Kendrick Lamar at Glastonbury 2022: setlist, reviews - what did he say about women’s rights on Pyramid Stage

After two years of cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Glastonbury festival burst back onto the music scene with performances from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Billie Eilish, Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney.

Headlining the final night of the festival was rapper Kendrick Lamar, who released his fifth studio album Mr Morale and the Big Steppersback in May.

Lamar brought his set to an end with a powerful statement in response to the recent US Supreme Court’sdecision to end its nationwide right to abortion by overturning its historic Roe v Wade ruling from 1973.

This is everything you need to know.

What was his setlist?

This is Lamar’s Glastonbury-closing setlist that he performed on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday (26 June):

• United in Grief
• m.A.A.d city
• Money Trees
• Backseat Freestyle
• The Art of Peer Pressure
• Swimming Pools (Drank)
• Poetic Justice
• B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe
• N95
• Count Me Out
• Mortal Man
• King Kunta
• i
• Alright
• Institutionalised 
• The Blacker the Berry
• BLOOD
• DNA
• ELEMENT
• Silent Hill
• LOYALTY
• LUST
• HUMBLE
• LOVE.
• Saviour 

What are reviews saying?

Reviews for Lamar’s set at Glastonbury have been overwhelmingly positive - Alexis Pedtridis from the Guardian called it “jaw dropping brilliance”.

Pedtridis wrote: “Sporting a bejewelled crown of thorns and with a profound sense of theatre, Lamar proves he is one of the most gifted rappers we have.”

Ben Bryant from the Independent said: “But what a set. This is so heavy with bangers, it breathes life back into a crowd that’s straining to stay conscious.”

Over at the i, Kate Solomon said that Lamar’s set was “ part singalong headline set, part theatre, and all incredible”.

“From the moment his dancers stepped on stage to instrumentals from his new album, it was clear that we were in for something very different to the Paul McCartney knees-up or Billie Eilish’s hijinks of the previous nights,” Solomon wrote.

What did he say about women’s rights?

Lamar brought his set to an end with his song Saviour, a tune from his most recent album Mr Morale and the Big Steppers.

The performance reached its theatrical pinnacle at the end as the lights came up during his rendition Saviour to reveal fake blood was pouring down his face from a crown of thorns.

Before playing the song, Lamar, who has previously been open about his Christian faith, said the crown of thorns represented Christ.

The words “You Saviour I Am Not” blazed on the screens behind him as he performed the track with fake blood continually pouring down his face and white shirt.

As the track came to an end, Lamar continued to rap acapella, repeating: “They judge you, they judged Christ, godspeed for women’s rights.”

He continued over and over, growing angrier and angrier before throwing down the microphone and leaving the stage.

A number of artists during the festival spoke out about the reversal of Roe v Wade.

During her set, New Zealand singer Lorde told the crowd: “Wanna hear a secret girls? Your bodies were destined to be controlled and objectified since before you were born.

“That horror is your birthright. But here’s another secret. You possess ancient strength. Ancient wisdom. Wisdom that has propelled every woman that came before you.

“That wisdom is also your birthright. I ask you today, make exercising that wisdom your life’s work because everything depends on it.

“F**k the Supreme Court.”

Phoebe Brigers led the audience in a chant of “f**k the Supreme Court”, adding: “All these irrelevant old motherf**kers trying to tell us what to do with our f**king bodies. F**k it.”

Joe Talbot, from the band Idles, described the decision from the Supreme Court as having taken the US “back to the Middle Ages”, and on Saturday (25 June), Olivia Rodrigo brought out Lily Allen as a special guest to sing her 2009 song F**k You to the five Supreme Court Justices - Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh.

Billie Eilish, who made history as Glastonbury’s youngest ever solo headliner, also spoke out against the ruling.

From the Pyramid Stage, the 20-year-old said: “Today is a really, really dark day for women in the US.

“I’m just going to say that because I can’t bear to think about it any longer.”

She then dedicated her song Your Power, a song about older men who abuse their power, to everyone affected.