Glastonbury 2023 line-up rumours and secret sets

21 June 2023, 10:30 | Updated: 27 June 2024, 20:09

After the headliners for 2023 have been announced, who else could be in line to appear at Worthy Farm this June?

Glastonbury Festival 2023 will see Arctic Monkeys, Guns N'Roses and Sir Elton John headline, with a whole host of other acts booked to play at the end of June.

As ever, the confirmed artists are only some of the story - Glastonbury is famous for hosting unscheduled and unexpected performances in "secret". Well, "secret" in an official sense, anyway, as rumours of special guests usually slip out in the months leading up to the festival, and over the weekend itself.

So here are the latest rumours for Glastonbury 2023, based on the latest gossip, plus a fair amount of educated guesswork.

When does Glastonbury Festival 2023 take place?

According to their official website, Glastonbury 2023 will take place from the 21st to the 25th June 2023.

Who is headling Glastonbury 2023?

2023's Glastonbury Pyramid Stage headliners have been confirmed as:

• Friday: Arctic Monkeys
• Saturday: Guns N'Roses
• Sunday: Sir Elton John

Read the full line-up of confirmed artists booked for Glastonbury 2023

Who is rumoured to be performing at Glastonbury 2023?

1. Kasabian - strong rumour

   A "source" has told The Sun that the Leicester band, fronted by Serge Pizzorno, have been lined up to play an unlisted show at Worthy Farm this weekend. It comes a decade after Kasabian last appeared at Glastonbury, headling the Pyramid Stage - and a full 20 years since the group opened the festival by appearing on The Other Stage.

   The source claims the band has been booked to play the Woodsies stage at 6pm on Saturday (29th June), saying: “Glastonbury is always a big deal but this year Kasabian really can’t wait, especially as it’s a decade since they were last there.

   “They loved the idea of being a secret act and jumped at the idea when it was suggested by Glasto boss Emily Eavis.

   “The set will be an hour long. Fans are going to go absolutely nuts when they realise Kasabian are playing and Glasto are ready for it to be absolutely mobbed.”

   

2. Paul McCartney is in the building

   The former Beatle (and last year's Saturday night headliner) was seen watching The Pretenders from the side of The Park Stage this evening (Saturday 24th June), and was brought onstage by Chrissie Hynde.

   This led to much speculation that he'd join Guns N'Roses onstage for their version of Live And Let Die, but despite Axl Rose saying "We're helping a certain individual celebrate the 50th anniversary of this song...", Macca didn't make an appearance.

   However, could McCartney be one of Elton John's "four special guests" for Sunday night? That, as the great man once said, would be something.

   

3. Britney Spears - rumour

   Elton John's husband David Furnish says that the superstar will have "four special guests" during his Sunday night set on the Pyramid Stage, all personally chosen for a unique collaboration. One artist in the frame is Britney Spears, who worked with Elton last year on the song Hold Me Closer and said she'd be on a shopping trip to "London" this week...

   

4. Pulp - rumour

   Everyone was thrilled when Jarvis Cocker rallied the troops and announced 2023 reunion dates for the Sheffield legends. There's a large gap in their itinerary after their headline appearance at Isle Of Wight Festival and their Finsbury Park show on 1st July.

   While there's a hot rumour that Pulp will play a secret set, the current doubts over the fate of Arctic Monkeys' Friday night headline set have led many to wonder if Jarvis will step in to cover. Alex Turner has been diagnosed with acute laryngitis and ordered to rest.

   Pulp, of course, last stepped in for a Glastonbury headliner in 1995 when they replaced The Stone Roses on Saturday night after guitarist John Squire broke his collarbone.

   

5. Eminem - Rumour

   Slim Shady is a HUGE friend of Sir Elton John, so could this signal a major guest appearance during the veteran star's closing headline set on Sunday night?

   In October, a source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: “Eminem is wanted for a huge slot at Glastonbury and has been in talks for yonks.

   “His dates all line up and if they can get him on board, it will be the first time he has ever played at the festival."

   

6. Blur - rumour

   The Britpop legends are playing two shows at Wembley Stadium in July, and the weekend of Glastonbury sees them play Dublin's Malahide Castle on Saturday 24th June. Could we expect a secret set somewhere on the Worthy Farm site at some point before or after that? Their next date isn't until Roskilde Festival on 30th June. With the announcement of a new album, The Ballad Of Darren, it seems like a surprise appearance could be on the cards?

   

7. The Black Keys - UNLIKELY

   Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are currently on their Dropout Boogie tour and are playing Manchester on Thursday night and Glasgow on Saturday, so there's a gap in that schedule. However, Carney recently told NME: “We got an offer from Glastonbury that was so insulting, we’re never going to play the festival again."

   

8. Harry Styles - unlikely

   The pop superstar has yet to perform at Glastonbury, so he's still tipped for an appearance at the festival, but it seems unlikely this year as he'll be mid-tour, with a stop off at Werchter Park in Belgium on Saturday 24th June.

   

9. Florence + The Machine - rumour

   Flo (and the Machine) are playing live shows in Milan, Italy on Thursday 22nd June and Cork in Ireland on Monday 26th, so the whole weekend is free for a Glastonbury appearance.

   

10. Sam Fender - unlikely

    Fender's Pyramid Stage set was one of the standout moments of the 2022 festival, but the Newcastle lad has a busy June lined up. He's playing two massive homecoming shows at St James's Park at the beginning of the month and will be at Belfast's Belsonic Festival on Friday 23rd and Malahide Castle on Sunday 25th. We can't see a Glastonbury appearance, to be honest. Prove us wrong!

    

11. Blink-182 - unlikely

    The US rock trio have reunited with Tom DeLonge, but any chance of them playing Glastonbury are remote, as they're performing in Sacramento, California on the Friday and Seattle on the Friday. Blink won't make it to the UK until September this year.

    

Who headlined the last Glastonbury?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world-famous festival took place for the first time in three years last summer, with headliners in Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar.