The 20 best alternative acts to watch at Glastonbury Festival 2023
Somewhere in the Somerset countryside, a 900-acre plot is braced to be besieged by 100 stages housing a near-interminable reel of acts. Glastonbury Festival prides itself on providing a diverse and delectable smorgasbord of entertainment. Besides a prevailing musical focus, this “Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts” is home to countless ancillary acts, from circus performances and debate gatherings to comedy clubs and theatre productions. This boundless variety and inclusivity is the essential essence of a weekend in a bohemian utopia.
Amid this intense swarm of art, it may feel difficult to gather thy bearings; you will undoubtedly find yourself spoilt for choice, even with the most esoteric of tastes. For instance, on Sunday circa 2pm, you can choose between a talk on our ‘Right To Eat Well’, the screamo band Nova Twins on the mainstage, or some acid house over at The Levels. While the main stage might not whet all appetites, especially on Saturday, the other many hundreds of stages will gladly compensate.
With this in mind, we have provided a musical map to circumnavigate the obvious. With such a vast spread of culture at your fingertips, you owe it to yourself to venture into the full depth of the arts. As you will realise rather quickly, part of the Glastonbury attraction is in the mind-boggling sites and quirky characters you will encounter on your journey between stages.
With advice on where to go if you arise early on Thursday to a midday classical act well worth an early night, we present 20 lesser-known acts that we feel deserve your attention at Glastonbury 2023.
The 20 best alternative acts at Glastonbury 2023:
Tinariwen
Glastonbury has held activism close to its heart. In some respects, that makes Tinariwen the ultimate act. The collision of Saharan Blues and country on their latest record, Amatssou, represents one of the most pertinent albums of modern times. And they’ll be serving up that vital message in breezy style on The Park Stage at 18:15 on Saturday.
Cultural collisions are set to be commonplace soon, as one billion climate refugees are expected by 2050. Amatssou shows that we can, indeed, mix without leaving anything behind. This musical blossoming from the area hardest hit by geopolitical and climate-enforced change shows that although cultures may be forced to transition, the tragedy can still be transfigured into something beautiful, empowering an identity that could otherwise be lost.
Weyes Blood
Weyes Blood is another artist who beautifully illuminates a different way to go about things. Constant connection has made us lonelier than ever. In a recent UK survey, 40% of young people said that they felt lonely “often or very often”. This is where the music of Weyes Blood steps in. As Natalie Mering sings on the opening track of And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, “Living in the wake of overwhelming changes, we’ve all become strangers,” crooning with casual verity, “It’s not just me, it’s everybody.”
This makes a spiritual and connective performance with a degree of a wallop in these modern times. Provided with a stunning air of breezy delight, the music of Weyes Blood is not only some of the most philosophically important, but she also has one of the best voices in the business today and plenty of pop hooks to make you bop along. With the sun overhead, it is bound to get dreamy as she takes to The Park Stage on Sunday at 15:15.
Gwenno
Cornwall has an almost mystic allure, and that certainly extends to the traditional inclined pop music that Gwenno has offered up. Touched with the hypnotic rhythmic repetition of trance-inducing psychedelia, Gwenno continually interrupts the flow with jump-scare flourishes of xylophones, chimes, and curious middle eights. All of this amounts to a record as refreshingly bracing as a winter wind bashing up the Bedruthan Steps.
When she takes to The Park Stage on Sunday at 12:45, it promises to be the sort of set that has almost defined Glastonbury. Hailing from nearby, there will almost be a homecoming feel to the set as she offers you something unique and very, very fitting amid the pop circus around her.
Mike Skinner
What is there to do on the Thursday at Glastonbury aside from pitching your tent and acquainting yourself with your surroundings? Well, probably more than most festivals offer full-stop. It is well worth remembering that Glastonbury is once in a lifetime opportunity, and there is no guarantee that you’ll be back, so while the camp chair might beckon on that tiring first night, it is worth trying to take in some of the early buzz served up at the small stages.
In the ideal 20:00-21:00 slot on the Nowhere stage, Mike Skinner with offer up his legendary talents for a sermon of levity. As one of the funniest performers around, his set is likely to welcome you into bohemia with open arms as he rattles out bangers to get the party started.
Floating Points
Another of Glastonbury’s benevolent blessings is that it truly does expand your musical horizons. It proves so impactful that you leave with a new appreciation for all musical realms, whether it be the novelty pop of Rick Astley over on the mainstage or the jazzy ways of British electro expert Sam Shepherd, known professionally as Floating Points.
Pushing things over the midnight mark on the Arcadia stage on Friday, Floating Points will no doubt thrust some frenzied minds away from this terrestrial coil. His 2021 album with Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra sounded like music channelling Miles Davis from another dimension, so that should be mind-altering fun to take in as the stars come out.
The Beatles Dub Club
Every old head at the festival will give you one piece of golden advice for the future: get there early. This is not only to avoid all the rigmarole of the masses descending at once but so you can settle in with some of the quirky stuff while others are still frantically pitching their tents. Thursday at the Truth stage is evidence that their motto pays off.
The Beatles Dub Club is the perfect introductory act for this in many ways. It is, as you might be able to tell, the music of the ‘Fab Four’ re-imagined through a fresh dub lens. So, you can expect to be singing along to ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ one minute and be bounced off by a big break the next. Far from pure novelty, it is a wonderful way to celebrate music in all of its connective guises.
Shame
South London post-punk group Shame have been around for several years now. Having released their emphatic debut LP, Songs of Praise, in 2018, they showed impressive maturity and innovation in their follow-up, 2020’s Drunk Tank Pink, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
For their second album and latest to date, the band, led by Charlie Steen, have abandoned their earlier indie threads for a more abrasive and confrontational sound. With this wide scope, Shame are sure to incite some angsty energy in a youthful crowd at Woodsies Stage next week. The band will take the stage at 4:30pm on Saturday.
