Greg James has mocked Neil Young‘s Glastonbury 2025 U-turn which saw him overturn his decision to pull out of the festival.
The singer-songwriter made headlines earlier this week when he shared a statement with fans, confirming that he was set to perform at Glastonbury later this year, but had pulled out due to creative differences.
Writing on his website Neil Young Archives on Tuesday (December 31), he said: “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favourite outdoor gigs. We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.”
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being,” he continued. “Thanks for coming to see us the last time! We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
Then a few days later, after sharing the update, the songwriting icon announced that he has changed his mind once again, and will be playing at the site as initially planned.
Now, BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James has mimicked Young’s statement with his own jokey take on his breakfast show on Instagram ahead of his return tomorrow (January 6).
“The R1 Breakfast show team and I were looking forward to starting another year of the show and delivering a load of stupid stuff to get you through the early hours, it’s one of my all time favourite gigs,” he began.
“We were told that the BBC was now a partner and wanted us to a do lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Radio 1 is now under corporate control and is not the way i remember it being. Thanks for listening the last few years!
“We will not be able to continue our work to mess around with the biggest stars in the world and celebrate our amazing listeners, like Owen who accidentally smashed 10,000 eggs, or Alice who flew to Paris to try and get off with some Olympians in the summer. This also means we’ll no longer be conducting funerals for any more ducks.
“Radio 1 is a corporate turn – off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you on one of my many podcasts instead.”
Then much like Young, James followed it up with a statement which goes back on his words.
“Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to do the breakfast show, which I have always loved. Happily, the radio show is now back on my itinerary and we look forward to being there when you need some fun in the morning! Hope to see you there!” he added.
James continued: “Looking forward to management’s reaction to a Neil Young Glastonbury joke. I might have inadvertently ruined my first day back. Made me laugh though so that’s good at least.”
The upcoming slot will mark a return to the site for Young, as he previously headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2009. That appearance came after he was scheduled to do so 12 years earlier, only to be forced to pull out through an injury.
It has not been clarified what the exact “error in the information” refers to, and further details about what to expect from Young’s upcoming set remain unknown.
Other rumoured headliners include Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Fender, The 1975, Taylor Swift and Stevie Wonder. The full line-up for the festival is usually shared in March.
Last November, tickets for Glastonbury 2025 sold out in just 32 minutes, with the festival making use of a new queuing system for tickets.
For those still looking to get tickets, re-sale tickets are usually made available in the spring, and the full line-up usually drops shortly before then. These re-sale options, however, tend to sell out quickly, too. It was reported towards the end of 2024 that coach and ticket re-sale bundles sold out in just 18 minutes and general re-sale tickets sold out in 22 minutes for the 2025 edition.
The upcoming instalment will mark the last before Glastonbury takes a fallow year in 2026. Visit here for more information on how to get tickets to Glastonbury, pricing information and more.
2024’s festival was headlined Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, with other memorable sets from the likes of Shania Twain, Little Simz, Fontaines D.C. and IDLES.
