A few years ago the best Prime Minister Britain never had, Jeremy Corbin, performed at Glastonbury and went down a storm. This year, a man under even greater attack gave an address: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He’d taped a small speech and let’s be honest you’d think he’d have a hundred more pressing issues, and Glastonbury’s never been famous for providing anti tank weaponry, but still, it was quite the moment. He called Glastonbury the greatest concentration of freedom, although I’m sure he’d rather have a division of Leopard tanks than a Billie Eilish headline set. All in all, odd, and it rightly made us feel quite shit.

A message from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy was just played on the big screens at The Other Stage, shortly before The Libertines’ stage-opening set. #Glastonbury2022 pic.twitter.com/LuXf2FfEBf

— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 24, 2022