Adele’s Pyramid Stage debut at Glastonbury 2016: 'The best night of my life ever'

Virgin Radio

22 Jun 2023, 17:24

Whilst many lucky music fans pitch their tents ahead of this weekend’s performances, let’s have a look at an iconic headline set from seven years ago.

Pop superstar Adele describes her 2016 performance on the Pyramid Stage as the “highlight of [her] career”, even though headlining Glastonbury was her “biggest musical fear”.

The British singer-songwriter performed some of her biggest hits, from Rumour Has It to Someone Like You, as well as her Academy award-winning Bond theme, Skyfall.

Adele also sang her 2008 ballad Hometown Glory, and as the piano-led intro began to play, she stated: “I was 16 when I wrote this.

“Never would I ever think I’d be doing it here like this.”

After her headline set, the Hello-singer posted photos from the festival on her Instagram account, with the caption: “It was the best night of my life ever!

“I can’t explain how I feel about Saturday night.

“I was and am still so overwhelmed.

“Not sure it’ll ever sink in or that I’ll ever get over it,” she continued. “But I’m not sure how anyone could.”

Before taking to the stage, Adele spoke to TV presenter Jo Whiley about her memories of attending Glastonbury as a child, and how they encouraged her to accept the headline slot.

The 32-year-old recalled: “I remember seeing Garbage and being like: ‘I wanna do that’.

“I remember doing that for sure.

“There’s a lot of photographs tonight of me at Glastonbury during my set actually, from when I was younger,” she added. “But that’s what kind of made me wanna do it is cause I grew up at festivals and Glastonbury is a massive part of my life.”

When Adele arrived at the festival for her headline set in 2016, she had only played there once before.

Reflecting on her Glastonbury debut nine years earlier in 2007, Adele said: “I played The Guardian tent… to no one.

“And then downpour [mimicked rainfall], so everyone rushed in and spoke over me.”

The Skyfall-singer also opened up about how headlining Glastonbury was her “biggest musical fear”.

She revealed: “I was as nervous when I did The Guardian tent as I am now.

“My nerves, I keep bursting into tears and feeling sick. 

“Earlier I felt like driving home, and I could have got home before my set, but now I’m here, I’m stuck.”

Adele’s performance was watched by 3.7 million people, which at the time, made her Glastonbury's most-watched artist ever. 

Since then, her viewing figures have since been overtaken by Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney, whose sets were seen by 3.9 million people.

The headliners of this year’s festival are Guns N’ Roses, Elton John, and Arctic Monkeys if their frontman Alex Turner has recovered from acute laryngitis by tomorrow (Friday 23rd June 2023).

Want to find out how you can watch Glastonbury from the comfort of your own home this weekend? Check out everything you need to know about the festival.

Sets from Glastonbury 2023 will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer this weekend.