It’s perhaps the best accolade any musician could hope for – the Saturday night headline slot on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage.
But Coldplay’s ever self-effacing Chris Martin asked the festival’s bosses if they really wanted him – for a record FIFTH time.
Glastonbury sources say that the Devon-born singer even offered them the chance to find another option as he felt a little ’embarrassed’ to be asked again.
Insiders say he first thought the invitation to headline this year was a joke – and he asked organisers of the Worthy Farm extravaganza if they were serious.
Martin, 47, is understood to have then suggested they ring round to find another band.
Chris Martin of Coldplay performs on the main Pyramid Stage at the 2016 Glastonbury Festival, the last time the band headlined
Coldplay’s ever self-effacing Chris Martin (pictured performing at the festival in 2016) asked the festival’s bosses if they really wanted him – for a record FIFTH time
One source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Chris was surprised to be asked again. It will be five times now.
‘His reaction to being asked if Coldplay would play Glastonbury again was just classic. He hadn’t seen it coming.
‘He was like, “Are you joking?” ‘All of the band absolutely love performing at the farm, but Chris’s initial thought was that there must be other big names out there who deserved a shot at headlining.
‘When Glastonbury came back and said they still wanted Coldplay, of course he said yes.
‘To him, it will always be an honour, but surely it was someone else’s turn?’
Coldplay, whose hits include Yellow and Viva La Vida, previously headlined the Somerset festival in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016, while Martin has made solo appearances on stage in support of fellow headliners Kylie Minogue and Stormzy.
Coldplay’s performance on Saturday, June 29, will see Martin’s band enter the record books, as no other act has headlined Glastonbury on five occasions.
Pictured: Coldplay performs in front of the main Pyramid Stage as part of the Glastonbury Festival Global Livestream ‘Live at Worthy Farm’ at Worthy Farm, Pilton on May 21, 2021
Glastonbury Festival 2024 kicks off on Wednesday, June 26 and runs until Sunday, June 30
In 2019, Martin revealed he was put off returning there after the band last headlined in 2016.
The frontman said hurtful online comments had made him think twice about appearing.
Asked by Colin Paterson of BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live if he or Coldplay would perform at the festival the following year, Martin simply said: ‘No.’
Pressed for an explanation, he continued: ‘I did pop up on stage last year and I loved doing so.
‘Then I saw a tweet afterwards which said, “You can always rely on him to come on in a tracksuit and ruin everything.”
‘So I was like, you know what, a) I should work on my trousers, b) I shouldn’t be online, and c) maybe just go and watch Glastonbury for a year or so.’
The band are set to play for two hours, with Dua Lipa headlining the Pyramid Stage on the Friday and SZA on the Sunday.
