What Are Glastonbury Secret Sets?

Glastonbury 2025 is finally here, with Kiwi pop icon Lorde kicking it all off with a performance at 11.30am. But Lorde wasn’t on the line-up – instead, this is what’s known in Glasto-lingo as a Secret Set. (Or these says not-so-secret sets.) While the festival is renowned for its huge headliners and legendary Pyramid Stage performances, it’s often these surprise performances (sometimes revealed just minutes before the artist takes to the stage) that steal the spotlight. But how exactly do Glastonbury’s secret sets work, and who can we hope to see this year? Here’s the rundown.

What Are Glastonbury Secret Sets?

Glastonbury is known for its killer line up, but a select few slots are left empty every year for surprise performances. These sets see artists turn up unannounced, treating fans to a one-off performance that’s far more intimate than what you usually see from such big names.

Past performers have included The Killers (2017), Lady Gaga (2009) and and the Foo Fighters surprised fans with a gig on the Pyramid Stage in 2023. Meanwhile Bastille, Mumford & Sons, The Libertines and plenty more have played hidden shows at the festival to intimate crowds in previous years.

In 2024, Kasabian spilled the beans a few hours before they appeared on the Woodsies Stage for their secret set, attracting thousands of fans.

In 2025, Lorde’s set was announced at 2am by @secretglasto, and by the artist with a cryptic Instagram story the day before (it was an aerial shot of the Woodsies stage) the 11.30am ‘TBA’ slot. Chappell Roan, Pulp and Lewis Capaldi are a selection of other rumoured artists planning secret sets this year, with the latter more of an open secret.

How To Find A Secret Set

While these unplanned performances are supposed to remain under wraps, they often get leaked in the months leading up to Glastonbury – and plenty of rumours are shared online, too. Alongside checking social media (of course), a good way to find out when secret sets might be is to look for gaps in the schedule for each stage, as these slots might have been reserved for last-minute gigs. Woodsies is usually the stage larger profile secret sets are hosted on, so this should be your first port of call. Otherwise, once the schedule is ironed out, look for any hour-long gaps at prime times, especially the evening.

As for who might perform, look for gaps in your favourite artist’s tour schedule. If they’re free during Glastonbury and have been rumoured to perform, chances are they’ll show up for a secret set. It’s also worth following @secretglasto on X and Blue Sky and keeping tabs on glastofestfeed.com

To be the first to find out if your suspicions are true, keep an eye on their social media, where they might be dropping hints and clues in the lead up to the festival. Once you’re at Glastonbury, set up post notifications for the artists you think will appear: they will most likely announce their secret set just minutes before they take to the stage.

In a particularly sneaky twist, the lineup has also been known to include fake band names (mystery band The ChurnUps took a spot in 2023, before they were later revealed to be the Foo Fighters). In 2024, ‘Dove’ was the red-herring alias of Belfast electronic duo Bicep who performed at Levels. If you have some time on your hands, it’s worth looking up every act you’ve never heard of to see if they’re real; if nothing comes up, chances are this is a secret set in disguise.

Finally, go analogue. Glastonbury’s daily on-site newspaper, Glasto Free Press, is a treasure trove of hints and notices for last minute gigs. Likewise, keep your eyes peeled for hastily-stapled posters, which often appear around the festival site on the morning of a secret set. If you have a gap in your schedule, wander around the site and follow your nose when large crowds seem to be gathering in unsuspected places. And always pay a visit to the BBC Introducing Stage, where the day’s gigs are listed each day on a chalk board – including all the secrets…