Glastonbury has announced the 90 finalists for the 2025 edition of the Emerging Talent Competition.
The free-to-enter contest gives up-and-coming musicians the chance to play at one of the festival’s main stages. The contest is supported by PRS for Music and the PRS Foundation and the acts were picked by Glastonbury‘s judging panel, which is made up of 30 of the UK’s best online music writers.
The 90 finalists will be narrowed down to a shortlist of eight acts, who will then compete at the live finals next month for a chance to play at one of the main stages at the annual Worthy Farm music bash. The winner of the competition will be awarded a £5,000 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize, while the two runners-up will also each win a £2,500 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize.
Some of the acts on the longlist include NME 100 alumni Westside Cowboy, Matt-Felix, Tia Gordon, Rozsa, Hank, Jessie Reid, Dog Race, Phoebe Hall, Better Heaven and more. Check out the YouTube playlist made up of all 90 chosen acts below, and visit here for the full longlist.
Previously speaking to NME about the competition back in 2022, Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said: “There’s been such a shortage of live music and new bands have really suffered as a result. So to be able to offer something really solid and give an opportunity to play at the finals and potentially at the festival is really exciting. The new music side to the festival is something I’m really passionate about and I love opening that up to the new talent.”
CEO of the PRS Foundation Joe Frankland also spoke to NME about the competition and stressed the need for grant funding for up and coming acts, especially since the pandemic.
“Grant funding is more vital than ever. We’ve got a great track record of being able to give support to artists and creators when they most need it and the impact of that funding has been huge but way more so over the pandemic. It’s more important than ever now that we’re coming out of that and returning to live. There’s still a massive financial need out there.”
The 90 acts on the longlist for our 2025 Emerging Talent Competition – supported by @PRSforMusic & @PRSFoundation – have been announced! Listen to them at -> https://t.co/spuwBovsdK #ETC2025 pic.twitter.com/MmyqmaIcWP
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) March 26, 2025
He continues: “The ETC been so huge for so many different artists, the main thing is the slot at Glastonbury but we sit down with them afterwards and help them plan the next steps of their career. The instant recognition you get as the winner of this competition means having money to support that next step is really crucial.” He says making the final is invaluable even for those who don’t take the top slot. “There are very few opportunities to play to all the stage bookers at Glastonbury and some external judges like Huw Stephens under one roof.”
Last year’s Emerging Talent Competition finalists were The Ayoub Sisters, Bryte, Caleb Kunle, JayaHadADream, KID 12, Nadia Kadek, Olivia Nelson and Problem Patterns, with Jamaican-Irish rapper JayaHadADream being the 2024 winner.
Speaking to NME following her win at last year’s competition, JayaHadADream shared: “It feels completely surreal also heartwarming and reassuring. There are so many emerging artists doing amazing things, so to feel this seen and heard in such a busy climate is incredible, especially in hip-hop where women are so underrepresented.”
Other notable winners include Declan McKenna, who entered the competition in 2015 with his hit song ‘Brazil’. He was awarded a £5,000 prize and a slot on the festival’s William’s Green Stage. Scouting For Girls, The Subways, Liz Green, Golden Silvers, We Have Band, Ellen and the Escapades, Treetop Flyers, Bridie Jackson and the Arbour, M+A and She Drew the Gun have also previously won the competition.
Glastonbury 2025 will take place on the final weekend of June, running from Wednesday June 25 to Sunday June 29 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.
Emily Eavis recently confirmed a fallow year for the event at Worthy Farm set to take place in 2026 to “give the land a rest”. That means, there will be a one-year break before Glastonbury returns in 2027.
In early March, the festival shared its first line-up poster for 2025, which revealed that the previously-confirmed Neil Young would be gracing the Pyramid Stage with his live band The Chrome Hearts on Saturday night. He’ll headline alongside The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Elsewhere on the bill are Loyle Carner, Charli XCX, The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro, The Maccabees, Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, RAYE, Wolf Alice, The Prodigy, Doechii, St. Vincent, Deftones, Scissor Sisters, The Libertines, Wet Leg and more.
In other news, the current full line-up and stage splits for Glastonbury 2025 have recently been shared. Elsewhere, it was confirmed that Doechii would be clashing with Charli XCX when she closes out the West Holts Stage on Saturday evening.
Organisers have promised that “many more acts and attractions [are] still to be announced” in the coming months. As has become customary in recent years, Glasto later kicked off its rundown of the individual area poster drops in the lead-up – revealing more names and details on who’s playing where and when.
Fans can expect the full stage-by-stage bill and times to be revealed in late May or early June.