Which artist has headlined Glastonbury Festival the most times?

Posted On October 21, 2024October 21, 2024

Each year, a couple of months before festival season kicks into gear, rumours about the Glastonbury lineup begin to circulate. Long-time patrons of the festival and hopeful first-timers put in their best guesses for which artists might stun audiences from the Pyramid Stage. A legacy act, of course. Perhaps Elton John or The Rolling Stones? A relative newcomer such as SZA or Billie Eilish? Or maybe Fleetwood Mac will finally take their place in the headline slot?

The debate envelops festival fans each and every year, leaving Glasto goers either disappointed or elated when the rumours are finally cleared up and the event poster drops. While certain lineups have impressed audiences more than others, one thing’s for sure: the Pyramid Stage is sure to host some of the biggest names in the business, bringing the fields of Worthy Farm together at the end of the night.

The Glastonbury 2024 lineup featured an impressive slew of names across the board, with Idles and Disclosure appearing on the Other Stage, while Arlo Parks, Jamie XX and Fontaines DC could be found a little further down the poster. The headliners for the 2024 edition of the festival were just as wide-reaching, with popstar Dua Lipa, R&B singer SZA, and country icon Shania Twain sitting atop the poster.

Coldplay took to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2024 on Saturday night, delivering a set that would reaffirm their status as the festival’s most frequent return headliner. 

How many times have Coldplay headlined Glastonbury?

After releasing their debut album, Parachutes, in 2000, Coldplay headlined Glastonbury for the first time in 2002. In the same year, Stereophonics and Rod Stewart also delivered headlining performances on the Pyramid Stage. Coldplay delivered a stellar performance because they were invited back to the festival just a couple of years later in 2005, which would mark their second headlining performance. 

The ‘Yellow’ band returned to the beloved festival again in 2011, just ahead of the release of Mylo Xyloto. In the same year, Paul Simon, U2, and Beyoncé also topped the poster. Just five years later, Coldplay made their fourth headlining appearance at the festival, which cemented them as the most frequent headliner in the festival’s history, pushing them past The Cure and Van Morrison, both of whom had headlined three times by 2016.

The Cure matched Coldplay’s record when they returned to the Pyramid Stage in 2019 for the fourth time. They had previously headlined the festival in 1986, 1990 and 1995. However, Coldplay were quick to reclaim their title as Glastonbury’s go-to headliners. Earlier this year, they performed a closing set on the Pyramid Stage for the fifth time, regaining their lead on the gothic post-punk outfit.

Though it’s an impressive record to hold, Glastonbury attendees do seem to be tiring of Coldplay. While they deliver an impressive show full of singalong hits and LED wristbands, they have done little to push their sound further in recent years. A Coldplay set is sure to leave most festival-goers satisfied, but it doesn’t provide anything new or special to audiences.

Glastonbury’s lineups are much more exciting when they take a chance on new and upcoming artists, pushing them up the poster rather than reverting to a seemingly more reliable choice. Coldplay might get audiences singing along, but they do little to inspire passion in new music fans. Hopefully, next time Glastonbury considers giving Chris Martin another call, they will redirect Coldplay’s slot to a more exciting newcomer who has yet to close the Pyramid Stage.

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