Outside of the headliners, the Glastonbury ‘legends slot’ is one of its most enduring – if recent – myth makers. A Sunday afternoon set, perfectly timed to lift spirits and spur you on through that final evening’s sesh, it’s boasted everyone from Neil Diamond to Dolly Parton, Lionel Ritchie to Shirley Bassey, all of whom brought huge singalongs to the Pyramid Stage. Now, finally, it’s Kylie’s turn to shine.
Announced this morning (19 December) as Glastonbury 2019’s Sunday afternoon performer, Kylie’s world-beating ‘Golden’ tour is primed to pull into Worthy Farm on June 30, hits and hotpants in tow. The ‘Golden’ tour, which recently tore through the UK, is a masterclass in pop performance – centred around a Midwest American tale of heartbreak and hedonism, it finds Kylie breaking free of her sugary pop past once and for all. Taking in everything from country to ripping rock numbers (alongside the hits, naturally), it’s proof she’s more than just a shiny pop star.
Below, we’ve rounded up all the reasons Kylie Minogue’s Sunday afternoon legends slot at Glastonbury 2019 is set to be one of the weekend’s most bombastic hours.
She’s got bangers for days
To the casual observer, Kylie’s repertoire might extend as far as the sugar-sweet ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ and robo-pop hit ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’. Live, though, the sheer volume of smash hit singles Kylie’s put her name to really comes into its own.
The ’80s era saw Kylie flirting with everything from soaring synth-pop (‘Love At First Sight’) to sultry balladry (‘Especially For You’), and the ’90s saw ‘Better The Devil You Know’ join the pantheon of hits. But despite the ‘legends’ title, she couldn’t be further from a nostalgia piece. Throughout the 2000s, she brought the bolshy likes of ‘In Your Eyes’, ‘On A Night Like This’, ’Spinning Around’ and ‘Get Outta My Way’ to the table, while she also explored spookier, sexier territory with tracks like ‘Slow’ and ‘Confide In Me’. Even ‘Dancing’, the country-tinged lead single from her most recent album, is sure to send the Worthy Farm crowd into line-dancing frenzy.
The stage set-up is brilliant
The ‘Golden’ tour saw Kylie pull out all the stagehand stops – from catwalks and trapdoors, to plot-pushing props like motorbikes, pool tables and phone booths, it was half-concert, half-theatre-production, in the way all the very best pop shows are.
Of course, there’s countless costume changes, too. From the now-iconic gold shorts, to billowing dresses and (of course), something bordering on a cowgirl costume – she’s country now, don’tcha know – Kylie’s musical eclecticism is equally matched by her stylist’s adventurousness. Might have to work some wellies into the Glastonbury wardrobe, mind.
She’s a certifiable legend, these days
At 50 years of age (yup), and three decades into her pop career, the one-time Neighbours star is an integral part of the British cultural canon – despite her Australian upbringing.
The ‘Golden’ tour only cemented that fact, with Kylie making reference to her childhood and her now 30-year career throughout. On its opening night, she laughed at old merch worn by the front-row faithful, and smiled that her 14-year-old self would’ve dreamed of a glittery stage. Whether she’ll be bringing the glitter to Worthy Farm is another matter entirely, but the Pyramid’s a pretty dreamy locale in and of itself.
It’s been 14 years in the making
What’s more, Kylie’s earned this one. 14 years ago she was forced to cancel her 2004 headline slot to undergo treatment for breast cancer, and – bar a brief on-stage cameo with Scissor Sisters in 2010 – she’s never been able to return for a full-blown set.
“It will be 14 years since I was originally meant to appear there and so much has happened up to now,” she wrote on Instagram, announcing the show. “I can’t wait to see you all there to share this special show.” Regardless of your stance on pop’s place at Glastonbury, this victory lap will surely be one for the history books.