Glastonbury 2025: Is the BBC showing Neil Young's headline Pyramid Stage set? Broadcaster issues statement over coverage

The ‘Godfather of Grunge’ Neil Young is set to take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his Chrome Hearts band for a headline performance, 16 years after he last graced the stage at Worthy Farm.

While the set will be a big moment for fans, there was uncertainty for those watching from home as it looked likely they would miss out after it was revealed that the BBC would not be carrying coverage of the Saturday headline slot at Glastonbury this year. The BBC’s extensive coverage of the world-famous festival usually sees all three headline slots covered both in audio and on television.

However, the broadcaster has now confirmed that they have reached an agreement with the rocker to show his set live. Here’s everything you need to know.

Is the BBC showing Neil Young’s Glastonbury set?

The BBC previously said that it would not be broadcasting the 79-year-old rocker’s set “at the artist’s request”. In a statement to The Telegraph, the BBC said: “At the artist’s request, we won’t be live streaming Neil Young’s set. Our plans, including those for our TV highlights shows and on-demand coverage, continue to be finalised right up to and during the festival.”

In a new update on Saturday afternoon (June 28), the BBC confirmed that it had now reached an agreement with the artist’s team to broadcast his headline set live. A spokesperson said: “We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young’s headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.”

The full set will be shown live from the BBC iPlayer Pyramid Stage livestream from 10pm, and will also be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2 at the same time. The battle between Young and the BBC has been ongoing since the announcement of the Godfather of Grunge for the festival’s Saturday night slot.

Young has been vocal about his strength of feeling around “corporate control” of the iconic festival. Earlier this year, he quickly announced that he was cancelling his Glastonbury set shortly after it was announced after discovering the festival’s partnership with the BBC.

He said in a statement at the time: “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs. We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.

“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. Thanks for coming to see us the last time!”

However, Young backtracked and confirmed he would still perform at the festival after admitting to “an error in the information I had received”. He told fans: “Due to an error in the information I had received, I had decided not to play Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved. Happily the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there!”

The situation was similar when Young previously played the festival, with the legendary musician restricting the broadcaster’s access to his sets, including during his last appearance in 2009.

At the time, the BBC said: “Neil Young’s career has been conducted on his own terms. Last night Neil’s management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist.”

Tonight (June 28), the BBC will also be broadcasting the Other Stage headline set from British hyperpop star Charli XCX. The set, which will celebrate one year of the culture-defining smash hit album Brat, will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 10.30pm.