There are now just a few days until the first batch of standard tickets for Glastonbury 2020 go on sale.
Fittingly, excitement is already reaching fever pitch over the 50th edition of one of the world's most famous festivals.
Ticket and coach packages sold out in just 27 minutes on Thursday night, and with next year marking the 50th anniversary of the world famous festival hype seems to be bigger than ever before.
Because of this, fans are predicting organisers Michael and Emily Eavis will be pulling out all the stops to make it one to remember next year.
So, who is going to headline? Paul McCartney, chief among the bookies' favourites, has been confirmed as the man top the bill on the Saturday night. Diana Ross has also been announced, but she'll be taking the "legend" slot on the Sunday afternoon.
Two early favourites were Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac, but both have since been ruled out by organiser Emily Eavis.
Here, we’ve focused on a few of the most credible contenders for the three headline spots, and run the rule over the other favourites.
Taylor Swift
The American megastar came back with a bang in August, releasing her seventh album Lover and announcing a string of tour dates. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a rather intriguing gap in her schedule, between an appearance at Oslo Sommertid on June 26 and Denmark’s Roskilde on July 1.
It would leave her enough time to hop over from Scandinavia to Somerset to perform on either the Saturday or the Sunday, leading to inevitable speculation she’s bound for the Pyramid Stage. Swift has so far remained silent on the matter, though.
Spice Girls
Could Spice Girls be destined for the Legends’ slot at next year’s Glastonbury? If their recent, sold-out arena tour is anything to go by, then they could certainly pull in the numbers. And the prospect of such an appearance might even tempt a certain member back into action.
Speaking on the Jonathan Ross Show in September, Mel B was pressed on whether Spice Girls could be in line for Glasto. “You’re asking me, I’m always going to say yes,” she replied, “because I’m always the one that’s like ‘Spice Girls will live forever’.”
She added there had been “bits and bobs of conversations” with the other members about Glastonbury, with Victoria Beckham apparently interested in getting involved — she was absent from the recent tour.
The 1975
Asked in December last year whether The 1975 are ready to headline Glastonbury, frontman Matty Healy said: “Yeah, I think we are. I know that we are. Glastonbury, give us a year.”
By that logic, 2020 will be the year that Healy and co take top billing in Somerset. They were the headline act this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals, and seemed well-suited to the big time.
So could they be a good fit for the Pyramid stage? Emily Eavis responded soon after Healy’s initial comments, saying: “That’s good. Interesting. They’re great. Obviously we’d love to have The 1975.”
The other contenders
Elton John — He’s announced his retirement from touring and has plenty of free time next summer as he takes a break from his farewell tour. It would be a fitting goodybe.
Green Day, Weezer and/or Fall Out Boy — The pop-punk heroes are touring Europe together next summer, and are free on June 28 between dates in Huddersfield and Dublin.
Foals — Perennial festival favourites, Foals have played Glasto five times now, the last of which was a raucous secret set. Could their sixth appearance be the biggest?
Kendrick Lamar — The finest rapper of his generation, he hasn’t played in the UK since summer 2018. He would undoubtedly bring something special to the Pyramid stage.
Arctic Monkeys — Too soon? It was only six years ago that Arctic Monkeys headlined Glastonbury, but you wouldn’t put it past them to make a triumphant return.
Coldplay — Chris Martin made a fleeting appearance playing guitar alongside Kylie on the Pyramid stage in 2019. Don’t count out him coming back with the rest of his band next summer.
The Kinks — They haven’t played together for 22 years, and traded insults in the press for decades, but Ray and Dave Davies are back together. In June 2018, they announced they were working on a new album and that they intended to play shows. What’s more, The Kinks were the first band to ever headline Glastonbury back in 1970. Could the planets align? The chances seem slim, although they are included among the bookies' favourites.
Ariana Grande — Glastonbury grows ever fonder of booking big pop acts, and at the moment they don’t come much bigger than Ariana Grande. She’s a possibility, for sure.
Blur — Damon Albarn and the gang played on stage together for the first time in four years back in March, and haven't ruled out reuniting again. Their 2009 Glastonbury set was one for the ages.
Oasis — It’s everyone’s favourite rumour: an Oasis reunion. It’s going to take something special for the brothers to put their (many) differences aside. Would a Glastonbury headline set be sufficient? For now, let’s just say definitely maybe.
