The 1975 Deliver Slick but Safe Glastonbury Set as Surprise Performances Steal the Show

The 1975 returned from a quiet stretch to headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury on Friday, offering a musically tight and fan-pleasing performance that doubled as their only scheduled show of 2025. But while the set ran smoothly, it left some wondering if the band had sacrificed their signature chaos for crowd comfort.

Arriving in a flicker of static and saxophone, the British band launched into “Happiness,” setting the tone for a streamlined tour through their biggest hits. Songs like “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” “Love Me,” and “She’s American” followed in quick succession, with frontman Matty Healy briefly crooning a few bars of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” offering the audience both nostalgia and charm.

For a group known as much for Healy’s unpredictable onstage antics as their genre-bending pop-rock sound, Friday’s performance was surprisingly restrained. Gone were the infamous stunts—no kissing fans or raw meat consumption this time around. Instead, Healy seemed focused, even vulnerable, admitting early in the set, “This is really scary and I’m really nervous and I thank you so much for coming.”

Musically, the band was in peak form. Their ability to weave digital pop textures with rock riffs and yacht rock smoothness remains their calling card, and it was on full display. Tracks from their debut album—now approaching classic status—like “Chocolate,” “Sex,” and “Robbers,” elicited screams and mass singalongs from the crowd.

One of the more reflective moments came with “Give Yourself a Try,” as Healy slipped into the role of world-weary older brother, sharing lyrical advice with festivalgoers: “When your vinyl and your coffee collection is a sign of the times / You’re getting spiritually enlightened at 29.”

But the performance’s emotional and self-referential peak arrived when Healy addressed the crowd with faux-grandiosity: “I have this thing where it’s difficult to tell when I’m being sincere… but I want to be sincere. What this moment is making me realise is that I, probably, am the best songwriter of my generation. The best poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. A generational poet.”

Cue “Chocolate”—a lighthearted ode to teenage mischief and avoiding the police.

Still, the spectacle was undercut by the band’s meta-commentary. At one point, a giant screen flashed, “Matty is changing his trousers,” poking fun at the production itself and diffusing the drama of a headline performance.

Perhaps most telling was Healy’s decision to sideline the band’s usual political commentary. “We don’t want our legacy to be one of politics,” he said. “We want it to be one of love and friendships.” It was a notable departure from a band once banned in Malaysia for protesting the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

While The 1975’s set capped the night, it was far from the only notable moment on Glastonbury’s opening day.

Surprises, Tears, and Comebacks

Earlier in the day, anticipation surged when rumors swirled that Lorde would appear on the Woodsies stage. She delivered, playing her just-released album Virgin in full. The crowd’s unfamiliarity with the new material didn’t dampen their enthusiasm—especially when she closed with fan favorites “Ribs” and “Green Light.”

Lewis Capaldi’s return was arguably the emotional center of the day. Two years after a difficult performance forced by vocal and mental health struggles, the Scottish singer reemerged with tears in his eyes. “I just wanted to come and finish what I couldn’t finish first time around,” he told the audience, who greeted him with a wave of support.

Elsewhere, surprise sets from Jarvis Cocker (a DJ set at the Greenpeace stage), Olivia Dean, and even a rumored Dave Grohl sighting helping out at the gates kept the day brimming with spontaneity. Paul McCartney was also spotted side-stage watching Inhaler, lending a layer of rock royalty to the proceedings.

Pop Icons, Country Queens, and Rap Royalty

On the Other Stage, Wet Leg earned their stripes with a performance that felt too powerful for their mid-afternoon slot. Frontwoman Rhian Teasdale doused herself in water to fend off the heat as they powered through “Ur Mum,” “Catch These Fists,” and the massive “Chaise Longue.”

Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes brought a different kind of fire, sprinting through 35 years of hits with unrelenting energy. “We don’t need no special effects,” he shouted. “Because we are the special effects.”

Loyle Carner followed with a more introspective set. At one point, eyes closed, he described the show as “the biggest of our lives.” Joined by Sampha for a soaring rendition of “Desoleil (Brilliant Corners),” Carner found his groove in the emotional resonance of his music.

PinkPantheress also took a moment to open up, telling fans she’d worried she wasn’t “big enough to do this stage.” But as the crowd erupted during “Boy’s a Liar,” those concerns evaporated.

Alanis and the Spoons

Closing out the night on the Pyramid Stage was Alanis Morissette, making her long-overdue Glastonbury debut with a set built around her iconic 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. Songs like “You Oughta Know” and “Right Through You” rang out with all their original fury, while “You Learn” and “Head Over Feet” offered gentler notes of optimism.

The most surreal moment? During “Ironic,” a song often mocked for misunderstanding irony, 10,000 fans held up spoons in unison—a nod to the lyric “It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.” The crowd delivered the punchline better than any critic ever could.

As the first day wrapped up, Glastonbury proved once again why it remains the crown jewel of British music festivals. The 1975 might have played it safe, but the day’s chaos, emotion, and spontaneous magic ensured the spirit of Glastonbury stayed gloriously unpredictable.