Rod Stewart’s not got time to muck about. The duck-haired shagger’s last visit to Worthy Farm saw him headline in 2002. For this, the coveted Glastonbury Sunday afternoon legends slot, Sir Rod said he “begged” for a longer slot but had to settle for a meagre 90 minutes. The order of the day is rattling through the wedding disco bangers – and fast.
Backed by sparkly-dressed backing singers who take the lead while Rodders makes costume changes from one garish block-coloured suit to another, this set comes loaded with oodles of Vegas style razzle dazzle and showmanship. The collective groan heard around Glasto over his recent comments about “giving Nigel Farage a chance” is lost to cheers from the sunburned hordes who gather for the opening spoils of ‘Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)’, Sam Cooke’s ‘Having a Party’, The Persuaders ‘Some Guys Have All the Luck’ and raspy classic ‘The First Cut Is the Deepest’.
He seems business-like when he gets down to it and lets slip that if we bear with him, there’s the promise of guest turns from The Rolling Stones‘ Ronnie Wood, Simply Red’s ginger croonmeister Mick Hucknall, and Lulu. We’ve just gotta keep on rollin’. “This is one from 1979,” he offers introducing ‘If You Want My Body’, adding: “Stick it up your bum.”
With a touching tribute to Michael Eavis, just nine years senior to Stewart at 89, the wheelchair-bound Glastonbury founder receives a hero’s welcome. The icons keep on coming thick and fast with Simply Red wee man Mick Hucknall stepping out for mass sing-along ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’, before welcoming fellow “legends” Ronnie Wood (up first for a full-bodied outing of The Faces rollicking ‘Stay With Me’, featuring The Rolling Stone shredding like fuck) and Lulu parading arm-in-arm with Stewart for ‘Hot Legs’ (accompanied by photos of Rod in football kits with varying degrees of shorts that leave not enough to the imagination).
“We’ve gotta get off the stage now,” he ends, rolling slightly past his allotted time. “We’ll leave you with this thought” – ending with the tender sway of ‘Sailing’ beneath a captain’s hat. It’s pure loveliness. It may be the staggering heat or a stronger Sunday hangover this year, but the crowd aren’t quite as raucous as they often are for the legends slot, despite the many resplendent in copycat wigs and spandex. Still, the man’s voice is on point and he knows how to charm while giving you bang for your buck.
Rod Stewart’s Glastonbury 2025 setlist was:
‘Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)’
‘Having A Party’
‘Some Guys Have All The Luck’
‘Love Train’
‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’
‘Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)’
‘Forever Young’
‘You Wear It Well’
‘Maggie May’
‘Young Turks’
‘It’s A Heartache’
‘I’d Rather Go Blind’
‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’
‘Lady Marmalade’ [performed by the backing singers]
‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’
‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’ [with Mick Hucknall]
‘Baby Jane’
‘Proud Mary’ [performed by the backing singers]
‘Stay With Me’ [with Ronnie Wood]
‘Hot Legs’ [with Lulu and Ronnie Wood]
‘Sailing’
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