Glastonbury's Sunday night headliner faced a disappointing turnout, with fans expressing their sympathy. The American singer-songwriter SZA followed Dua Lipa's Friday performance and Coldplay's Saturday gig but attracted a noticeably smaller audience.
From home, viewers could see the significant gaps between attendees at the Pyramid Stage. The Mirror's Glastonbury correspondent reported that there was considerably more space around spectators waiting for SZA compared to the previous nights.
Online, fans voiced their sadness for SZA, with one commenting: "The Pyramid Stage looks empty :(, thought was a strange one having SZA on the Sunday especially, hope she puts on the performance of the festival! #Glastonbury."
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Another remarked: "oh dear.... not a very big showing for Sza. #Glastonbury." A different user noted: "Is it the @bbcglasto camera angles I'm seeing or is the #PyramidStage pretty quiet @glastonbury. I don't know @sza but sad to see it so quiet on the last day."
A fourth commented: "It's a quite big crowd but it's not a Sunday night headline crowd is it? #Glastonbury."
One fan suggested the lineup should have been rearranged, stating: "SZA, Dua Lipa, Coldplay. That should've been the order of the headliners this year in my opinion but #Glastonbury #Glastonbury2024."
Another added: "I am a massive Glastonbury geek, looking at the webcam and BBC pictures the crowd awaiting Sza looks very small by headliner standards.." Another person proposed: "SZA was probably better suited to The Other Stage honestly but fair play for getting a Pyramid Stage headliner slot."
SZA attracted a significantly larger crowd on Saturday night as she performed at BST Hyde Park in London. BST sources claim she drew in 50,000 attendees, which seems to overshadow the number of people watching her at Glastonbury.
However, it's been a financially rewarding weekend for the star, as she would have earned about £500,000 for BST, and approximately £200,000 for her Glastonbury headline set.
SZA seemed to encounter some sound issues as she started her headline set on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury 15 minutes late. The star delighted fans at Worthy Farm with hits including Love Galore, the day after her headline show at British Summer Time in London's Hyde Park.
The artist, born Solana Rowe, made a grand entrance on stage, starting her set atop an elevated podium to deliver the opening of her popular song PSA. Descending to the main stage, which featured ornate pillars and an oversized insect prop, she engaged with the audience, asking: "Do I have any day ones in the crowd?"
SZA's performance was a hit parade, including tracks like F2F, I Hate U, and the Doja Cat collaboration Kiss Me More. She donned a patterned bodysuit paired with flat boots laced with vibrant neon up to her thighs.
The highlight of her act was wielding dual swords while performing Kill Bill, a song named after Quentin Tarantino's iconic film, showcasing her samurai prowess on the Pyramid Stage.
For her song Supermodel from her debut album Ctrl, SZA transformed her look with a forest green dress embellished with leaf motifs and metallic wings. Later, during Nobody Gets Me, she climbed a large artificial tree trunk set piece, taking position on a platform nestled within its branches.
When the 34-year old was announced as one of the headline acts for this year's event, many were left scratching their heads, unsure if she was a singer, a DJ or even a band. SZA, pronounced 'scissor' - real name Solana Imani Rowe - is an American R&B artist and songwriter who has released two studio albums, three EPs, one live album and 44 singles.
She's become one of the most streamed artists worldwide and headlined this year's Glastonbury alongside Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Shania Twain.
