Secret Sets At Glastonbury: Everything You Need To Know

Glastonbury is fast approaching, and if you’ve managed to nab tickets, you’ll likely be planning out which musicians you want to see – but you may not have thought about who will appear for the festival’s famous secret sets. Want to know more? Here’s the rundown.

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Glastonbury Secret Sets: How Do They Work & Who Will Perform This Year?

While Glastonbury is renowned for its huge headliners and legendary Pyramid Stage performances, there’s even more to the lineup than you might think. Alongside all the big names confirmed to play, you can expect plenty of surprise performances as the weekend unfolds – including the festival’s long-standing tradition of secret sets, which see musicians pop up onstage at only minutes’ notice. But how exactly do Glastonbury’s secret sets work, and who can we hope to see this year?

What Are Secret Sets At Glastonbury?

Glastonbury is, of course, known for its killer lineup, but a select few slots are left empty every year for surprise performances. These sets see artists turn up unannounced, treating fans to a one-off performance that’s far more intimate than what you usually see from such big names.

Past performers have included The Killers, who graced the John Peel stage in 2017, and Lady Gaga, who appeared in 2009. Bastille, Mumford & Sons and The Libertines have also played hidden shows at the festival before, and the Foo Fighters surprised fans with a gig on the Pyramid Stage last year. 

How To Find A Secret Set

While these unplanned performances are supposed to remain under wraps, they often get leaked in the months leading up to Glastonbury – and plenty of rumours are shared too. Alongside checking social media (of course), a good way to find out when secret sets might be is to look for gaps in the schedule for each stage, as these slots might have been reserved for last-minute gigs. In a particularly sneaky twist, the lineup has also been known to include fake band names (mystery band The ChurnUps took a spot last year, before they were later revealed to be the Foo Fighters). 

Glastonbury Secret Sets 2024

As far as secret gigs go this year, it’s rumoured that The Killers might turn up (again), since there’s a rather curious gap in their UK touring schedule. Fans are also hoping that Harry Styles will make an appearance, as he’s often been the subject of speculation in the past – but it looks like his current hiatus is set to continue throughout 2024, so a Glasto set from him really would be a surprise. Check back for updates.