When Billboard U.K. spoke to Loyle Carner about his impending Glastonbury Festival slot earlier this year, he was rendered speechless. Such is the power of his journey from the festival’s smaller stages to The Other Stage (the second-biggest on site, headlined by himself, Charli XCX and The Prodigy), it puts into perspective his trajectory. Since his 2017 debut Yesterday’s Gone, Carner has established himself as a key player on the U.K. music scene with an earnest voice that resonates far and wide.
On Friday night (June 27), Carner achieved something of a dream to headline to one of the biggest crowds of his career. Speaking to the crowd, he said that “this is the biggest show we’ve ever done,” as a packed-out field arrived to watch this career milestone. The magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on him, and he pulled out all the stops, with guests, deep cuts and new songs throughout.
The set comes hot off the heels of his new album hopefully ! which was released last Friday and recently hit No. 2 on the U.K’s Official Albums Chart. The LP was influenced by his love of indie bands such as Fontaines D.C., Big Thief, and The Smiths, and a move away from the DIY hip-hop stylings of his early work. During his set, the album was realized with a new production, a greater focus in weaving in his backing band and evolving his capabilities as a singer, not just as an MC.
These were the best moments from Loyle Carner’s headline set at The Other Stage at Glastonbury.
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Up Close and Personal
Breaking new ground in a stage production isn’t easy in 2025; the bells and whistles of the megastar tours are finding innovative ways to level-up the concert experience. Carner went the other way, with a setup that centered raw intimacy over flashy tricks. Throughout the set, a HD camera was attached to Carner’s microphone, providing an extreme close-up of his face and every emotion: the glee, the anxiety and emotion of such a momentous night. On occasions, he’d pick up the camera to film his own band, assuming the role of a proud friend simply vibing out to his best mates jamming.
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Deserving Deep Cuts
Carner’s 2017 debut Yesterday’s Gone was a love letter to the hip-hop that raised him, whether it was from his hometown London or across the pond. “Ain’t Nothing Changed” and “Damselfly,” two silky cuts from that timeless debut LP, still sound superb. And given that Busta Rhymes played on the same stage directly before Carner, it was a feast for hip-hop fans with a keen ear for lyricism and technique.
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Hitting the Road
Before “Lyin’”, which came midway through the set, Carner discussed the importance of the fact that his son and daughter were side of stage watching him perform. The 30-year-old reflected on the journey down to Worthy Farm, Somerset with his son, and his own anxiety about the performance – particularly the fact he was singing in front of such a large audience, a new revelation for him on the new album hopefully ! His vocals throughout were warm, earnest, and an ode to the carefree fun he had singing with his son over the past few years. “It feels good, you get me?” he said. “This is only the fourth time in my life that I’ve sung in front of an audience I don’t know, so be easy on me.”
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Guests Galore
Carner is something of a linchpin of the London alt hip-hop scene in the 21st century, with his cast of collaborators providing a well-rounded picture of the sound and moment. He brought out two key collaborators during his set: Sampha for “Desoleil (Brilliant Corners)” and Jorja Smith on “Loose Ends,” both of whom earned shocked gasps from a deeply appreciative audience. On the latter, Carner restarted the song after missing his timing and asked the crowd to “give it up for human error.” They didn’t mind one jot.
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A Future Classic
“About Time,” the final song on hopefully ! and his poppiest song to date, is a meditation on the new qualities he’s developed as a father and a reckoning with his own familial relationships. Carner was estranged from his birth father for many years (they later reconciled), and his stepdad died when he was still young. Now he’s a father himself and wants to set the standard for his own offspring; on “About Time,” he sings of “learning some patience just to give it to him.” It’s sure to be a setlist staple for years to come, judging by the reaction of the crowd.
