Rod Stewart welcomed Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis onto the Pyramid Stage durings his Legends slot at the festival on Sunday (29 June), in a heartwarming move to mark Eavis’s 90th birthday.
Eavis, who will turn 90 in October this year, arrived on stage in a wheelchair, accompanied by his daughter Emily, the festival’s organiser.
As Eavis entered the main stage at Worthy Farm, Stewart, 80, greeted him with an embrace and a kiss on the cheek.
“Happy Birthday to Michael Eavis, he’s the guy who founded Glastonbury,” Stewart told the crowd. “Let’s all give him a big round of applause. Michael, where are ya? Don’t be shy!”
Stewart then launched into a performance of his 1975 hit “I Don’t Want to Talk About It”, featuring a singalong from the enormous crowd.
Eavis’s appearance wasn’t the only surprise of the show, with Stewart bringing Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall on stage straight afterwards for a rendition of Simply Red’s 1989 track “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”.
He then welcomed Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood, for their 2004 Faces hit “Stay With Me”, followed by Scottish star Lulu.
Elsewhere, Stewart’s set included hits such as “Maggie May” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
His performance came just days after he endorsed Nigel Farage in a newspaper interview, telling Brits to “give Farage a chance”. He claimed that the Reform UK leader is “coming across well” when asked about the political future of the UK.
Eavis also made headlines earlier this week when he stated that those who disagree with Glastonbury’s political leanings “can go somewhere else”.
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The event has long been known for its strong political undercurrent, with stages such as Left Field and Green Fields’ Speakers Forum regularly hosting politicians, pundits, and celebrities.
Asked by the Glastonbury Free Press, the festival’s resident newspaper, if the event still stands for something, Eavis did not mince his words.
“Oh heaven’s above, yes, of course it does,” he said. “And I think the people that come here are into all those things. People that don’t agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else!”
US pop star Olivia Rodrigo will be closing the festival with her headline performance on the Pyramid Stage at 9.45pm on Sunday night.
Keep up to date with The Independent’s Glastonbury live blog here.
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