Only men headlining Glastonbury main stage

AN ALL-MALE line-up of headline acts has been announced for the Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage this year, as the organiser suggested it is difficult to book headline female artists.

The headliners Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Elton John mean an all-male line up of starring acts on the main stage, with Emily Eavis, the organiser, suggesting that in future a 50:50 gender split is needed. She added that festival organisers were “trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed”.

She told The Guardian yesterday: “This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need everyone on board.”

“It’s top of our agenda, and it probably makes it a bit harder because we’ve decided to make that important to us. Sometimes it’s easier to keep your head down.”

Out of the last 10 festivals, female headliners or mixed groups on the Pyramid Stage have included Adele, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Florence and The Machine and Arcade Fire, with nearly all other artists either male soloists or all-male acts.

Ms Eavis said that Guns N’ Roses were booked after a female headliner who had previously confirmed pulled out after changing her touring plans.

She added: “It’s a challenge. Everyone’s finding it hard – but the acts are there”, adding that past line-ups have “always been male-heavy”.