The lineup for Glastonbury 2025 has not even been released, and Neil Young has already dropped off it. In a message on his Neil Young Archives site, Young expressed concerns with changes at the UK mega-festival, alleging that it has gone “corporate” and that new part-owners the BBC were asking him and his band the Chrome Hearts “to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.”

Here’s his message:

The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs. 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. Thanks for coming to see us the last time!

We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn – off, and not for me like it used to be.
Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.
LOVE Neil
Be well

Due to the cryptic language, it’s unclear what exactly Young is taking issue with. When he last played Glastonbury in 2009, part of his set was broadcast on the BBC.

UPDATE: Young has announced that he is still playing Glastonbury after all.