Glastonbury 2025 kicks off next weekend, and whether you’re planning to be roasting in wellies on Worthy Farm or watching on the BBC from the comfort of your sofa, we’ve handpicked 11 acts from this year’s line-up to get ahead of the game.
Not only that, we’ve selected a key track from each artist that won’t just give your sound system something to think about but also allow you to cram on the lyrics before invariably getting them wrong at the crucial moment anyway.
Each track has a Tidal link underneath, and we’ve added the odd YouTube video too, so you’ll recognise the likes of Wolf Alice, Ezra Collective, and Raye when they take to the stage next weekend.
It’s a subjective selection, so if you feel particularly strongly about somebody we’ve left off, leave us a comment and make your feelings known.
With over 90 hours of live coverage on BBC television, radio, iPlayer, and the BBC Sounds app, plus full sets from the headliners, you should be spoilt for choice.
Loyle Carner – Not Waving, But Drowning
South Londoner done good, Loyle Carner graduates to become a Glastonbury headliner for the Other Stage on Friday, blending hip-hop with soulful introspection. “Not Waving, But Drowning” (2019), the title track from his second studio album, features lush instrumentation and Carner’s poetic delivery. Carner’s laid-back style lends itself beautifully to an expansive mix with emotional depth, which pretty much sums up what you’ll experience live on Friday night.
Listen to Loyle Carner – “Not Waving, But Drowning” on Tidal
Amyl and the Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That
Amyl and the Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That (Later… with Jools Holland) – YouTube
Not for the faint-hearted, the evocatively named Amyl and the Sniffers arrive from Melbourne, Australia, hitting Saturday’s Other Stage with raw punk-rock, snarling vocals and blistering guitars. “U Should Not Be Doing That” (2024) is an aggressive, energetic, and tight mix with some gritty curveballs thrown in for good measure. Lead singer Amy Wilson is unlikely to hold back or wear many clothes. You have been warned.
Listen to Amyl and the Sniffers – “U Should Not Be Doing That” on Tidal
Neil Young – Harvest Moon
A man who needs no introduction, but who nearly didn’t make it to headline Saturday’s Pyramid Stage. After announcing a Glasto boycott owing to the BBC’s involvement, a Labour-style u-turn followed, and so here we are, looking out for the timeless warmth in “Harvest Moon” from his *checks notes* 19th album, jeez. Acoustic guitars, brushed drums, and Young’s tender vocals make this as lush as they come, and the track’s delicate harmonies have always seemed suited to vinyl. Let’s hope he lets the Beeb broadcast this one.
Listen to Neil Young – “Harvest Moon” on Tidal
Raye – Escapism
RAYE – Escapism. (Live at Metropolis Studios) – YouTube
British singer-songwriter Raye is a real gem, but no pressure, she’s in the Saturday Pyramid Stage slot before Neil Young. “Escapism” (2022) blends sultry vocals with pulsating beats, showcasing her vocal range and production depth. A dab of crisp percussion with a deep bassline makes it moderately trip-hop in its delivery, and I mean, why not? Glastonbury isn’t that far from Bristol. Whether we’ll get an appearance from American collaborator 070 Shake remains to be seen.
Listen to Raye – “Escapism” on Tidal
Doechii – Yucky Blucky Fruitcake
Fans of Little Simz and Missy Elliott, stand up. Doechii is a TikTok viral sensation turned rap goddess, whose second ‘mixtape’ (it’s an album), Alligator Bites Never Heal, won her a Grammy. “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” (2020), an earlier release, was essentially the NSFW TikTok launchpad for a more mainstream music career. The video is a twisted joy, and expect her live show to go fully dramatic, too. She headlines Saturday’s West Holts Stage in a perfect Neil Young juxtaposition.
Listen to Doechii – “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” on Tidal
Ezra Collective – God Gave Me Feet for Dancing
Ezra Collective – God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (ft. Yazmin Lacey) – YouTube
Taking in a golden hour Saturday evening slot on the Other Stage, London’s Ezra Collective are a Mercury Prize-winning quintet fusing afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop, soul and jazz — you know, all the good bits. The clue is in the name with “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing” (2024), so be prepared for a wee shoe shuffle to vibrant horns and driving rhythms, even if it’s only over to the fridge. Too early to file this lot under ‘national treasure’?
Listen to Ezra Collective – “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing” on Tidal
The Amazons – Mother
Fresh from teaming up with Royal Blood on raucous single “My Blood”, Reading’s The Amazons play arguably their biggest gig yet, opening Woodsies Stage on Saturday. Hangovers will either disperse quickly or intensify with every riff, as this is about as anthemic as rock gets with young British bands these days. Give new album 21st Century Fiction a listen, but “Mother” (2019) with its soaring guitars really does paint this true rock band in the best light.
Listen to The Amazons – “Mother” on Tidal
Nova Twins – Cleopatra
Stick around on Woodsies for a few hours and get ready to air guitar your way through Amy Love and Georgia Smith leaving absolutely everything on stage. Honestly, the energy bottled up in these two is like a small modular nuclear reactor and unleashed, it’s grin-inducing. “Cleopatra” (2022) fuses punk, grime, and heavy riffs with fierce vocals. It’s intense, sharp, and has a real edge to it. Rah!
Listen to Nova Twins – “Cleopatra” on Tidal
Wolf Alice – Smile
Wolf Alice – Smile (Live – The Pool Sessions) – YouTube
Sunday is the chill day, right? Not a bit of it at Glastonbury 2025. The Other Stage closes with Wolf Alice, followed by The Prodigy and us mere mortals watching at home don’t have a bank holiday to get over it. Ellie Roswell is essentially rock royalty at this point, and she shines on “Smile” (2021), combining fierce vocals with gritty guitars. Quiet verses followed explosive choruses all the way here. A modern rock classic with a video in a proper boozer. Lovely.
Listen to Wolf Alice – “Smile” on Tidal
The Prodigy – Firestarter
The Prodigy close Sunday’s Other Stage with their first Glastonbury show since Keith Flint’s passing. Lyrics and tissues at the ready for “Firestarter” (1996), where you can expect an emotional tribute to the sadly departed punkin’ instigator, so maybe lay off the gin at this point. Don’t play innocent here, you all know the drill with this one from 1997’s The Fat of the Land, and bonus points if you can pull off any of Keith’s moves from the video. Just mind your fellow festival-goers/the furniture.
Listen to The Prodigy – “Firestarter” on Tidal
Jorja Smith – Blue Lights
Soulful, emotive, powerful, authentic — all words we’d use to describe Jorja Smith, and the idea of her headlining a woodland retreat in Somerset on a Sunday evening makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. Woodies Stage is in for a treat, and so “Blue Lights” (2018) blends soulful vocals with minimalist beats, showcasing everything good about this great artist, made all the better by a clean production and bags of clarity.
Listen to Jorja Smith – “Blue Lights” on Tidal
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Check out last year’s highlights: 7 of the best Glastonbury 2024 performances to stream on BBC iPlayer
