Glastonbury Festival is upon us once again, as thousands of festival-goers are set to descend upon Worthy Farm this week for the UK’s flagship music event.
Headlined in 2025 by The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo, the lineup is once again stacked with an array of artists and genres
One of the most exciting discussion points around Glastonbury is always who will be playing a secret set, and the rumour mill has been in full swing over the last few months.
While we still await formal confirmation from the festival and artists, the secret set picture for this year is becoming clearer.
In this article, we explore who we believe is the leading candidate for each of the main secret slots.
TBA – WOODSIES (Friday 11:30-12:15) – MUMFORD & SONS / LORDE
This slot seems to be the toughest to call, but it has been clear for some time now that Mumford & Sons are highly likely to make a surprise appearance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
From their latest album run with “Rushmere” leading in nicely to the festival dates, to Marcus Mumford’s coy responses to interview questions on a Glastonbury appearance, Woodsies feels the most likely destination for the band based on secret set timings and a process of elimination.
The likes of Kasabian and Blossoms & Rick Astley have landed this Woodsies slot in previous years, so Mumford & Sons appear to the fit the bill nicely.
New Zealand pop sensation Lorde is another name floating around for this slot, so could we see a twist in the tale for this late morning set?
Or will Lorde’s appearance more likely be during Charli XCX’s Other Stage headline set…?
TBA – PYRAMID STAGE (Friday 16:55-17:30) – LEWIS CAPALDI
This is one of the most intriguing secret slots for 2025, with the relatively short set time of 35 minutes on the Pyramid Stage, preceding Alanis Morissette, yet to be unveiled.
The slot feels too short for a Pyramid Stage secret set, which in the past has been filled by the likes of Foo Fighters and The Libertines.
And it feels too long for a special guest speaker, with the likes of David Attenborough and Jeremy Corbyn previously appearing on the festival’s main stage.
However, with some “emotional returns” teased by Glastonbury this year, it appears Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi could be making a poignant Pyramid Stage return in this slot.
Capaldi is tipped to complete his 2023 set, which was negatively impacted by his Tourette’s Syndrome tics on stage, to kick off his musical comeback on the biggest stage of all!
PATCHWORK – PYRAMID STAGE (Saturday 18:15-19:15) PULP
The most widely discussed secret slot in 2025 has undoubtedly been “Patchwork”, the unknown entity set to grace the Pyramid Stage for an hour on Saturday evening.
Initially, this was rumoured to be US indie pop band Haim, whose name linked with author Sylvia Haim who wrote a book called “Patchwork”.
However, it now looks set to be iconic Sheffield band, Pulp, who are riding the crest of a wave following the release of sensational comeback album “More” and a string of acclaimed live performances.
Although formally denied by the band on several occasions, the word “Patchwork” was floated around in an interview with BBC Radio 2 by keyboardist Candida Doyle, and the band have since been all-but-revealed by trustworthy social media collective “SecretGlasto”.
If it is to be a “Pulp Summer”, surely the Pyramid Stage would be the perfect setting for a band back at the top of their game?
TBA – THE PARK STAGE (Saturday 19:30-20:30) HAIM
The final big secret slot will follow Patchwork’s Pyramid Stage appearance over at The Park Stage, and while they may not be connected to the aforementioned alias, they look set to make a Worthy Farm appearance elsewhere.
Their latest album “I quit” has just dropped to widespread acclaim, and rumours first started to swirl around a Glastonbury secret set when they announced a show in Margate for Glastonbury weekend.
Surely it’s no coincidence that the sisters from the states will be travelling over to the UK for a gig this week on the same weekend as the country’s flagship music event?
They have since confirmed their love for one particular stage at the festival in recent interviews when quizzed about Glastonbury… and yes, it was The Park Stage!
So do we have the four main secret slots nailed on? Other artists rumoured include Lorde, Robbie Williams, Sam Fender, Chappell Roan, and of course, Oasis...
There are more spots to fill across the weekend, including a couple on the BBC Introducing Stage, so keep your eyes peeled for more clues and confirmations as the week progresses!
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