Brian May Doubles Down on Anti-Glastonbury Stance After Latest 2027 Headline Rumours

Brian May’s Stance on Glastonbury: A Long-Standing Conflict

Rock musician Brian May has once again reinforced his decision that Queen will never perform at the Glastonbury Festival due to ongoing political disagreements with festival founder Michael Eavis. The guitarist, who turns 78 this year, and drummer Roger Taylor have toured with US singer Adam Lambert under the “Queen and Adam Lambert” moniker since 2012, but they’ve never graced the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

May’s opposition to Glastonbury stems from his animal rights activism. He recently resigned as a vice-president of the RSPCA over “appalling” welfare standards in the charity’s Assured Farm certification scheme. His main issue with Eavis is the badger culling policy, which May sees as unnecessary and tragic for wildlife.

The Political Divide: Glastonbury’s Controversies

May told The Daily Mail that he won’t perform at Glastonbury next year due to political differences. He added that unless Eavis’ stance on badger culling changes, Queen will not appear. “They like killing badgers, and they think it’s for sport,” May said. “And that’s something I cannot support because we’ve been trying to save these badgers for years, and they are still being killed for years, so that’s the reason we’re missing out on it.”

Michael Eavis, who is also a dairy farmer, has previously criticized May for his opposition to the badger cull, which aims to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Eavis branded May as “a danger to farming” in past years.

Queen’s Future: A Long Break and Possible Returns

Brian May told BBC Radio 2 in 2019 that Queen would not perform unless “things changed radically.” He has since taken a break from the band to spend time with family and take stock of his career. However, he emphasized that “never say never about not coming back,” suggesting that there might be plans for future performances.

Queen Two, the ongoing project involving May, Taylor, and Lambert, is currently in limbo. “We’ll take it day by day,” May said. “It was time to take a break and spend time with family, take stock.” He also hinted at upcoming projects that fans haven’t heard about yet.

Looking Ahead: Glastonbury’s 2027 Lineup

Glastonbury is currently in its traditional fallow year, which allows the grounds of Worthy Farm to recover. The festival is scheduled to return in 2027 amid rumors that pop singer Harry Styles could be one of the headliners. Harry Styles recently announced his new album and has been making waves in the music industry.

Despite the rumors, May remains firm in his stance. “It was time to take a break and spend time with family, take stock,” he said. “But never say never about not coming back, the rebuild of Queen Two is coming back.”