Lorde played a surprise set at Glastonbury on Friday (June 27), in celebration of her freshly released LP, Virgin. Watch footage from the show below.
Taking to the stage in the opening slot on the Woodsies Stage, the singer performed the new album in full and tore through two standout tracks from her back catalogue.
The 28-year-old was not promoted as part of this year’s official festival lineup. However, discussion had begun about a possible appearance after she teased a trip to Worthy Farm in an interview with BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley earlier this month.
The likes of Olivia Dean and Example were among the rumored artists for the much-anticipated “TBA” slot at Woodsies, before Lorde seemingly confirmed that she would be performing when she posted an aerial photo of the tent to her Instagram Story on Thursday (June 26).
With her beloved titanium water bottle by her side, she opened her set with “Hammer.” She then went on to play the rest of the record in order, including singles “What Was That” and “Man of the Year.”
After the latter, Lorde acknowledged the support of both the crowd and Glastonbury festival. “This is f–king sick,” she began. “Thank you for being here with us on the day that Virgin is born. We decided to play the whole record for you front to back. This may be a one-of-one [performance], you know.”
She then alluded to the difficult and protracted creative process behind Virgin. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to make another record, to be honest — but I am back. I am completely free. I am so grateful for you for waiting, I am grateful for you sitting in the sun right now. It’s going to be a great f–cking Glastonbury.”
Lorde finished the set with impassioned renditions of “Ribs” and “Green Light.” The former, which stands as the emotional centrepiece of debut album Pure Heroine, made its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 in May — 12 years on from its release.
The track debuted at No. 99 on the chart dated May 10, largely driven by 5 million official U.S. streams for the tracking week ending May 2 — a 51% gain over the previous week, according to Luminate. It had received a surge in streaming momentum following a planned pop-up appearance at New York’s Washington Square Park the month prior. “This [show] is crazy for me, I hope you understand,” Lorde said ahead of launching into “Ribs.”
The New Zealander first appeared at Glastonbury in 2017 on The Other Stage, shortly after the release of her soaring second album, Melodrama. She returned five years later to play the Pyramid Stage, a set which included surprise appearances from Clairo and Arlo Parks.
Friday marks the first main day of music at Glastonbury 2025, with a highly anticipated Pyramid Stage headline set from The 1975 and Billboard U.K. cover star Loyle Carner closing The Other Stage. There will also be performances from the likes of CMAT, Mercury Prize winners English Teacher, Lola Young, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress and many more.
Elsewhere, anticipation for further surprise sets continues to bubble across the site. With a series of TBAs on the lineup, speculation is rife that an act named “Patchwork” — who is set to perform on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday (June 28) — could be Britpop heroes Pulp. The band released its chart-topping eighth studio album, More, on June 6 to critical acclaim.
Secret slots have been a feature of Glastonbury for decades. In 2023, the festival platformed a mysterious band on the Pyramid Stage named “The Churnups,” which turned out to be the Foo Fighters. Other artists who have made surprise appearances in recent years include Fred Again.., Kasabian and Jack White, among others.
