This year, as every year since 1971 when ‘Glastonbury Fayre’ took place for the first time, Glastonbury was not one to miss. There was guaranteed to be something for everyone, but what were the highlights?
To kick us off, a special mention to the Glastonbury 2023 attendee who made headlines with her fantastic hairdo. Her curlers made the front pages and epitomised all things ‘Glasto’.

As for the music, the legends just kept on coming. We’ll go through chronologically, so grab your body glitter, wellies and see-through poncho and off we go!

On Friday, TikTok sensation and support act to Ed Sheeran on his UK and US tours Maisie Peters took to the stage. With a fantastic set of good old-fashioned pop music, she kicked the Pyramid stage off in perfect taste. She has been name-dropped in interviews by The Taylor Swift herself and for only twenty-one years old, is living millions of aspiring musicians’ dreams!

Shortly after this, Stefflon Don began her set. She added to the fantastic atmosphere already created with hits spanning her 7-year long career. With a mixture of her iconic songs and some brilliant new ones, she had the whole audience under her spell with her command of the stage.

Completing the trifecta of fantastic female musicians, Sharleen Spiteri and her band Texas rocked on in true Texas fashion. As someone who lives in Scotland, I can say confidently I could recite this whole 14-strong setlist with ease due to the sheer number of times this incredible set has been repeated and repeated in my house! Texas gigs are always a talking point in Sharleen’s home country, and this was no exception.

Topping off Friday night is the one we were all waiting for, The Arctic Monkeys. Despite lead singer Alex Turner’s recent laryngitis, the set went ahead and was every bit as good as their fans were expecting. They played hit after hit, from the oldies and goodies to the new favourites. If you have the opportunity, this is definitely one to watch if only for the pure Glastonbury feeling that exudes through the screen throughout the set. With the whole crowd behind them, they made Friday’s opening night one to remember for a long, long time!

Moving on to Saturday, the evening’s performances were off to a stellar start with the legendary Rick Astley. As well as some classics of his own, he took on some other pop hits with ease. From Harry Styles to The Smiths, this set was a definite crowd pleaser. He even made the crowd a solemn promise, he was never going to give them up. And after that superb performance, the whole crowd was buzzing, just in time for…

Raye! Personally, she is an artist whom I say I don’t know anything about yet I found myself singing along to the whole set through the TV screen, declaring “I didn’t know she did this one, I love this one” after almost every song. A frequently played artist on the radio, her set really let everyone know who she was, and made herself a new feature on hundreds of playlists internationally.

Next up came Aitch, whom some people will know as the ex-boyfriend of social media star Amelia Dimoldenberg. He brought a whole new dimension to this years’ Pyramid Stage, giving the eager audience something to really get behind and enjoy.

Lewis Capaldi graced the stage after Aitch, with a vastly different musical performance. While it has been widely reported that he struggled hugely throughout and relied on the crowd, this doesn’t totally seem to ring true for me. Until the latter part of his set, he seemed to be on stellar form belting out favourite after favourite. And when he waned, the crowd was there to pick him right back up again. Lewis has subsequently cancelled the remainder of his tour in order to look after his mental health, spreading a hugely important message about the pressures on touring musicians and the importance of self-care.

And with a pop of pure feel-good energy, Lizzo made her Pyramid Stage debut. Kicking things off with a classic, playing some real crowd-pleasers and ending with another few classics, she was the whole package. With the crowd already in a supportive mood after Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo’s set was elevated to new highs. Never standing still for a minute and keeping everyone on their toes, her set can only be described as quintessentially Lizzo.

A classic next, Guns ‘n Roses. What is there to say about them that hasn’t already been said a million time, in a million different ways? Absolutely fantastic, and just as iconic and commanding as the day they first set foot on stage in 1985.

Sunday rolled around, and the legends just kept on coming. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who is currently touring the UK, completed her set on the Pyramid Stage with all her usual vim and vigour. Although she performed an allegedly fantastic performance, we’ll never really know as the BBC didn’t record or air her set. In lieu of this, we rely on videos from the crowds for a taste of this performance.

Cat Stevens graced the stage next and did not disappoint. Adding to the long list of exceptional shows, the crowd enjoyed a quintessential performance and were reminded of the talent of Cat and his band. In addition, the long hit list was worked through and I’m sure some old favourites have made their way back onto playlists.

A favourite and real crowd-pleaser came in the form of Blondie. Her band have maintained their excellent form, as has their lead singer. With the perfect mix of their top 14 of many hits, there is nothing more I need to say. One way or another, everyone has a good time when Blondie’s on stage.

Lil Nas X appeared next on the setlist for Sunday and came with all his usual exuberance and energy. His set even included a costume change, which is more than can be said for some members of the crowd by Sunday evening. I can’t imagine there would be single soul in the crowd and at home not singing along with this set, it really was something to see.

Of course, a Greatest Hits roundup of Glastonbury 2023 would not be complete without a very special mention. Sir Elton John glittered onto the stage on Sunday evening and across the country, not a single person moved from in front of their screens. All three generations of ‘Elton’ were in the audience, as the actors from the biopic Rocketman who played both child Elton (Kit Connor) and adult Elton (Taron Egerton) had front row spots. There was singing and dancing which carried on well into the night and was the perfect end to another successful Glastonbury Festival.

As for those who were on other stages throughout the weekend, the list is just exceptional. Get ready, there’s a slew of legends coming your way; the Foo Fighters who are still battling against the mysterious ‘foo’, Carly Rae Jepsen who rumour has it is still waiting on that iconic phone call, Lionhearted Tom Grennan, the ironically calm Manic Street Preachers, Madeline Argy’s boyfriend Central Cee, the highly reported-on and ever punctual Lana Del Rey, King of the TikTok hit Dermot Kennedy, talent cultured by her time on ‘The Voice’ from Becky Hill, hit-master Rudimental, Hozier who after a whole decade has apparently still not been taken to Church, Eurovision’s Maneskin who went nowhere near any tabletops this time, France’s contribution to the event came in the form of Christine and the Queens, TikTok favourite Cat Burns, the very convincing Pretenders, Fatboy Slim who appeared disappointingly without a flashmob, creators of the iconic Outer Banks theme Alt-J, Rumer who allegedly performed but honestly who knows with a name like that, Freya Ridings who managed to find her way to stage despite being ‘lost without you’ and the slightly less spicy Melanie C. Whew, please take this opportunity to catch your breath after that musical marathon.

 In non-music news, it would be remiss of me to write about Glastonbury and omit the fantastic selection of flags flying in the crowds. Some highlights include the King's hand, quotes from reality TV shows such as Come Dine With Me and Love Island, caricatures of politicians such as PM Rishi Sunak and ex-MP Boris Johnson, Tracy Beaker's catchphrase 'Bog off' and most notably, Phillip Schofield with a disposable vape in hand. Oh, the British sense of humour. 

Glastonbury 2023 will go down in the history books for not only carrying on an amazing tradition in exceptional form, but also for the sheer joy of every single attendee. Once again, aptly named Worthy Farm became the most densely populated area on the planet with 1.5 million people in a single square mile. The planning team can give themselves a large pat on the back, but I’m sure they’re too busy planning next year’s event to take a breather. So from Lewis Capaldi to Lil Nas X, Texas to Tom Grennan, there’s just nothing quite like Glasto.