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Paul McCartney has cast doubt on his chances of headlining the re-arranged Glastonbury Festival next year.
This year’s Glastonbury was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and while the festival is aiming to make a return in 2021, organiser Emily Eavis admitted earlier this week that she and her team are “quite a long way” from being able to confirm that its 2021 edition will go ahead as planned.
Speaking to The Sun on the eve of the release of his new solo album ‘McCartney III’, McCartney said that he was eager to get back on the live stage “whenever I can” before bringing up the prospect of Glastonbury, which he had been set to headline in the summer.
“People have started to find ways [of live performing] with Zoom and with socially distanced things,” he said. “But for a thing like Glastonbury where you’ve got over 100,000 people packed into a field, that’s a super-spreader, you know.
“But I’ll be glad when we can get back – it will be a nice change to actually play to some people.”
McCartney repeated his fears about Glastonbury during another interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, saying: “100,000 people closely packed together with flags and no masks – you know, talk about super-spreader. I’d love it to [happen], but I have a feeling it’s not going to.”
The Beatle added that Glastonbury is not currently in his diary for 2021.
McCartney was, however, cheered in his Sun interview by the news of the coronavirus vaccine, sharing his belief that it “will get us out of this”.
“I think we’ll come through it, I know we’ll come through, and it’s great news about the vaccine. I’ll have it as soon as I’m allowed.”
While no names have been officially confirmed for Glastonbury 2021, Eavis said back in June that she’s planning to combine two festival line-ups for the 2021 event, while also sharing her hopes that McCartney would be able to perform.
“We had Paul McCartney for this year. It’s unbearable to think that’s not happening, because it would have been the ultimate way to see in our 50th year,” she said.
“We’re remaining optimistic, but it’s choppy waters. I really hope that he’ll be back next year, singing it from the Pyramid.”
The post Paul McCartney isn’t convinced he’ll be headlining Glastonbury next year: “That’s a super-spreader, you know” appeared first on NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News.
