Neil Young’s long-awaited return to Glastonbury was met with disappointment on Saturday night, as sound problems plagued the veteran rocker’s Pyramid Stage headline performance - prompting a flurry of complaints from fans both at the festival and watching from home.
The 79-year-old Canadian opened his set with Sugar Mountain, greeting the crowd with a soft “thank you folks” as the song ended.
But the excitement quickly faded for many, who reported issues with sound quality, particularly with Young’s vocals, which were described by viewers as inaudible or “muffled.”
"Someone tell Neil Young to sing into a microphone," one person wrote on X. Another posted: "Sound needs turning up like ffs, he's shredding that axe and you can hardly hear it."
A third viewer added: “Fuming about Neil so-called Young just miming in front of a strobe light while writhing around in a pair of leather Y-fronts. This sort of pop outrage is killing live, quite dull dadrock.”
Some were even more blunt in their assessment. “Watched a few minutes of this Neil Young man - this is like the worst thing I've ever seen and heard,” one comment read. “It’s a no from me. Neil Young should not be headlining. Terrible!”
Watched a few minutes of this Neil Young man, this is like the worst thing I've ever seen and heard, there's only a few hundred people there ffs for a Headliner, why does he sound like that
— Moyesball Believer ⚒️ (@moyes4ever) June 28, 2025
The BBC broadcast the set live across its platforms, despite earlier confusion about whether it would air.
On Saturday morning, the corporation issued a statement confirming the performance would be televised, following initial reports that Young had requested it not be shown.
The last-minute U-turn followed Young’s previous criticism of Glastonbury’s partnership with the BBC, which he had described as “corporate” and “not the way I remember it.”
In a post on his website earlier this year, the musician had announced he would not perform, citing frustration with the festival’s broadcast deal.
“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,” he wrote at the time. “It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control.”
However, just days later, Young confirmed he would in fact go ahead with the show, saying the decision to withdraw had been based on inaccurate information. “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved,” he clarified.
“Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there.”
The set marked Young’s first Glastonbury appearance since 2009, when he last headlined the Pyramid Stage.
