Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses to Headline Glastonbury 2023

Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses are this year’s final Glastonbury headliners. They join the previously announced Elton John, who plays his final UK show on the Sunday night in his Glastonbury debut. The festival, taking place at Worthy Farm from June 21-25, will also feature Lizzo—who opens for GNR and receives joint headline billing on the poster—Lana Del Rey, Christine and the Queens, Fever Ray, and more. 

Organizer Emily Eavis said the festival was working holistically on the “pipeline” problem that led them to once again book three male-fronted headliners, adding that a woman pulled out after changing her touring plans, The Guardian reports. (Taylor Swift had been booked to headline the canceled 2021 festival.) Of the 24 Glastonbury headliners in the past 10 years, four were women or women-fronted acts, if you include Florence and the Machine—a last-minute replacement for Foo Fighters in 2015—and the dual-fronted Arcade Fire. 

Others on the lineup so far include Amadou and Mariam, Blondie, Candi Staton, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chvrches, Fatboy Slim, Fred Again.., Hot Chip, Joey Bada$$, Kelis, Lil Nas X (playing immediately before Elton John), Maggie Rogers, Manic Street Preachers, Phoenix, Rina Sawayama, Shygirl, Slowthai, Sparks, Sudan Archives, the Chicks, the War on Drugs, Thundercat, Tinariwen, Warpaint, Weyes Blood, Wizkid, Young Fathers, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens. 

Eavis also told The Guardian that the John Peel stage would be renamed Woodsies, for the field where the stage stands. She said that renewed attention to Peel’s history with underage girls—including his marriage to a 15-year-old in Texas when he was 25, at a time when that was legal—did not inform the decision. “We’ve had 20 years of John Peel and it’s been an honour to use his name.”

Arctic Monkeys have lately been on the road touring their 2022 album, The Car. Guns N’ Roses just announced a huge tour of North America and Europe.