Britney Spears rumoured to make surprise Glastonbury appearance
Her collaborator Elton John has promised special guests
By Joe Goggins
Rumours are swirling that Britney Spears is set to make a surprise appearance at this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival.
Speculation has been feverish in recent days as to who might join Elton John on stage on Sunday (June 25), when he closes the festival with a headline set on the Pyramid Stage that may prove to be his final live performance in the UK. In an interview with Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday, John said that he had surprise guests lined up to join him.
He gave no names, but the online rumour mill has thrown up Spears as a possibility, as well as John’s ‘Cold Heart’ collaborator Dua Lipa. Spears worked with John last year when the pair tased up his 1972 classic ‘Tiny Dancer’, his 1976 duet with Kiki Dee, ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, and his 1992 song ‘The One’ to produce ‘Hold Me Closer’, which on release last August became Spears’ first new music since her 13-year conservatorship ended.
After John’s comments, fans were quick to circle back to a now-deleted Instagram post by Spears, who claimed that she was “going shopping in London” this week. It has been more than six years since Spears performed in any capacity. She has since posted holiday photos from Cabo San Lucas on Instagram, appearing to nix the speculation, although hardcore fans are speculating that the images may not have been taken recently and that Spears may simply be offering up a red herring ahead of Sunday. Spears’ publicist did not respond to Rolling Stone UK‘s request for comment.
Lipa may be a safer bet, having already joined John onstage at his final US show, which took place in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. Dee was on hand for that gig, too, along with Brandi Carlile, who stepped in for George Michael when she duetted with John on ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’. Dee and Carlile are now also rumoured to appear at Worthy Farm on Sunday.
The show is set to be John’s last on British soil. The festival kicks off in earnest tomorrow (June 23), although Arctic Monkeys headline set is shrouded in doubt after the band called off a huge Dublin show on Tuesday (June 20) due to Alex Turner being diagnosed with laryngitis. The festival gates opened yesterday (June 21) amid changeable weather.