Glastonbury organisers hope to brush off jibes that this year’s festival was the ‘worst ever’ by persuading rap sensation Eminem to headline next year.
Talks are already under way to persuade the American star to perform in 2025 after many of the 210,000 fans who attended last weekend’s event slammed the ‘dreadful’ top-of-the bill acts Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA.
A festival source said: ‘While many are putting a brave face on the fact that the festival wasn’t exactly a success this year, they are already preparing for a bigger and better line-up next year.
Glastonbury is barely over but the bosses want Eminem – they hope he will be their saviour after so few people went to watch SZA. They have everything crossed that he will say yes.’
Eminem has already headlined UK festivals including Reading and Leeds in 2017 but has never played Glastonbury’s main Pyramid stage.
Eminem performing at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in the USA in 2018 but the legendary rapper could be set to perform at Glastonbury next year
Eminem onstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2021. The rapper has performed in the UK before but not at Glastonbury
Wrapping up the weekend was SZA’s headline gig on Sunday night, but the performance was poorly attended and plagued by sound issues
SZA’s show also struggled to draw in the huge crowds that were on display during Coldplay ‘s headline slot the previous evening, with the small numbers noticeable in BBC’s coverage
Glastonbury-goers have slammed the festival after a ‘disappointing’ lineup, miming allegations, technical issues and a ‘dreadful’ headline act left it mired in controversy
Festival goers were particularly scathing about the choice of American singer SZA in the Sunday night slot filled by rock royalty Elton John last year.
One wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘Barely anyone showed up to SZA. The organisers have messed up big time here.’
Coldplay, who were headlining for a record fifth time, were branded ‘boring’ for ‘trawling out their same age-old hits’ such as Yellow and Fix You.
The British band’s frontman, Chris Martin, was ’embarrassed’ to be asked to top the bill yet again and offered organisers the chance to find another option, The Mail on Sunday reported last month.
Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of festival founder Michael Eavis, said of this year’s line-up: ‘I think it reflects what’s happening in the music world at the moment. There aren’t a lot of new rock acts to choose from if I’m honest.’