Lorde kicks off Glastonbury with early shock set

Pop star Lorde has launched the 2025 Glastonbury Pageant with a shock pre-lunchtime set to a packed crowd on the Woodsies stage.

The star was greeted by 1000’s of followers, who crammed into the tent after rumours about her look began spreading across the web site.

The New Zealander, whose hits embrace Royals, Inexperienced Mild and Photo voltaic Energy, beforehand performed on the principle Pyramid Stage in 2022.

Her secret set coincided with the discharge of her highly-anticipated fourth album, Virgin, which got here out at midnight.

The competition’s first full day of music will even see performances from CMAT, Lola Younger, Alanis Morissette, Loyle Carner, Busta Rhymes, PinkPantheress, Moist Leg and Biffy Clyro. Indie band The 1975 will prime the invoice.

There shall be one other “shock” visitor on the Pyramid Stage at 16:55 BST, with Lewis Capaldi closely rumoured to be making his comeback two years after an emotional efficiency throughout which he struggled to complete his set.

The Scottish singer launched his new single Survive at midnight.

Lorde’s look was the end result of a promotional marketing campaign for her album, which has featured a collection of impromptu fan gatherings and pop-ups – together with a guerilla video shoot in New York’s Washington Sq. Park that attracted the eye of anti-terror police.

The report itself is revelatory in its candour. Lorde sings sensitively about consuming issues, physique dysmorphia, the tip of a long-term relationship and her shifting gender id.

“Going into this album, I had the sense that one thing very uncooked and near the bone was wanting to come back out of me,” she informed the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this week.

“I mainly felt uncomfortable the entire time.

“Once you’re pushing your self to the bone, or [pushing] to solely inform the reality… the one means I can suppose to explain it’s that it makes you’re feeling very alive.”

In a separate interview on Stephen Colbert’s US chat present, the 28-year-old additionally revealed she had practised MDMA remedy to beat the stage fright that had plagued her “since I used to be 5 [years old] doing group theatre”.

The managed use of MDMA, additionally generally referred to as ecstasy or molly, has been advocated by some specialists in psychedelics, as a means of tackling post-traumatic stress dysfunction and different psychological well being situations in a therapeutic setting.

It’s at the moment authorized in Australia, and permitted in restricted circumstances in Canada and Switzerland.

Lorde stated the six-hour expertise was significantly peaceable. “You lay on a mattress, you’ve got obtained a watch masks on… there’s some speaking,” she informed Colbert, including that the results had been prompt.

“I attempted every part for my stage fright. I did this remedy and wakened the following morning like, ‘Oh, it is over. I do know it is over’.”

Lorde’s followers at the moment are hoping she’ll stick round for Charli XCX’s set on Saturday night time, to duet on their headline-making collaboration Lady, So Complicated.

On Friday, The 1975’s first Glastonbury headline efficiency kicks off at 22:15 on the Pyramid Stage.

The band, fronted by Matty Healy, have reportedly spent 4 occasions their competition price on a “specifically designed set” for the present.

Tickets for the competition offered out in simply 40 minutes final November, earlier than the line-up had even been introduced.

The BBC will present full protection throughout the weekend, with stay and on-demand units accessible on tv, radio, BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.

One exception is Saturday night time’s headliner Neil Younger. The BBC has confirmed it won’t broadcast his set stay “on the artist’s request”.

A press release added: “Our plans, together with these for our TV highlights exhibits and on-demand protection, proceed to be finalised proper as much as and through the competition.”