Neil Young turns down Glastonbury Festival due to BBC’s ‘corporate control’
The 79-year-old headlined the festival at Worthy Farm in 2009.
Neil Young has said he will not be playing at Glastonbury Festival this year as he believes the music event is “now under corporate control” of the BBC.
The Canadian-born singer-songwriter, 79, who headlined the festival in 2009, said he and his band were told to “do a lot of things” they were not interested in, in a post to his website.
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.
“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.”
The BBC is the exclusive broadcast partner of Glastonbury and has worked closely with the festival since 1997.
This year, Sir Rod Stewart will fill the coveted teatime legends slot on the Sunday night.
The rest of the music acts and headliners for the festival, taking place this June, are yet to be announced.
In 2022, Young reportedly requested his content be removed from Spotify due to its hosting of the Joe Rogan podcast, which has been known to air vaccine-sceptical views.
Young, who is married to US actress Daryl Hannah, enjoyed success with the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and was also in the rock band Buffalo Springfield.
The BBC and Glastonbury Festival have been approached for comment.
