Sir Rod Stewart tells Brits to 'give Nigel Farage a chance' and backs Reform UK ahead of Glastonbury legend slot

The 80-year-old rocker is set to take to the Pyramid Stage on Sunday afternoon (June 29) during the famous legend slot to perform a medley of his hits, more than two decades after he headlined the festival. Sir Rod opened up about his political outlook ahead of the return to Worthy Farm, revealing that he backs Reform UK and Nigel Farage.

He told The Times: “I’ve read about (Sir Keir) Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn’t made him popular.

“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?”

He added: “Starmer’s all about getting us out of Brexit and I don’t know how he’s going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.”

Sir Rod also admitted that his wealth means that “a lot of it doesn’t really touch me”, but insisted that he was not out-of-touch with world events. He also threw his support behind Ukraine, blasting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year, and labeled the war in Gaza “depressing”.

He said: “It’s depressing, what’s going on in the Gaza Strip. 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?”

Sir Rod revealed earlier this week that he was racing to get fit for his Glastonbury set, which has been extended from the normal 75-minute time slot to 90 minutes. He had been forced to cancel five shows in the US, with wife Penny Lancaster nursing him back to health.

He told The Sun: “This time last week I was thinking of cancelling. I have had Influenza A. It’s been so terrible. It’s the worst thing anyone could possibly have, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Apart from (Vladimir) Putin. I’d wish it on him.”

Sir Rod’s set at Glastonbury is expected to be packed with special guests, with former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood confirmed to be joining him, alongside Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu.