Sir Mick Jagger wants The Rolling Stones to make a Glastonbury headline comeback.
The Rolling Stones frontman, 82, made the remark while promoting the release of his band’s latest album Foreign Tongues, as the iconic festival takes one of its “fallow years” to allow the land at Worthy Farm, Somerset, where it takes place to rest.
Sir Mick told NME when asked if the Stones wanted to play the event again when it returns in 2027: “It’s a difficult gig to do… the stage is very odd. It’s so disjointed, and you’re so far away from everyone.
“We normally have a 50-feet walkway, and we only had 10 (at Glastonbury.)
“I mean it is great when you look up the hill and you see everyone, it’s fantastic. There’s no doubt about it.”
Despite his complaints about the festival set-up, Sir Mick added: “Do I wanna do it again? Oh, I’ll say yes.”
When aksed if his declaration means fans have not seen the last of the Stones on stage, Sir Mick responded: “Hopefully not. I don’t think there’ll be shows this year, but I hope to do some next year for the Stones.”
And when quizzed on why not this year, Sir Mick said about the Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards: “Keith couldn’t commit, and he wasn’t feeling so great about touring and everything. Which leads you on to the question of residencies… .”
When asked if he was hinting at a Las Vegas residence, Sir Mick clarified: “Well, no. I mean more like Harry Styles doing (multiple shows) in Amsterdam and London. But then he’s still touring though – he’s not just staying in one place.
“But we are gonna get live dates in for next year, hopefully… I’ll let you know when I know.”
The history of the Stones at Glastonbury is famously brief but monumental.
They have only played the festival once in their entire career, headlining the Pyramid Stage on Saturday, 29 June 2013.
Despite being a pillar of British rock for over 50 years, scheduling conflicts and tour timings kept them from ever appearing at Worthy Farm until 2013.
When festival co-founder Michael Eavis finally secured the band for Glastonbury’s 43rd year, it became one of the most anticipated and celebrated events in UK festival history.
The Pyramid Stage field capacity was expanded to hold over 100,000 fans, drawing what was widely considered the biggest crowd in Glastonbury history.
The band, with an average age of 69 at the time, played an energetic two-and-a-half-hour set containing 20 songs.
They opened with Jumpin’ Jack Flash and concluded with an extended encore of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
Sir Mick wrote a custom, tongue-in-cheek country-rock song the night before the show.
Titled Glastonbury Girl (a rework of their 1968 track Factory Girl), the lyrics light-heartedly referenced festival culture, including wet wipes, luxury yurts, and losing a girl to Primal Scream.
Rather than contemporary pop stars, the band brought out former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor – who left the band in 1974 – to play intricate blues solos on Midnight Rambler and Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.
During Sympathy For The Devil, a massive mechanical scrap-metal phoenix sitting on top of the Pyramid Stage raised its wings and blasted jets of fire over the crowd.
Immediately after the gig, Michael Eavis called the performance “the high spot of 43 years of Glastonbury” and praised the band for delivering a flawless show.