After months of strong rumours that Guns N’ Roses will be one of Glastonbury’s headliners this summer, their bassist Duff McKagan appears to have confirmed they’ll be playing.
In a clip from his SiriusXM radio show Three Chords & The Truth, which you can listen to below, the following conversation takes place:
Duff: “Hope to see you at, maybe some of these Iggy shows we’re gonna do in April”
“Yeah, we wanna see some of you guys at Iggy shows, we wanna see you at some of the upcoming GnR shows, you’re gonna be playing in Hyde Park in London, that’s gonna be so iconic”
Duff: “And Glastonbury’s gonna be iconic, we’re gonna be announcing some shows you guys… at some point we’ll be announcing a bunch of stuff.“
UPDATE: Guns N’ Roses look certain for Glastonbury as tour confirmed
The radio mention was first spotted by a member of the r/GlastonburyFestival Reddit, before being shared on Twitter this morning. It’s believed the show was actually broadcast a couple of weeks ago but has only just come to wider attention among Glastonbury fans.
As it stands, the only artist officially confirmed by organisers as on the Glastonbury 2023 line-up is Elton John, with the announcement being made before Christmas. He’ll headline the Pyramid Stage on the Sunday night of the festival as the final UK gig of his final-ever tour. 77 per cent of people said they’ll be watching either on the BBC or in person at Worthy Farm.
As for Guns N’ Roses, Glasto organiser Emily Eavis told Metal Hammer in 2021: “We had Napalm Death in 2017, and it doesn’t get much heavier than that! But I think Guns N’ Roses need to play here at some point don’t they?”
And back in January 2020, The Sunday Times said: “Guns’n’Roses headlining Friday night Glastonbury [is] looking increasingly likely” – just weeks before almost all of that summer’s festivals were forced to cancel when the pandemic broke out.
In other news, former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora told media there’s a chance of a reunion gig at Glastonbury 2023 – and Britpop legends Blur have been widely rumoured for a slot on the line-up after announcing a show at Wembley Stadium a couple of weeks later.
And in a similar scenario, The 1975 are rumoured to appear after the long-expected band confirmed tour dates which leave them free over the weekend of the festival. Their currently announced dates contain nothing between Southside Festival the weekend before Glasto and TRSNSMT on July 9th. Glastonbury is set to take place from Wednesday 21st to Sunday 25 June.
It would be The 1975’s fourth time at Worthy Farm, having previously played sets in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and while they’ve been rumoured most years since they now haven’t been on the line-up for five years, despite countless comments from band members and crew that they want to return.
Pulp are also strongly rumoured to appear on the Glastonbury 2023 line-up after announcing details of a reunion tour next summer – which includes space for a potential Glasto slot. The band were already deemed a likely contender by bookmakers, who in September were offering odds of 9/1 on Pulp headlining the iconic Pyramid Stage.
Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham has ruled out a Worthy Farm appearance as part of a Spice Girls reunion in a US TV interview – following years of speculation fuelled by her former band mates.
She told Watch What Happens Live: “I had so much fun being in the Spice Girls – but now, with everything else that I have got going on with my fashion and my beauty line, four children, I couldn’t commit to that. love the girls. I really, really enjoy singing Spice Girls when I’m doing karaoke, but I think I’d better leave it there.”
Guns N Roses are now favourites to headline the Pyramid according to bookmakers and the widely respected eFestivals rumours list.
In an interview with Metal Hammer last year, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis was asked : “Who’s the heaviest band you would book for the Festival?”
She replied: “We had Napalm Death in 2017, and it doesn’t get much heavier than that! But I think Guns N’ Roses need to play here at some point don’t they?”
Arctic Monkeys were also rumoured to have signed a deal to headline Glastonbury 2023 when their UK tour sold out in minutes last year. A source told The Sun: “‘Alex Turner and the band are coming back to Glastonbury, and this time their set is going to be even bigger and better.
“The lads have signed on the dotted line and will return to the Pyramid Stage next June. It is really special for them to be doing a hat trick on that stage and it is something they have wanted to do for a while.”
Glastonbury 2023 takes place from Wednesday 21st to Sunday 25th June 2023. Tickets sold out earlier late last year, but resales of cancelled tickets will take place later this spring.
Image credits:
Glastonbury crowd: Anna Barclay
Guns n Roses: Raph_PH / ( CC BY 2.0 )
Disclosures:
TheFestivals is funded through advertising and sometimes earns a commission on purchases made through links on this website, including in this article:
Add as a preferred source