Arctic Monkeys smash Glastonbury 2023 headline slot: full setlist

24 June 2023, 00:07 | Updated: 24 June 2023, 00:15

Alex Turner performing with Arctic Monkeys on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage. Picture: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

By Radio X

Alex Turner and co returned to the Pyramid Stage on Friday 23rd June to headline the first night of the festival. Get the full setlist here.

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Arctic Monkeys played an epic set at Glastonbury Festival, kicking off this year's trio of headliners in style.

After a rather nervous wait from fans to see if Alex Turner would be well enough to perform following a bout of "acute laryngitis" the Sheffield rockers made their third bill-topping appearance at the festival, playing hits from across their long career.

Taking to the Pyramid Stage after a performance from Royal Blood, Turner, Nick O'Malley, Matt Helders and Jamie Cook opened their set the epic Sculptures Of Anything Goes from last year's The Car before launching into a thunderous Brianstorm.

Alex Turner performing with Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury 2023. Picture: Ki Price/WireImage/Getty Images

Despite suffering from laryngitis earlier in the week, Turner sounded in fine voice as he led the band through classics from across their earlier albums like Cornerstone, Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair and Crying Lightning.

Highlights included a raucous performance of Teddy Picker - before which Turner cried "The Monkeys are back on the farm!" to huge cheer - and a highly theatrical take on the AM track Arabella, which Turner punctuated with the word "Outstanding".

Arctic Monkeys headline Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage for the third time: 23rd June 2023. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

There were some other, deeper Monkeys cuts including the Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino track Four Out Of Five ("Effective, very effective," announced Alex) and and the evocative Humbug-era favourite Pretty Visitors, which saw the frontman perform an elaborate mime, using the front runway of the Pyramid Stage as an imaginary bowling alley.

The most vocal moments for the crowd came with the opening bars of the Favourite Worst Nightmare tune Fluorescent Adolescent, the slow creep of the intro to Do I Wanna Know? and a sprightly Mardy Bum from the band's 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

Arctic Monkeys performing at Glastonbury Festival Friday June 23, 2023. Picture: Alamy

The famous Monkeys mirrorball sped into action for the classic 505, which ended the main set with the recent single Body Paint.

The encore consisted of the Monkeys' adaptation of punk poet John Cooper Clarke's I Wanna Be Yours (featuring some lines from the song Star Treatment), the kinetic debut single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and a thrilling climax of R U Mine?

Find out what went down during Arctic Monkeys Glastonbury headline slot and what was on the setlist below.