Olivia Rodrigo’s Guitarist “Started Crying” After Learning Robert Smith Would Join Glastonbury Set

Olivia Rodrigo’s guitarist Arianna Powell has described the moment she found out Robert Smith would be joining them onstage at Glastonbury, saying she “started crying” as soon as she heard the news.

Smith, frontman of The Cure, made a surprise appearance during Rodrigo’s Pyramid Stage set on June 29. Together, they performed The Cure’s classics “Friday I’m In Love” and “Just Like Heaven” in one of the most talked-about moments of the 2025 festival.

Speaking to Guitar World, Powell said the band first learned of Smith’s involvement during rehearsals in Nashville.

“We found out in Nashville when we were rehearsing for Bonnaroo, which ended up getting cancelled,” she said. “Stacy, our music director, came and told us, and was like, ‘This is very secret – you cannot tell anyone, but he’s going to be joining us.’ And I swear to God, I started crying.”

Powell, a longtime fan of The Cure, said the emotion came from a deep connection to Smith’s guitar work.

“I love, love, love, love, love, love, love the guitar parts, specifically in those songs, specifically ‘Friday I’m In Love’. So I was just so stoked to get to actually play that with the artist.”

According to Powell, Smith’s presence at the festival extended far beyond the stage. She further described him as welcoming and present in the lead-up to the performance.

“He was so cool. He was leaving his dressing room door open for us to hang out. He wanted to talk and be social. Through conversations with him, he was just saying, ‘It’s just another show.’ And he was talking about how much he enjoys performing, and he loves it every time.”

She also added that his attitude helped shape the band’s energy on the night.

“That really inspired me and my energy for that night. Like, ‘Yeah, it’s just another show – and I love doing this.’ The collective energy of the band that day was really infectious.”

Rodrigo later posted photos of the moment, including shots with Smith backstage and an image of her in bed wearing a Cure T-shirt.

Smith’s guest appearance was introduced onstage by Rodrigo, who referred to him as “probably the greatest songwriter to come out of England”. So a good night was had by all then, I suppose?