In news that will come as a relief to armchair classic rock fans, Canadian rock star Neil Young appears to have had a surprise change of heart and has given his permission for his headline set today at Glastonbury to be broadcast live by the BBC.
Below, we’ll outline which live TV streaming service will be streaming Saturday’s main headline show at Glastonbury, wherever you are in the world. We’ll also explain how to use a VPN if you’re outside of the UK.
The veteran musician, performing with his band The Chrome Hearts, had previously withheld permission for the BBC to air his Pyramid Stage set. Until this morning, the 78-year-old’s performance was notably absent from the broadcaster’s coverage plans, with a spokesperson confirming they would not be airing it «at the artist’s request.» This marked a break from the longstanding tradition of televising all headline acts at the iconic festival.
However, in a surprise announcement the public service broadcaster confirmed earlier today that Young’s show is now set to be televised live on BBC2.
Judging by the setlist from his show at Malahide Castle in Dublin this week, fans can expect a crowd-pleasing set that’s likely to draw heavily from his seminal 70’s catalog.
Adding to the buzz, rumors are swirling that celebrity fan Paul McCartney could make a guest appearance during Neil Young and The Chrome Heart’s set. The former Beatle — who recently named Young’s 1972 classic Harvest as one of his three favorite albums of all time — was spotted on site at Glastonbury yesterday catching sets from Inhaler and Gracie Abrams. McCartney previously joined Young on stage during a memorable 2009 show in London’s Hyde Park.
Neil Young is set to play the Other Stage at Glastonbury on Saturday, June 28, with the set expected to start no earlier than 10 p.m. BST in the UK. That makes it a 5 p.m. ET or 2 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada, while for music fans in Australia the show is set to get underway at 7 a.m. AEST on Sunday morning.
Livestream Neil Young at Glastonbury 2025 free in the UK
The great news for music fans in the UK is that free-to-air broadcaster BBC is once again showing vast amounts of this year’s festival live as well as on demand across its linear channels and its iPlayer online streaming service.
Linear coverage will be split across all four BBC channels, with Saturday’s Neil Young performance now set to be shown live on BBC 2 from 10 p.m. BST local time. You can also stream a live feed from the Pyramid Stage via the online platform BBC iPlayer, which is offering continuous livestreams from the five main festival stages across the weekend. Pyramid Stage sets are available to watch in 4K on iPlayer, while the service will also offer catch-up on more than 90 on-demand sets for up to 30 days after broadcast.
Neill Young at Glastonbury 2025: Can I watch in the US, Canada and Australia?
While last year’s Pyramid Stage headline sets by Coldplay and Duo Lipa were livestreamed to a global audience by the BBC, it looks like this year’s broadcasts from the festival are back to being geo‑restricted to UK viewers only.
If you find yourself unable to view the festival locally, you may need a different way to watch the entertainment from Worthy Farm — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy.
How to watch Glastonbury 2025 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you’re traveling abroad and want to watch all the big name acts at Glastonbury while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.
It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. It can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.
However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN use is crucial.
Quick tips for streaming Glastonbury 2025 using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming Glastonbury may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, because both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
