Neil Young's Glastonbury performance will air on the BBC in dramatic U-turn

Glastonbury headliner Neil Younghas made a dramatic U-turn over his headline performance, taking place at the Pyramid stage later today.

Earlier this week the BBC said that at the artist’s request, Neil Young’s set would not be shown live on the BBC on Saturday night. But now the singer has had a change of heart. A BBC spokesperson said: "We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young’s headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.”

It will be on iPlayer’s Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as BBC Two and Radio 2. As on-demand plans continue to be finalised.

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It came after we told how a BBC schedule of live sets released to the public omitted Young, while mentioning headliners such as Charli xcx and Doechii who play other stages on Saturday.

Young announced last year he would play Glastonbury in 2025, only to retract his decision upon learning of the BBC's involvement, but then later changed his mind. BBC presenter Colin Paterson explained earlier week: "I asked [event co-organiser] Emily Eavis what was going on and she says she does not believe that Neil Young's set will be broadcast by the BBC.

"There's been all kinds of backstage wrangling and negotiations, but as things currently stand, Neil Young's headline set on Saturday night will not be broadcast by the BBC. Instead, they'll be showing Charli xcx."

When Young played Glastonbury in 2009, only five songs were televised. Speaking at the time Mark Cooper, then executive producer of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, said: “Neil Young’s career has been conducted on his own terms. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist. They have decided to make one song available online over the weekend to give a flavour of his set. That’s Rockin’ in the Free World and that’s their decision. You probably won’t find too many Neil Young performances available freely on TV or online.”

In another development, fans are now fearful after his last two European shows in Bergen, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, were hit with sound problems.

Fans complained about a poor vocal mix. Some were also unhappy that on at least one of those shows, Neil didn’t have any large screens for fans to see the action from the back of the crowd.

BBC bosses are said to be treading carefully after the star pulled out of the festival earlier this year citing concerns about the BBC’s “corporate control”.

He said in January: “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. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We aim to bring audiences as many performances as possible from the Pyramid Stage, and our schedules and plans continue to be finalised, right up to and during the festival.” Young has voices his concerns made principled stands recently. He blocked his music from Spotify for two years, saying a podcaster on the platform had spread vaccine misinformation.

Elsewhere in the Glastonbury controversy, Prime MinisterKeir Starmer called for Kneecap to be pulled from the line-up. The band was due to perform in the 2025 festival, but the PM doesn't think it would be appropriate due to recent events.

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