Rihanna tipped to headline Glastonbury for the first time
Let's take a look at the evidence
Rihanna is the latest pop superstar to be rumoured to headline this year's Glastonbury. Every year there are many rumours around who could be announced to headline the iconic festival, and after Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Sza, took to the stage last year, fans have been waiting to hear who could be wowing the audiences this year.
The latest suggestions appear to surround former Super Bowl headliner Rihanna, after it emerged over the weekend, that she could be due to announce a six-night residency in London just after Glastonbury is set to finish on 29th June 2025.
Let's take a look at all the of the evidence Rihanna could be headlining Glastonbury in 2025.
London residency
While it has not been confirmed by the singer herself, on Friday 21st February, the Telegraph reported that Rihanna could be planning a huge six-night residency at London Stadium, the former Olympic Stadium.
According to the Telegraph's source, a 'senior concert industry source', said this residency would start just a few days after Rihanna could potentially headline Glastonbury.
Rihanna is working on new music
For many years, fans have been patiently waiting for Rihanna to release more information about her new music, and she recently confirmed 'R9' is in production. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the singer told the publication she had 'cracked the code' for her new music.
Ahead of her April cover for the magazine, she told them: 'I think music is my freedom. I just came to that realisation.
"I just cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work. I am actually feeling really good about this. I know I kept saying this over the years."
In the interview she also expressed that there is 'no genre' to her new music. "Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it's not me. It's not right. It's not matching my growth. It's not matching my evolution. I can't do this. I can't stand by this. I can't perform this for a year on tour.’"
She continued: "After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more."
This new music will be Rihanna's first studio album since releasing 'Anti' in 2016.
Rihanna has returned to performing
In 2023, we saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl half time show and the Oscars. While taking to the huge stage at the 2023 Super Bowl, performing hits from the past 17 years, Rihanna stunned fans by announcing her second pregnancy
Smurfs movie is out this summer
Just a few weeks after Glastonbury is set to take place, the new Smurfs movie is set for release (on 18th July). Rihanna has already teased some new music in the trailer of the film, and it would be the perfect opportunity to promote the film and play her new music.
While Rihanna headlining Glastonbury is currently just speculation, the first headliner of the festival has already been announced as Neil Young, with Rod Stewart in the Legends slot.
Take a look through all the Glastonbury headliner rumours 2025:
Rihanna
In February 2025 new rumours started that Rihanna could be due to headline the iconic festival, after the singer was rumoured to be setting up for a six-night residency at London Stadium (the former Olympic Stadium). These dates would be just after Glastonbury takes place. The singer has also confirmed that her eagerly-awaited ninth album is in production.
Harry Styles
One of the highest profile singers around at the moment - and fresh from his record-breaking 'Love On Tour', Harry Styles is one of the most popular names at the moment when it comes to rumoured Glastonbury 2025 headliners. Allegedly working away on his upcoming fourth album, the timings would line up perfectly for his first ever performance on the coveted Pyramid Stage.
RAYE
'Escapism' and 'BED' icon RAYE also joins the list of rumoured headliners, following the radical success of her debut studio album 'My 21st Century Blues'. With festival boss Emily Eavis keen to see more women headline the festival, the record-breaking six Brit Award winning 'Prada' would be a hugely popular option, with many already crying out for the singer to bag a headline spot.
Fred Again..
It's fair to say that Fred Again is one of the most biggest rising electronic music stars around at the moment - so it's no surprise that he joins the highly anticipated rumoured headliners for Glastonbury 2025. With his infectious energy and innovative sound, and hits such as 'adore u', he's quickly become a fan favourite, and would certainly bring an undeniably upbeat atmosphere to the adoring Glastonbury crowd.
Sam Fender
No stranger to a headline festival slot, having rocked the likes of Leeds & Reading Festival and Boardmasters, 'Will We Talk?' star Sam Fender is another artist in high demand at the moment. With two highly successful and award-winning studio albums under his belt, the 'Seventeen Going Under' singer is another popular name swirling the Glastonbury 2025 rumour mill.
Taylor Swift
It comes as no surprise that the reigning Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, is another name to join the rumoured headliners list for Glastonury 2025. Following her groundbreaking, record-breaking, and all-round breathtaking 'Eras Tour', and the drop of her 11th studio album 'The Tortured Poets Department', fans are crying out for the pop superstar to take to the Pyramid Stage in 2025.
Oasis
Following the monumental announcement of their long-awaited reunion, which will see them tour the UK from July 2025, many fans were convinced that this could coincide with an epic headline performance at Glastonbury 2025. Despite this, we regret to inform you that Oasis have in fact confirmed that this will not be happening, with them stating just days after their reunion announcement: 'Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year. The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live '25 World Tour.'
Madonna
In 2024, Madonna was reportedly in talks to perform the Sunday headline slot at Glastonbury - however, negotiations could allegedly not be agreed when it came to the singer's performance fee. On top of this, the singer didn't wrap 'The Celebration Tour' until May, with the potential headline performance making for quite the busy schedule. With 2024 not quite working out, could 2025 see negotiations pick back up to bag the legendary 'Material Girl' superstar?
Bon Jovi
With past Rock n' Roll performers such as Guns N' Roses (2023) and Foo Fighters (2017) having rocked the stage in the past, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's about time the Pyramid Stage was electrified by the legendary Bon Jovi. Not only do they have an impressive catalogue of timeless hits, but lead singer Jon Bon even admitted to Metro in 2024: "I feel like it would be pretty legendary. Let's think about it, for next year." Shockingly, the singer admitted that the band has never been asked to headline the festival - so could 2025 be the year we hear hits such as 'Always', 'Runaway' and 'You Give Love a Bad Name' belted throughout Worthy Farm?
Now read:
Who will be headlining at Glastonbury Festival 2025? The top rumoured names
Everything you need to know about the multi-talented Rihanna
Everything you need to know about Rihanna's incredible albums
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