Anyone with two albums headlining Glastonbury has something to prove and maybe has to win people over, and Olivia Rodrigo absolutely managed to do that.
We went to see her last year in Antwerp and were blown away by it, but this stepped it up a level again.
She really seems to get the festival after she first played in 2022, as shown by the video of her singing along to Pulp the day before her set. She seemed overwhelmed on stage and really got how big a deal it is to headline.
The crowd was very mixed and it was great to see even the older guys singing along to the songs, as her own gigs tend to be a lot younger crowd. Everyone seemed really up for it and she delivered fully.
Seeing Vampire, Driver’s License and Traitor in a row just as the sun was setting behind the Pyramid Stage was an incredible experience with the crowd singing every word and at times being left to sing on their own. The end of Driver’s License was a particular highlight. She had the crowd fully on side by that point.
Even when playing album tracks she kept everyone’s attention, regularly inviting crowd participation.
The added production, with the full set of lights around the stage, flames and fireworks really added to the big occasion feeling. The energy from Olivia on stage helped, and the band sounded so good. It was far from the pop-only gig many I spoke to were expecting, with her rock influences shining through.
I don’t think anybody was expecting Robert Smith from The Cure to be the guest. Playing two classics in Friday I’m in Love and Just Like Heaven. This bridged the gap between generations, and you could tell how excited she was to be on stage with one of her heroes.
The end was high energy and fitting to close the Pyramid Stage out for the next two years. brutal, All American Bitch and Good 4 u all sounded huge, before Get Him Back ended the festival with fireworks.
She’s an absolute superstar now. She already was going there but Glastonbury has cemented that. Any future gigs will be a lot harder to get tickets for and we feel so lucky to have been there in that crowd.
