LONDON (AP) — The iconic Rod Stewart has been announced to perform in the “legends” slot at the upcoming Glastonbury Festival in Britain next year. This announcement comes more than 20 years after he last headlined the renowned music festival, according to organizers on Tuesday.
At 79 years old, Stewart expressed his enthusiasm on social media, saying he was “proud and ready” to return to the stage. He mentioned he looks forward to entertaining fans at Glastonbury in June, describing his readiness to “pleasure and titillate” the audience.
Rod Stewart, who first took the Glastonbury stage as a headliner in 2002, is the first artist revealed for the June 2025 event held at Worthy Farm in southwestern England. Fans eagerly anticipate his return, especially following this year’s festival, where Shania Twain filled the coveted legends position and the event was headlined by popular acts such as Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA, attracting about 200,000 music enthusiasts.
Rising to fame in the vibrant London blues scene of the late 1960s, Stewart initially gained recognition with the Jeff Beck Group. He later joined the known rock band, the Faces, before carving out a successful solo career with hit songs like “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s the Night,” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
As he approaches his 80th birthday in January, Stewart has decided to conclude extensive world tours; however, he has made it clear that retirement is not in his plans after spending over sixty years in the music industry. He stated, “I love what I do, and I do what I love,” highlighting his fitness and youthful spirit by sharing that he can even run 100 meters in 18 seconds.
Glancing forward to the festival, organizer Emily Eavis remarked that welcoming Stewart back is “everything we could wish for,” especially since the festival will take a break, or a “fallow year,” to allow the farmland, which hosts the event, to recuperate.
