Noel Gallagher brands Glastonbury 'woke' as Oasis star blasts 'virtue-signalling' acts

Noel Gallagher, 58, has described Glastonbury as "kind of preachy and a bit virtue-signalling" despite the festival championing leftwing political causes throughout its 50-year history.

The Oasis guitarist said during a podcast interview months before this year's festival started: "It's getting a bit woke now, that place, and a bit kind of preachy and a bit virtue-signalling. I don't like it in music - little f**king idiots waving flags around and making political statements and bands taking the stage and saying, 'Hey guys, isn't war terrible, yeah? Let's all boo war. F**k the Tories man,' and all that. It's like, look - play your f**king tunes and get off."

However, Noel regularly attends the festival, and he made his first solo appearance in 2022, fronting Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. The outspoken musician added: "Donate all your money to the cause - that's it, stop yapping about it.

"Let's just say, for instance, the world is in a bit of a f**ked up place ... what's all the kids in a field at Glastonbury going to do about it? Everybody knows what's going on in the f**king world, you've got a phone in your pocket that tells you anyway. What is the point of virtue-signalling?"

Journalist Peter Lloyd shared his sentiments on X on Saturday evening, following a slew of controversial moments throughout the day.

Commenting on Noel's words, one X user said: "How Ricky Gervais spoke to actors, Noel does to musicians." Another penned: "Thank god for some sense. Music should unite and be uplifting, not be destructive and call for violence. What message is this sending to young people? This country is in real trouble." A third added: "Well said, Noel Gallagher. (Never thought I'd say that to Noel Gallagher)."

Glastonbury organisers themselves said they were "appalled" by the statements made by Bobby Vylan, of punk duo Bob Vylan, during their set on Saturday.

The performer led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of "death, death to the IDF", meanwhile Kneecap's performance is reportedly being assessed by police following an X-rated blast aimed at Sir Kier Starmer and crowds chanting "F**k Starmer".

Their statement, released this morning, read: "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.

"However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence."

Glastonbury Festival can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and listened to on BBC Sounds.