Beyonce Glastonbury. A look back at past headliners from Glastonbury. Beyoncé headlined Glastonbury Festival in 2011. She was the first solo black woman to headline the festival. (Skin with rock band Skunk Anansie was the first Black female-fronted band to headline the Pyramid Stage in 1999)
As always with Glastonbury, critics quickly dismissed Beyoncé’s announcement, just like they did with her husband, Jay-Z, in 2008; both answered their critics with fantastic performances.
Beyonce Set List, Glastonbury 2011
- “Crazy in Love”
- “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
- “Naughty Girl”
- “Baby Boy” (featuring Tricky)
- “Happy Birthday”
- “Best Thing I Never Had”
- “End of Time”
- “If I Were a Boy” (contains elements of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”)
- “Sweet Dreams” (contains elements of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”)
- “Why Don’t You Love Me?”
- “Love Hangover” (performed by backing vocalists “The Mamas”)
- “The Beautiful Ones”
- “Sex on Fire”
- “1+1”
- “Irreplaceable”
- “Independent Women Part I”
- “Bootylicious”
- “Bug a Boo”
- “Telephone”
- “Say My Name”
- “Jumpin’, Jumpin'”
- “Survivor”
- “At Last”
- “Run the World (Girls)”
- “Halo”
Beyonce Glastonbury 2011
Looking back, it seems crazy to think that people were questioning if Beyoncé should be headlining Glastonbury. Her career has gone from strength to strength, and she is a true global superstar.
Many people have said that her headline slot at Glastonbury was career-defining, and I know for sure that she gained a lot of fans after her performance. People still talk about it now. I was reading a Reddit thread, and some of her fans say her Glasto performance is their favourite.
I think this sums it up perfectly:
Following her performance, fellow artist George Michael tweeted, “Just watching Beyonce’s performance at Glastonbury. I love that woman. Great artist, writer, singer, person … Something so generous about the fact that she covered songs that acknowledged Glastonbury’s typical audience. Very few American artists … would take the time or have the respect for a foreign audience to do that. She just gets better and better.”
Glastonbury has always changed with the times. When The Smiths played at Glastonbury in 1984, loads of people moaned that an indie band shouldn’t be headlining. The same goes for rap (Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar) and pop (Beyonce, Olivia Rodrigo). People will always moan about Glastonbury headliners. It is normally the ones who never go to the festival that moan. In their heads a festival should only include 90’s Britpop bands.
Glastonbury has always been big and international, but I think that since there have been more international headliners, the awareness of the festival has grown. I have been stopped by people in Japan, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and Colombia, all because I was wearing a Glastonbury T-Shirt.
Music is music. If you can’t find something you like at a festival with over 100 stages, then I think you need to broaden your tastes!
Will Beyoncé headline Glastonbury again?
I am quite certain of it. I saw her perform in 2023 in London, and it was one of the best gigs I have seen in a long while. Her catalogue has grown and evolved so much since 2011. I am sure she would equal or even better her 2011 Glastonbury performance.
The Glastonbury Festival Guidebook Is Now Available
Hey there, Glasto Newbie!
So, you’ve scored tickets to Glastonbury? Congrats! Now, let’s make sure your first time is more epic than a Pyramid Stage headliner. My Glastonbury Festival Guidebook is like your cool best friend who’s been there, done that, and is ready to guide you through the festival’s wonders. Download it below or get the print version on Amazon here: The Glastonbury Festival Guidebook
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