Dua Lipa reflects on “beautiful” Glastonbury headline set: “I took as many mental pictures as I could”
The singer received some "messages from previous headliners", including Adele
by Tom Skinner · NMEDua Lipa has reflected on her headline set at Glastonbury 2024, saying that she “took as many mental pictures as [she] could” during the show.
The pop star topped the Pyramid Stage at this year’s edition of the festival, alongside Coldplay and SZA. It followed the release of her third studio album, ‘Radical Optimism’, in May.
During a new interview with Billboard, Lipa looked back on “the best year of [her] life” which saw the singer do “things that [she’s] wanted to do for so long”. This included her debut headline performance at Worthy Farm in June.
“I try not to let these moments pass me by so I made sure that when I was standing up there I took as many mental pictures as I could,” Lipa told the publication.
“It was so beautiful. I had so many messages from previous headliners. You sort of earn this badge of honour in that moment, and it felt like I joined the coolest club in the world.”
Lipa went on to reveal that Adele – who headlined Glasto in 2016 – was among those to have reached out.
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“She said, ‘I’ve been thinking about you all day and just wanted to wish you luck for tonight. Don’t forget to soak it all in’,” she recalled. “Looking back at that Pyramid was me trying to do that.”
Lipa was joined on stage by Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker during her Glastonbury headline slot. The musician, who co-produced and co-wrote ‘Radical Optimism’, performed a rendition of ‘The Less I Know The Better’ with the singer, and played guitar on set-closer ‘Houdini’.
Ahead of the show, Lipa revealed how she had “manifested” headlining Glastonbury “by album three”. She also remembered writing a note early on in her career about her hopes of one day working with Parker.
In a four-star review of Lipa’s Glastonbury 2024 headline show, NME described the set as “a powerhouse performance to shut down the critics”.
It added: “‘I don’t want this moment to pass me by,’ she says, looking out in awe at the mass of people in front of her, ‘I’m not gonna get bored of this’. The feeling is mutual, too, as the night not only becomes a glittering celebration of pop in its highest form but also serves as a reminder that even the most outlandish aspirations can become a reality.”
Meanwhile, Lipa has reacted to ‘Radical Optimism’ not being nominated at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
In other news, the star has released a new live album of her special orchestral concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The show was also broadcast as part of a TV special on ITV this month.
Next summer will see Lipa embark on a huge UK and Ireland stadium tour, including two shows at Wembley. Find any remaining tickets here.
NME recently put Lipa’s single ‘Training Season’ at Number 42 on our 50 best songs of 2024 list. The entry described the track as “a stunning slice of disco pop backed by a throbbing, infectious beat”.