Rock star Neil Young has announced he will not be performing at this year’s Glastonbury, saying he believes the festival, which is partnered with the BBC, is “now under corporate control”.
The 79-year-old Canadian wrote on his website that he and his band the Chrome Hearts “were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favourite outdoor gigs” but will now not be at Worthy Farm in June.
“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,” said Young, who headlined Glastonbury in 2009.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”The 79-year-old Canadian wrote on his website that he and his band the Chrome Hearts “were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favourite outdoor gigs” but will now not be at Worthy Farm in June.
“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,” said Young, who headlined Glastonbury in 2009.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
Young thanked fans on his website for seeing him and his band last time they were at the festival, adding: “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.
“Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
The BBC has declined to comment on Young’s website post.
The festival has worked closely with the BBC since 1997, and is its exclusive broadcast partner.
Young headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2009 – alongside Bruce Springsteen and Blur – ending his set with an extended version of his track Rockin’ In The Free World and a cover of The Beatles classic A Day In The Life.
His performance came 12 years later than planned, after he’d originally been forced to pull out through injury after cutting his finger making a sandwich.
