Did world's biggest headline acts Taylor Swift and Madonna snub Glastonbury because it 'doesn't pay very well?' Festival offers low fees as it 'banks on artists wanting to be part of its legacy'
- Some 200,000 fans have arrived at Worthy Farm, Somerset, for this year's event
The world's biggest headline music acts such as Taylor Swift and Madonna may be snubbing the Glastonbury Festival for paying too little.
Even less successful artists have mocked the 'hilarious' fees on offer, as the latest event kicked off yesterday amid criticism this year's headliners are underwhelming.
The showcase Pyramid Stage performances will be by Dua Lipa on Friday, Coldplay - in their fifth Glastonbury headline appearance - on Saturday and SZA on Sunday following Shania Twain in that evening's 'Legends' slot.
The festival, which was first held in 1970 and has grown to attract hundreds of acts and 210,000 ticket-holders, is said to be struggling to secure top names - with the fees on offer a tenth of what artists can command elsewhere.
Yet while the pay-outs have been described as 'hilarious', PR chiefs have also highlighted how legendary performers are often tempted by the event's prestige - and potential sales boosts from a higher profile.
Thousands of eyes on the scene and millions tuning in on TV will watch performers on the main Pyramid Stage - seen here on day three of last year's Glastonbury Festival
Many had hoped to see Taylor Swift there but she will be playing Dublin, having performed three sell-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London last weekend
Negotiations reportedly fell through for a Glastonbury headline appearance by Madonna, seen here performing at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month
The Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses and Sir Elton John were the headliners last year, following Billie Eilish, Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar in 2022.
Yet there is said to be frustration that festival organisers have been unable to tempt Taylor Swift, whose record-breaking Eras Tour has hit the UK this month.
The US singer, 34, famed for such hits as Shake It Off and Bad Blood, played three sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium last weekend - with those in the crowd including Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte who posed for a selfie with her last Friday.
When Swift announced her UK tour dates last June, some noted how the weekend scheduled for this year's Glastonbury appeared available.
She had previously agreed to headline the Pyramid Stage in 2020, only for the Covid-19 pandemic to intervene and put paid to that year's festival.
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of the event's founder Michael Eavis, said in 2022: 'I think we've got Taylor next time she's doing some touring.'
Yet this weekend Swift will be playing three nights at Dublin's Aviva Stadium as part of her world tour, which has become the first whose ticket sales have grossed more than $1billion, or £790million.
And disagreements over the money on offer reportedly scuppered plans for Madonna to fill this year's prestigious Sunday 'Legends' spot now taken by Canadian country-pop star Twain, the Telegraph reported.
Previous acts booked for that role have included Dame Shirley Bassey in 2007, Sir Ray Davies in 2010, Dolly Parton in 2014, Lionel Richie the following year, Kylie Minogue in 2019, Diana Ross in 2022 and Cat Stevens last year.
Sir Paul McCartney is said to have been paid £200,000 for his 2022 Glastonbury performance
Kylie Minogue played the 'Legends' slot at Glastonbury in 2019 and was joined on stage by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, whose band will headline this year for the fifth time
The festival site at Worthy Farm, near Pilton in Somerset, now covers 900 acres
Other summer festivals can call upon the financial backing of heavyweight sponsors, such as BST in Hyde Park with the support of American Express.
Glastonbury tends to award the most prominent advertising space to charities including Greenpeace, Oxfam and Water Aid.
Michael Eavis was quoted as previously saying in 2017: 'We’re not in a situation where we’re able to just give people enormous amounts of money.
'So we’re really grateful for the bands that we get, because they’re basically doing it for the love of it.
'There’s a bog-standard price for the headliner. We get the headliners for a tenth of the normal price. So they’re not being paid very much.'
Sir Paul is said to have received £200,000 for his headline performance in 2022, with Sir Elton getting £250,000 the following year.
Music PR specialist Alan Edwards tells in his new memoir I Was There: Dispatches From A Life In Rock And Roll how his client David Bowie played the Pyramid Stage in 2000 in front of 250,000 people.
He writes: 'It was hilarious, it was about £20,000 or something and even then it wasn’t a lot of money.
'David was always an artist and he was driven by what he felt was the right thing and what he wanted to do, rather than what the payday was. He didn’t even ask.
David Bowie was paid about £20,000 for playing the Pyramid Stage at the 2000 festival
Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis, seen shielding from the sun after opening the gates yesterday to begin this year's festival, previously spoke of hoping for Taylor Swift to appear
The Arctic Monkeys, fronted by Alex Turner, headlined the main stage on Friday night last year
'It was a cool thing to do. Glastonbury has got that wonderful legacy.'
Yet other acts have resisted the chance of playing the festival, fearing it would prove too costly rather than rewarding.
Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter Nadine Shah has performed at Glastonbury in the past but will not be there this year, and recently explained why.
She posted on X, formerly Twitter, on June 4: 'The rumours are untrue. I am NOT playing @glastonbury I would have liked to but I wasn’t offered a televised stage so I declined. It’s too expensive a hit for me to take otherwise.
'It’s just a reality that playing live is super expensive and if you can justify the costs (like being on telly and having a wider reach) then sometimes you take the hit. Otherwise no, we’ve all bills to pay.'
MailOnline has approached Glastonbury's organisers for comment.
When it comes to cash, revellers rather than performers could find themselves counting the cost over the next few days with prices revealed for food, drink and even blankets.
Tickets for this year's five-day event cost £355 - up £20 on last year - plus a £5 booking fee.
There are more than 300 food stalls across the site, and prices range from £4 for fries to £11.50 for a beef patty topped with American cheese and £10 for a 'sweet and tangy' chicken curry.
The crowd watching The Vaccines on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival in 2019
Sir Elton John closed last year's event with what was said to be his last ever live show in the UK
Diana Ross performed on the Pyramid Stage as the 'Legends' act in 2022
Pints of beer will set drinkers back £6.75, while items on the official Glastonbury website include a £24 fine bone china mug, an £18 babygrow and a limited-edition organic cotton blanket costing £150.
Festival-goers have meanwhile been offered advice on staying safe amid scorching summer temperatures tipped to reach as high as 31C.
Jim Dale, founder of British Weather Services and co-author of Surviving Extreme Weather, said: 'Glastonbury is notorious for its lack of shelter. It's in the open and you're exposed to the direct sun.
'There are massive precautions to take for those attending Glastonbury and elsewhere. Stay out of the midday sun and keep hydrated.'
