Glastonbury 2025: Finally Ditching Dad Rock and Letting Gen Z Take the Wheel
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Well, colour me surprised—Glastonbury has finally done it. After years of pandering to boomer ballads and millennial indie nostalgia, the iconic festival has taken a bold leap into the future, handing the spotlight to Gen Z’s rising stars. And honestly? It’s about bloody time.
Goodbye, Dad Rock. Hello, Future Sound.
Forget the usual parade of heritage acts and reunion tours—Glasto 2025 is serving up fresh, fiery, and ferociously talented young artists, covering rock, rap, pop, and jazz with some serious flair. If you’re craving some stadium-sized guitars, Inhaler is your band. The Irish rockers have been smashing it with their third album, Open Wide, which dropped last month and is already shaking up the indie scene. Over in Leeds, the brilliant English Teacher (whose Mercury Prize-winning album This Could Be Texas made critics weep into their oat lattes) will be delivering one of the most talked-about sets of the weekend.
And if you like your music with a bit of bite, Doechii is coming in hotter than the Pyramid Stage sun. The Florida rapper’s razor-sharp flow and magnetic stage presence have made her one of the most exciting breakout stars in recent years. You’ll also want to make time for Ezra Collective, because even the snobbiest jazz purists will be two-stepping by the end of their set.
Over on the pop front, expect to be slayed, twirled, and emotionally wrecked by Olivia Rodrigo, who’s graduated from angsty heartbreak anthems to full-blown festival domination. Joining her is a glittering crew of Gen Z pop royalty: Lola Young, Myles Smith, CMAT, and Gracie Abrams. Together, they’re bringing a fresh, chart-topping sparkle to Worthy Farm.
About Time, Emily Eavis.
Let’s be real—Glastonbury has been dragging its feet on championing future stars. Remember 2023? That lineup had all the vibrancy of a 2005 iPod playlist. Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, and Elton John? Iconic, sure, but hardly revolutionary. Even festival boss Emily Eavis sounded exasperated as she defended the all-male headliner bill, saying:
“The pipeline needs to be developed… I can shout as loud as I like, but we need to get everyone on board.”
Fair point. And to her credit, Eavis kept her word, landing two female headliners in 2024: Dua Lipa and SZA. Progress, yes—but the rest of the lineup was still peppered with safe millennial throwbacks. Sugababes? The Streets? Bombay Bicycle Club? Love them, but Gen Z was side-eyeing from the sidelines.
The Industry Finally Gets It
In the year since, live music has had a full-blown Gen Z takeover. Streaming platforms have been dominated by female artists, with Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Karol G smashing records left, right, and centre. Even the Grammys finally got with the programme, with Doechii winning Best Rap Album over heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar and Eminem.
At festivals, Chappell Roan’s outrageous crowd at Lollapalooza (the biggest daytime crowd the fest had ever seen) proved that newcomers are the real ticket-shifters. Meanwhile, Boygenius, Wet Leg, and Paramore ran riot at awards shows, proving that Gen Z isn’t just ready—they’re ruling.
Glasto’s Smart Pivot
By betting on new talent, Glastonbury is finally giving itself a fighting chance of staying relevant. After all, ticket prices have soared (last year, they hit £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee), and younger fans are increasingly skipping live events in favour of TikTok-led music discovery. If Glasto wants to lure the next generation of festie-goers, it needs to give them something worth queueing for.
And let’s be honest—Glastonbury’s rotating cast of repeat headliners was getting staler than leftover cider. You can only book Snow Patrol so many times before people start thinking you’ve run out of contacts.
2026: The Gen Z Wave Continues?
With Glasto taking its traditional fallow year in 2026, festival bookers across the UK should take notes. The future of live music isn’t with rehashed nostalgia tours—it’s with the Doechiis, Olivias, and English Teachers of the world. If the 2025 Glasto lineup is anything to go by, the next decade of festivals could finally feel fresh again.
So, kudos to Glastonbury for ditching the Dad Rock crutch. This year’s lineup is a love letter to the future of music—and honestly, we’re here for it. 🎉
