With Glastonbury taking a break this year, we've taken a look back at some of the secret sets from years gone by.
While many performers have made surprise appearances at Worthy Farm over the years, here are some of those that left the biggest impact:
Lady Gaga, 2009
In 2009, Lady Gaga played a riotous late-night secret gig in the Club Dada area, away from the main stages, giving festivalgoers an unexpectedly intimate, high-energy show before she went on to headline arenas worldwide.
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, 2010
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, joined by bandmate Jonny Greenwood, played a surprise Park Stage set in 2010 after being introduced by Glastonbury's Michael Eavis as “two legends”, performing a mix of solo material and Radiohead tracks to one of the field’s busiest ever secret‑show crowds.
Pulp, 2011
Pulp appeared as unannounced “special guests” on Glastonbury's Park Stage in 2011, with their set – packed with songs such as Common People and Disco 2000 – now widely remembered as one of Glastonbury’s defining surprise performances.
They were also a secret set again at the 2025 festival.
The Libertines, 2015
The Libertines made a surprise return to Glastonbury in 2015, taking to the stage for an unbilled set that raced through fan favourites in typically chaotic fashion and drew a huge, enthusiastic crowd.
The Killers, 2017
The Killers made an unannounced appearance on the John Peel Stage in 2017, returning to the tent where they first played Glastonbury in 2004 for a greatest‑hits set that included When You Were Young, Somebody Told Me and Mr Brightside.
Elbow, 2017
Elbow delivered a surprise performance at the festival in 2017, with their warm, singalong set – including anthems such as One Day Like This – adding to that year’s run of high‑profile, unbilled appearances.
Foals, 2019
Foals played a ferocious, high‑energy secret set at Glastonbury 2019, helping cement their reputation as one of the festival’s must‑see live acts as fans packed in to catch the unannounced show.
