Lewis Capaldi made his long-awaited return to Glastonbury this week, two years after cancelling his tour following a difficult set at the festival.
The beloved Scottish singer-songwriter battled with Tourette’s during the 2023 set, announcing soon after that all upcoming tour dates were cancelled to focus on his mental and physical well-being.
Capaldi told the crowd at the Pyramid Stage he was back to “finish what I couldn’t finish.”
He arrived shortly before 5pm and launched straight into “Before You Go.” He followed it with “Grace” and “Bruises” from his 2019 album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent. Capaldi also debuted a new track, “Survive”, in which he opens up about the pain of the past two years.
“I’m not going to say much up here today, because if I do, I’ll probably start crying. It’s just amazing to be here with you all, and I can’t thank you enough for coming out and coming to see me,” he told the crowd. “Second time’s the charm on this one.”
Watch as Lewis Capaldi returns to Glastonbury for a secret set, two years after a performance at the festival saw him struggle to manage his Tourette symptoms 👇 pic.twitter.com/wlQDHlRvGc
— The National (@ScotNational) June 27, 2025
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After filling one of the festival’s “TBA” slots, Capaldi told the crowd his set was the “worst kept fucking secret” of the lineup.
“I really missed doing this over the last two years, and it’s been a difficult time,” he said shortly before closing with “Someone You Loved.”
“I thought maybe this return wouldn’t happen. Genuinely from the bottom of my heart it means the fucking world. I’m back, baby!”
Capaldi wasn’t the only unannounced act to surprise the crowd on day one, following an earlier performance from Lorde. The New Zealand megastar’s appearance on the festival’s opening day came just hours after releasing her latest album, Virgin.
As word of her appearance spread around the festival site, organisers shut off access due to fears of overcrowding. Before starting her set, Lorde admitted: “I didn’t know if I’d make another record… but I’m back [and] completely free.”
Lorde told the crowd: “This is fucking sick. Thank you so much for being here with us on the day that ‘Virgin’ is born. We decided to play the whole record for you from front to back. This may be a one-of-one, you know?” she said.
