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While we await more reviews from the first sets of the day, in case you missed it, here’s our chief pop critic Alexis Petridis’ review of The 1975 last night. I’m a fan and had a great time – as Alexis says, Matty Healy and co seemed genuinely moved by the size of the crowd.
Jamie Grierson
Protesters wearing T-shirts reading “We Are All Palestine Action” have assembled at Glastonbury’s stone circle in defiance of a forthcoming ban on the organisation.
The home secretary Yvette Cooper recently announced Government plans to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation.
The move came after members of the group broke into RAF Brize Norton, when the prime minister’s plane was on site.
A group of about 30 protesters had assembled and were handing out free T-shirts to passers-by under a Palestinian flag.
“I’m not even sure if I agree with everything Palestine Action say or do,” said one protester. “But trying to ban them as terrorists is wrong; it’s authoritarian.”
One of the most hotly anticipated sets of the day is Kneecap, who are due to perform at West Holts at 4pm despite Keir Starmer’s objections.
My colleague Robyn Vinter has written this curtain-raiser report, bringing you up to speed on the controversy:
And, if you haven’t done so already, I recommend reading Shaad D’Souza’s excellent exclusive interview with the duo.
Our crack team of snappers have been making tracks all over the field, putting together this gorgeous photo essay capturing the action so far – take a look.
Jamie Grierson
Little more than 24 hours before he takes to the biggest stage at a festival renowned for its left-wing politics, Sir Rod Stewart has called on Britain to “give Nigel Farage a chance”.
The 80-year-old singer backed the leader of right-wing Reform UK in an interview with the Times published ahead of appearing on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury festival on Sunday.
The former Faces frontman is set to perform in the so-called legends or teatime slot in the afternoon.
“I’ve read about [Keir] Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn’t made him popular,” he said.
“We’re fed up with the Tories. We’ve got to give Farage a chance. He’s coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got?”
Elsewhere in the interview, Stewart expresses his support for the Palestinians in Gaza and criticising US president Donald Trump – views more likely to resonate at the festival, where unflattering effigies of Trump and Palestinian flags are abundant.
“It’s depressing, what’s going on in the Gaza Strip,” he told the newspaper.
“Netanyahu doesn’t realise that this is what happened to his people under the Nazis: total annihilation. And Trump is going to turn the Gaza Strip into Miami?”
Stewart has confirmed he will be joined at Glastonbury by former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Lulu, as well as performing the song Powderfinger by Saturday headliner Neil Young.
Yann Tiersen review
Jason Okundaye
It’s a bleary-eyed Saturday morning over at the Park stage, but a strong crowd for Yann Tiersen, the French Breton musician-composer who first reached international acclaim upon scoring Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 film Amélie.
He’s distinct for his multi-instrument compositions, but today he appears with a piano, coming on stage and telling the crowd: “We’re starting with a breakfast mood with the piano, and then waiting for drinks to kick in then we’ll go after-party mode.”
It’s an unfussy, minimalist set of piano melodies that are Tiersen’s signature. A more gentle start to the morning for the sore heads and blistered feet of the crowd, who are near entirely sat down. Hunched over the piano, Tiersen’s technique is exquisite and poised: he employs tempo rubato to glide between pianissimo and mezzo-forte elements without friction or sudden and cheap accelerations of pace.
That also means that his set tracks an emotional journey – you catch your breath at certain peaks, and when the piano keys are mournful and reflective you think of loss or abandonment or heartbreak.
That’s done after 20 minutes, and then Tiersen heads for the decks to go full DJ mode, which is a bit like: yeah, OK, sure, why not? He did say he was going to do that. He then reaches for much grander abstract electronic sounds with trippy synthesisers, percussive record scratching and noisy soundscapes which brings the set closer to the DJ performances at Arcadia, Glade and Shangri-La last night.
People are still mostly seated, bar one man in a mismatched print bucket hat and vest jacket, waving an orange T-shirt in the air. Eventually Tiersen suggests: “Maybe you can stand? I know it’s early!” in the tone of a “no worries if not!!!” email.
The crowd does take to their feet as the set becomes louder and more hallucinatory. Fuzzy, warbling audio distortions echo out from the stage and some people attempt a half-hearted two-step but it’s clearly too early for dancing feet. It is such a contrast to elegant and polyrhythmic piano set; here we have crunchy techno beats and sci-fi like electronic vibes. And then suddenly Tiersen brings out a violin and starts playing with an intense fervour.
Does it all hang together? Not really – but you come to Tiersen for the energetic contrast, like breathing exercises followed by cold exposure followed by star jumps followed by ASMR, not cohesion. By the end that one guy still hasn’t stopped waving around his orange top. That’s the desired impact, I think.
We’re expecting reviews of Kaiser Chiefs, who I can faintly hear on the Pyramid stage from Guardian HQ – sounds loud!
In the meantime, we’ve had a flurry of publishes overnight, including this intrepid report from my colleague Chris Godfrey, who spent all day Thursday (and a bit of Friday) trying the best fare at Glastonbury.
I helped him out with the dosa and can confirm that it was nourishing.
Welcome to Saturday's liveblog
Elle Hunt
Good morning all, and welcome to Saturday’s Glastonbury liveblog. I shall be your guide through today’s action, and we’ve got a packed line-up ahead, peaking tonight with Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts on the Pyramid and Charli xcx on The Other Stage.
Until then, however, we’ve got plenty to look forward to – starting soon with Kaiser Chiefs. Thanks for following along!
