Lorde’s back – and she’s not here to coast.
In a move that was rumoured to the point of inevitability, the Kiwi cult hero opened Glastonbury 2025 with a secret set on the Woodsies stage, hours before most people had even sobered up. At 11:30am, with strobe lights blazing and the tent already rammed to capacity, Lorde launched into her first new material in years – marking the release day of her fourth album Virgin by playing the whole thing, front to back.
Security shut the field not long after – too many fans had already crammed in, tipped off by the whispers echoing round Worthy Farm that she was the one kicking things off.
“Moooorning!” she smirked, surveying the chaos. “This is sick.”
And it was. Raw, chaotic, visceral – all words that apply both to her set and the album itself. Lorde dropped the hits almost entirely, save for a late-game double whammy of Ribs and Green Light, instead treating Glasto to a full live debut of Virgin – a record steeped in pain, therapy, identity shifts, and fuck-it energy. During Man of the Year, she was on her knees, lost in the moment. By What Was That, she was pulling her shirt over her head, euphoric. Not everyone knew the songs, but nobody was standing still.
It’s a bold move to open Glastonbury with a set of brand-new, untested songs – especially when you’ve got Royals and Supercut in your back pocket. But Lorde’s never been one for playing by the rules. It was sweaty, gutsy and gloriously unfiltered – exactly what you want from an artist who says she didn’t even know if she’d make another album.
After the early-morning sermon, speculation’s already flying she might turn up again this weekend – likely alongside Charli XCX on Saturday night to perform their chaotic collab Girl, So Confusing. Whether or not she shows, her presence has already been felt. Lorde cracked Glasto open with a war cry disguised as a soft voice. Not bad for a surprise set before noon.
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