Last year, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis revealed that the headliners of the 2014 edition have not played the festival before.
“There aren’t many bands left who haven’t played the festival, and before we run out I’d like to persuade the ones on my wish list to come down,” he told NME. “I think I’ve managed that with these three.” While Glastonbury’s line-up is always subject to rumour mongering, this new caveat narrowed it down a bit. Last year, we speculated on the identity of those mystery headlines – we’ve now revised that list to accommodate new possibilities and recent revelations.
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Fleetwood Mac
Chances: 50/50
After releasing their first new material in a decade, the tempestuous stadium legends would be a natural fit at Glastonbury, which is has played host to plenty of reunited (Blur) or resurgent (Rolling Stones) bands. 1987 single ‘Everywhere”s second life as the theme for an inescapable mobile phone advert last year can’t hurt – it even saw the track reach #15 in the UK singles chart, over 25 years on from its original release – but John McVie’s health certainly lowers their chances.
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Arcade Fire
Chances: Locked on, they’ve already confirmed
The Canadian band’s latest album Reflektor finds their star shining brighter than ever, and the band revealed in December that they would be one of Glasto 2014’s headliners. Turns out that Eavis was stretching the truth a little when he said the headliners hadn’t played the festival before then: the group played it back in 2007, albeit when their profile was a little lower.
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Outkast
Chances: Very good
With headline slots at Coachella and New York’s Governors Ball confirmed, Andre and Big Boi will surely be weighing up UK shows this year, and it’s not unreasonable to think that Glastonbury will be at the top of their list. From the festival’s perspective, it’s about as perfect a hip-hop fit as they could get: almost two decades’ worth of classic material to draw from, one of the genre’s biggest ever crossover singles, family-friendly, and equally adored by the heads and casual listeners alike.
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Kanye West
Chances: Not as good as Outkast’s
Glasto and hip-hop haven’t always got along: we all remember Noel Gallagher’s nonsense criticisms of Jay Z playing the festival in 2008 (and hopefully we all remember that Jay had the last laugh, covering ‘Wonderwall’ in response). Following Yeezus‘s success in the NME and Guardian‘s end of year charts, Kanye’s one of the few hip-hop acts with both the stature and the indie / broadsheet fanbase to make it work, though the fact that he’s not as parent-friendly as Outkast – or, we dunno, Jurassic Five – will count against him.
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Depeche Mode
Chances: Half-decent
Like Fleetwood Mac, the synth-pop legends returned last year with new material and a new tour. They passed on Glasto in 2009, citing concerns about the line-up, but perhaps 2014’s will suit them better.
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Dolly Parton
Chances: Well if The Sun says it…
According to The Sun, the country music legend is set for a Glastonbury appearance on Sunday, and plans to “get a helicopter straight down” after a show at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
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Kendrick Lamar
Chances: Not as good as Kanye’s
While he doesn’t have the global renown of the other names being bandied about, the Good Kid has become a reliable festival act on both sides of the Atlantic, playing Jay Z’s Made in America and last year’s iTunes Festival. Still, even with ‘Control’-gate and his Drake beef setting a new low for polite hip-hop pillow-fights, he’s not quite got the clout of a Kanye on this side of the pond.
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My Bloody Valentine
Chances: Slim to none
Dark horses don’t come much darker than My Bloody Valentine, but after releasing m b v after a two decade hiatus and planning even more material, stranger things have happened.
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Prince
Chances: Good
2013 saw the Purple One reveal a string of new material, and he certainly has selling power in the UK (e.g. his 21-night stand at the O2 Arena back in 2007). However, he’s had strong words for Glastonbury in the past: “They use my name to sell the festival,” he told The Guardian in 2011. “It’s illegal. I’ve never spoken to anyone about doing that concert, ever.” He also vowed never to release music via the Internet, yet here he is, in 2014, posting selfies on Twitter. They all come around eventually, and with speculation over a 2014 UK tour rife, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Prince head to Worthy Farm this year.
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Madonna
Chances: Half-decent
Madge was last rumoured for the festival in 2011, but as the list of icons who have yet to play Glastonbury continues to shrink, she remains one of the elusive stars that must be at the top of Michael Eavis’ list. Just no Molly references, okay?
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Stone Roses
Chances: Good
The Stone Roses have been perpetually rumoured for Glastonbury ever since cancelling their 1995 appearance at the festival. Since reuniting in 2012, they’ve played Coachella and Isle of Wight — is Glasto next?
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Calvin Harris
Chances: Slim
The $46 million dollar man is EDM’s reigning champ thanks to hits with Rihanna, Florence Welch, and Ellie Goulding. If Glastonbury wants a poster boy for garish dance music, look no further – Noel Gallagher would be all over it like a cheap suit.
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Daft Punk
Chances: Very slim, but will be rumoured right to the last minute
Sure, Daft Punk might have played Glastonbury’s Dance Tent (sans helmets) way back in 1997 (aka “The Year of the Mud”), but plenty has changed for the duo since then. That said, if they couldn’t be tempted to play Coachella – the festival where they first announced Random Access Memories last year – then surely Glasto is now off the cards.
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