THE COUNT: STARS QUEUE UP FOR GLASTO, HYDE PARK

Music junkies love to be in England at the end of June and beginning of July, when the Glastonbury Festival, British Summer Time concert series in London's Hyde Park and Wimbledon are all taking place. There's even a decent chance it might not rain, though you'd be advised to bring your Wellies.

This year's star power will be significant; sources say Glastonbury will be headlined by Dua Lipa and Shania Twain (CAA), with Coldplay in advanced talks to join the 6/26-28 bill.

It would be Coldplay's record-breaking fifth time topping the U.K.'s largest music festival, which draws 250k fans annually. As for Twain, after a 2019-2022 break from touring, her live business has been red-hot in arenas and sheds. She begins a new Las Vegas residency 5/10 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Organizers are said to have gone after Madonna (Arthur Fogel, Live Nation), Bruce Springsteen and Dolly Parton (Neil Warnock MBE/Scott Clayton, UTA) for one of the headline slots but fell short in locking any of them in—Glastonbury is notoriously tightfisted when it comes to guarantees.

The festival, which has been sold out since tickets went up in November, is not expected to unveil its full lineup until May. 


Emily Eavis, Emma Banks, Mike Greek

Meanwhile, insiders confirm that Twain will pull double duty at Glastonbury and AEG's Hyde Park series, and unconfirmed rumors suggest that Stevie Wonder (CAA) will anchor another night performing his classic 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, backed by an orchestra.

Andrea Boccelli and Robbie Williams are the only two acts confirmed and on sale at Hyde Park so far, but chatter abounds regarding rumored shows there by Stevie Nicks (Jeff Frasco, CAA), Kylie MinogueSZA (Brent Smith, Wasserman) and K-pop act Stray Kids. The Royal Parks, which oversees events at Hyde Park, will limit three of the nine planned concerts to 50k capacities.

Other rumblings from the U.K. have two of rap's biggest stars, Drake (Brent Smith) and Travis Scott (David Stromberg, Live Nation), teaming for a huge European stadium run, with three dates already held at the 55k-cap Twickenham Stadium in southwest London. 

Now, where's that tray of cucumber sandwiches?


Denis Desmond, John Reid, Jim King