The best Glastonbury sets of 2023
Here are the best sets from this year's Glastonbury festival.
Date published: 27th Jun 2023
This year wasn't exactly the most memorable for Glastonbury with multiple sets getting mixed reviews. But, it wasn't all bad and the Sunday was absolutely superb. There were a bunch of gems that we saw across the weekend (from the comfort of the sofa) that blew us away. Here are the best sets that you should watch back on IPlayer.
Young Fathers
Young Fathers have released one of the best albums of the year in Heavy Heavy and it was great to see those songs brought to life on one of the biggest stages the band has ever had. Flanked by their band and backing vocalists they gave rounding renditions of songs such as 'I Saw'.
After slogging it out for years, it seems as though Young Fathers are getting the attention they deserve and with performances lime this they will be gaining even more fans.
Find tickets for Young Fathers here
Lil Nas X
One of the most powerful Glastonbury sets of all time, Lil Nas X brought his A game to the festival. Completely switching up his production from his last tour, we got treated to an incredibly unique set design including a raging minotaur and a huge horse for 'Old Town Road'.
Lil Nas X could have been a one-hit wonder but instead, he has become an LQBTQ+ icon producing hit after hit. There has scarcely been a more unafraid performance of black queer sexuality on stage. It is truly inspiring stuff and he is still just 24 years old.
Find tickets for Lil Nas X here
Los Bitchos
This was the perfect way to kick off Friday at Glastonbury as relaxed melodies soon spun into all-out party starters. With their Latin rhythms, Los Bitchos kicked off the party in all the right ways. There were jubilant scenes within a crowd that they quickly brought onside.
Find tickets for Los Bitchos here
Elton John
Elton John's headline set was the most anticipated of the weekend and it brought in the crowd it deserved. Filling the Pyramid Stage to capacity, we got a set that featured big hits and huge special guests too including The Killers' Brandon Flowers.
As well as cementing his own legacy, Elton also used his set as a platform for emerging artists too such as Gabriels and Rina Sawayama which exemplified his commitment to shouting out who the next greatest acts are going to be (Apart from the cringe-worthy Stephen Sanchez who was milking it for all he could).
Pretenders
There may not be many of the original members of The Pretenders left to grace the stage but Chrissie Hynde has very much still got it. Playing a set full of hits, she brought out musical royalty in Dave Grohl and Johnny Marr to accompany her. Watching the joy on their faces as they all played together will warm your heart.
Fred Again
The scenes at Fred Again showed that he has ascended to an immense level of popularity already. Thousands flocked to see him and dance away the afternoon in what looked like one of the most euphoric moments of this year's Glastonbury festival.
Find tickets for Fred Again here
Fatboy Slim
There was never any doubt that Fatboy Slim was going to smash it out of the park at Glastonbury. He has an enviable amount of certified bangers to choose from and he brought so much energy. Even if he did bring out Rita Ora for her awful colour, there's no denying that this was a non-stop rave to remember.
Find tickets for Fatboy Slim here
Slowdive
Shoegaze royalty Slowdive are back with their first new music in a long time and they performed some of it here. 'Kisses' is a masterfully-produced sonic odyssey in keeping with their earlier work that saw them carve out a unique space for themselves. They smashed their set.
Lizzo
Lizzo, of course, brought her flute with her to Glastonbury and delivered a setlist that could have easily been one of the headline slots. Not many artists are able to replicate the levels of sheer joy that the American artist conjures and the crowd were absolutely loving it.
Find tickets for Lizzo here
Carly Rae Jepsen
Another set of pure pop perfection, Carly Rae Jepsen has been building up her name as one of the most underrated names in pop music. She has a surprising amount of hits that range from anthemic to disco-tinged and it meant that there was plenty of dancing to be found at her set.
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
