By Kirsten McStay Ryan Price
Sir Rod Stewart has disclosed how much he was paid for his performance at Glastonbury. On Sunday, the Maggie May rocker took to the stage for a stellar performance. The crowd was a sea of leopard print and green and white as the 80 year old put on a show to remember, which included welcoming special guests Mick Hucknall, Ronnie Wood , and Lulu to join him at the Pyramid Stage. Ahead of his performance, Rod spoke to the Radio Times, where he revealed that due to his Vegas residency, he was having to fork out a hefty sum to transport all his gear back to Blighty for his Worthy Farm gig. He said: “It’s going to cost me 拢300,000 to do it and they (Glastonbury) only pay you about 120,000 quid.” Comparing it to a significant football match, he remarked: “It’s like when you’re playing a cup final: you’re trying to treat it like another game. “But, of course, it’s not. It’s special. It’ll be glamorous, it’ll be sexy.” He continued: “We’ve got a little orchestra coming on to play with us. And we may have some bagpipes..” The crooner successfully wrangled an extra quarter-hour for his set, landing 90 minutes instead of the initial 75. Speaking to the BBC, he expressed: “Usually I do well over two hours so there’s still a load of songs we won’t be able to do. “But we’ve been working at it. I’m not gonna make any announcements between songs. I’ll do one number, shout ‘next’, and go straight into the next one. I’m going to get in as many songs I can.” The icon also said ahead of his performance that he’s not too fond of his performance being dubbed the “teatime slot”, as it conjures up images of a more sedate lifestyle. He remarked: “I just wish they wouldn’t call it the teatime slot. That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn’t it?”. Rod promised his fans that he’ll be in fine form for his Legends slot – and he certainly did that. He said: “I don’t care anymore what the critics think,” he confidently stated. “I’m there to entertain my people.” It’s well-known that Glastonbury headliners receive far less than their usual rates compared to other leading festivals. While the precise payment details are confidential, it’s understood that the festival’s ethos of supporting charitable causes means artists often accept lower fees. Estimates of what past headliners have pocketed range from 拢35,000 to 拢300,000, with the final figure seemingly influenced by the artist’s stature and negotiating skills. Insider claims suggest that top-tier acts such as Coldplay, Beyonce, and The Rolling Stones might get about 拢200,000, a sum that pales in comparison to the potential 拢1million they could rake in elsewhere.