Glastonbury’s biggest controversies – foul language, stage invasion and backlash

Glastonbury is back and all eyes – and ears – will be on the big name acts set to headline.

With stars such as Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Elton John taking to the Pyramid Stage, Glasto 2023 is sure to be a cracker.

But over the years, the Somerset festival has made headlines for things other than the music, having had its share of drama.

READ MORE: Inside the £24k glamping tents at Glastonbury with full-sized beds and a spa

From stage invasions to swearing, we have a look at some of Glastonbury’s biggest scandals.

The Smiths stage invasion

As stage invasions go, 1984’s was a biggie.

The Smiths were on stage and although their inclusion in the line-up had initially been controversial (with some people not thinking them right for the event), their set went down a storm with festival-goers.

However, some got so over-excited that they started to stream towards the Pyramid Stage.

As it was probably a bit easier to get to the front in those days, some particularly determined audience members managed to actually climb onto the structure.

Jay-Z backlash

There was a huge backlash in 2008 when it was announced that Jay-Z would be headlining, with some fans claiming rap wasn’t right for Glasto.

Oasis star Noel Gallagher was among those to speak out, suggesting hip-hop was “wrong” for the event.

Emily Eavis, the daughter of organiser Michael Eavis, later admitted it was “probably the most controversial booking we have ever made”.

“It just felt like an out of control storm that I was just never going to get out of,” she said on BBC Radio 4 a few years ago.

However, Jay-Z proved doubters wrong when he performed a stunning set – which hilariously included a cover of Oasis’s Wonderwall.

1994 shooting

The 1994 festival was rocked by a shooting that saw several people taken to hospital.

Fans were enjoying the music on the Saturday night of the event when a man opened fire.

At the time a witness was quoted by some publications as saying that the person was firing “indiscriminately”.

Five people – three men and two women – ended up being taken to hospital after the terrifying incident.

However, thankfully they escaped serious injury and everyone made a full recovery.

Adele turns the air blue

Adele’s 2016 set is one of Glasto’s standout moments – and not just for her voice.

The Rolling In The Deep singer wowed the crowd when she performed seven years ago, with people gushing about her talent.

She admitted on stage that she had been warned about her “potty mouth” but it didn’t stop her turning the air blue as she performed, with some claiming they counted over 30 expletives.

It was all well-intentioned, with Adele saying things like the crowd were “f****** amazing”, but some people were still unimpressed.

The fence

A fence may not seem like something that could be at the centre of a controversy, but the Glastonbury fence certainly was.

Over the years countless people managed to gatecrash the festival, with Michael Eavis once saying that he thought “at one stage we had more who hadn’t paid than had”.

But in 2002 things changed when a huge perimeter fence was erected.

Many people thought it was against the ethos of the event and that it was all very different from the festival when it started back in 1970.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk