions. The slot typically brings an established artist to the Pyramid Stage for a broad, celebratory set, drawing together lifelong fans, younger festival visitors and viewers watching the broadcast from home.
Stewart is a natural fit for that role. His career stretches from the Faces and early solo records through international stadium tours and chart-topping albums. With a raspy vocal style and a catalogue that crosses rock, pop, folk and soul, he can appeal to a crowd with widely different musical tastes.
The performance also adds a different energy to the weekend’s headline programme. A legends set is less about introducing a new album and more about creating a shared singalong moment, with familiar songs carrying the audience from one generation to the next.
The songs audiences will expect
Stewart’s setlist could include several of the tracks that have defined his public image. “Maggie May”, “Every Picture Tells a Story”, “You Wear It Well” and “The First Cut Is the Deepest” remain central to his solo legacy, while “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” brings a disco-influenced turn that can transform the Pyramid field into a huge dance floor.
Fans may also be hoping for “Sailing”, “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” and “Some Guys Have All the Luck”. His version of “Have I Told You Lately” could provide a softer moment, especially as the afternoon begins to move towards the festival’s evening programme.
The final setlist is unlikely to be confirmed until the performance itself. Stewart has a substantial back catalogue, so a festival set will need to balance major hits with songs that reflect his wider career. The most effective version will probably keep the pace moving while leaving room for the crowd favourites that made the legends slot famous.
Why the Pyramid Stage matters
The Pyramid Stage is Glastonbury’s most recognisable performance space and one of the most visible stages in global festival culture. Its scale can be intimidating, with tens of thousands of people gathered across the field and millions more following official coverage, clips and social media reactions.
Performing there carries a significance that extends beyond a single tour date. Artists are measured against the history of the stage, where major appearances have become part of the festival’s permanent mythology. Stewart’s booking gives him a platform built for spectacle, nostalgia and an enormous communal chorus.
For Australian viewers, the timing will require some planning. The set is expected to take place in the early hours of Monday morning across much of eastern Australia, depending on the broadcast schedule and daylight-saving differences. Fans in Perth will have a different viewing window from those in Sydney or Melbourne, making catch-up coverage especially useful for anyone with work or school the next day.
A major moment for the 2025 line-up
Stewart joins a bill designed to move across generations and genres. The 2025 festival programme includes headline performances from The 1975, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Olivia Rodrigo, and other leading names from contemporary music. That mixture gives Glastonbury its familiar balance between current chart power and heritage acts.
The booking also reflects the festival’s continued ability to turn a single announcement into a major entertainment story. A Pyramid Stage appearance can dominate music coverage, fan discussion and streaming searches well before the gates open. For a publication covering celebrity culture, music and live entertainment, Stewart’s appearance connects a new festival moment with decades of recognisable pop history.
The wider weekend is expected to include performances across rock, electronic music, hip-hop, indie, dance and folk. That range matters to Australian travellers, who may be comparing the event with local festivals such as Splendour in the Grass, the Falls Festival or the Australian Open of Surfing’s music programming. Glastonbury operates on a much larger and more sprawling scale, with the line-up spread across numerous stages and performance areas.
What Australian fans should know
Australian visitors heading to Worthy Farm will need to prepare for a very different festival routine. Glastonbury is known for large camping areas, long walks between stages and weather that can change quickly. Comfortable waterproof footwear, a portable battery pack and a reliable rain jacket can be as important as a carefully selected artist schedule.
Travel planning is another consideration. Most international visitors fly into London before continuing by train, coach, shuttle or hire car towards Somerset. Australians should check visa requirements, travel insurance and passport validity well ahead of departure. UK entry rules can change, and an Electronic Travel Authorisation may be required for eligible Australian passport holders travelling to Britain.
Money management matters too. The Australian dollar and British pound can move sharply against each other, affecting accommodation, transport, food and merchandise costs. Glastonbury’s cashless payment arrangements mean visitors should keep phones charged and have a backup payment method. International card fees can quietly add to the cost of a long festival weekend.
The live music market behind the booking
Stewart’s appearance arrives during a period when major heritage artists remain powerful draws in the live music market. Audiences are often willing to travel significant distances for a performance that feels distinctive, especially when the artist is appearing at a globally recognised event rather than a standard arena tour.
That trend is visible in Australia, where older acts continue to sell large venues while younger artists build festival audiences through streaming platforms and social media. Concertgoers may discover a classic performer through a television placement, a viral clip or a family playlist before seeking out the original recordings.
The economics of international touring are more complicated than they were before the pandemic. Currency movements, freight, insurance, staffing and air travel all affect festival costs. Australian fans considering a UK trip may also need to account for domestic flights to Sydney, Melbourne or Perth before the long-haul journey, along with accommodation during peak European travel season.
A set built for shared memories
The appeal of Stewart’s Glastonbury appearance will likely come from its sense of occasion. His songs have travelled through pubs, weddings, football grounds, radio stations and family record collections, giving the performance a strong connection to everyday listening habits rather than a narrow genre audience.
That broad recognition could make the set one of the weekend’s defining moments. Younger festivalgoers may arrive for a single famous song and leave with a deeper appreciation of Stewart’s earlier work, while longtime supporters will be watching for the details that reward years of following his career.
Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage has always been capable of turning a familiar song into a huge public event. With Rod Stewart leading the Sunday legends performance, the festival has secured a set that promises nostalgia, showmanship and a catalogue made for thousands of voices singing together.
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