Wunderhorse
After the dissolution of his first band Dead Pretties, London artist Jacob Slater began a project of his own direction, Wunderhorse. The sound of Wunderhorse is a little lighter and more refined than Dead Pretties, with Slater previously noting the immovable impact of Radiohead and Neil Young on the band’s style.
Slater released ‘Teal’, his first single under the Wunderhorse alias, in September 2021 and followed it up with four more stellar singles in the run-up to the full debut album, Cub, in October 2022. During their meteoric rise to success, Wunderhorse supported Fontaines DC frequently and enjoyed an extensive US tour last year. Next up, Slater and his group will grace the Woodsies stage at 12:45pm on Saturday.
Leftfield
Within the world of electronic music, Leftfield hold a saintly status rivalling that of contemporaries Underworld. These two acts both had their biggest tracks appear on the soundtrack from Danny Boyle’s classic 1996 movie Trainspotting; for Underworld, it was ‘Born Slippy’, for Leftfield, it was the magnificent ‘A Final Hit’.
Leftfield was formed in 1989 by Neil Barnes and Paul Daley and are considered a crucial force in the evolution of electronic dance music, with The Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Daft Punk and Orbital among their notable admirers. Leftfield are known for their memorable performances and will no doubt give fans a unique experience on The Park Stage on Saturday at 9:15pm.
Billy Nomates
In spite of her stage name, Tor Maries has corralled an impressive following over the past few years as Billy Nomates. Her energetic performances are only matched by a knack for compelling lyrics and sprechgesang delivery style. Although difficult to pigeonhole, her instrumental backing is noted for its post-punk electronic dance sensibilities.
In 2021, Billy Nomates appeared on the hit Sleaford Mods single ‘Mork and Mindy’, elevating her status amid the release of her highly praised Emergency Telephone EP. We strongly advise readers to head to The Park Stage on Friday at 15:15pm for an energising and absorbing show with plenty of vigour to shake up the afternoon.
The Murder Capital
Clinging to the coattails of their home country brethren Fontaines DC, Dublin post-punk group The Murder Capital are certainly one to watch at Glastonbury this year. The five-piece formed in 2018 and released their brilliant debut album, When I Have Fears, in 2019. Following a grapple with Covid-19 pressures, the band returned for a follow-up record in January 2023, Gigi’s Recovery.
In a four-star review of the latest album, Far Out said: “The glacial post-punk that first launched the band to greatness remains, but this time it’s augmented by a host of different aspects. These fresh angles have pulled the band out of the increasingly overdone genre and have seen them start to carve out a space that they can truly call their own.” We can expect to see this developing identity flourish on Woodsies stage on Saturday, June 24th, at 3:15pm.
Max Richter
Glastonbury is a festival that can pride itself on eclecticism. Amid hip-hop, electro, rock and soul acts, there are endless side activities, comedy events and debate events to get our teeth stuck into. Less often is the festival attended by a master classical composer. Richter and his orchestral ensemble will impress even those usually uninterested in classical composition.
The German musician promises to bring a rapturous and atmospheric show to The Park Stage on Saturday at 11:10am. For those of you who enjoy the late-night/early-morning wonders of Shangri-La, you may want to get your sleep in earlier to get a good spot for Richter.
Mantra of the Cosmos
This is a band you may not have heard of, but we’re sure you’ll recognise some of its famous members. Mantra of the Cosmos is a brand new supergroup formed by the Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder and Bez, Andy Bell of Ride and Oasis, and Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr. Just last week, the group released their first single, ‘Gorilla, Guerilla’, described by Starkey as “a fantastic psychedelic groove from a band of misfits, outsiders and innovators”.
With Ryder on vocals, Bell on guitar, and Bez and Starkey on percussion, they’ve set the stage for an exciting Glastonbury appearance on Sunday at 8:20pm on the Glade Stage. In a press statement, Bell said: “It’s a pleasure to be part of Mantra of the Cosmos. Four like-minded souls who get off on the same music.” Plus, everyone needs a bit of Bez.
Japanese Breakfast
Led by multi-talented musician and author Michelle Zauner, Japanese Breakfast creates dream-pop-inspired indie charting themes of love and Korean-American identity. Her second studio album Jubilee took her sound in a lighter, happier direction, particularly with its first single, the bouncy indie track ‘Be Sweet’. She gained two Grammy nominations following the release of the LP.
Previously opening for the likes of Florence and the Machine, Slowdive and Alex G, Zauner’s live presence only enhances her soft sound. She glides across the stage alternating between guitar and a huge drumstick, her happiness infectious. Catch Japanese Breakfast floating across the Other Stage on Sunday at 12:30pm.
Black Country, New Road
Classically trained Speedy Wunderground favourites Black Country, New Road have become a festival staple. Having already appeared at Primavera and Wide Awake this year, they now bring their horn-driven art rock to Glastonbury. After lead singer Isaac Wood left the band in 2022, Black Country, New Road have taken a choral approach to their vocals, with each song featuring a different member at the helm.
Their most recent release, Live at Bush Hall, proved their abilities in live performance, fusing their jazzy post-punk roots with theatricality and experimental elements. Catch the world’s second-best Slint tribute act on the West Holts stage at 2pm on Sunday.
The Last Dinner Party
Brixton-born quintet The Last Dinner Party are reinventing art-pop for the contemporary age. Though they’ve only released one single so far – the elegant and bold ‘Nothing Matters’ – The Last Dinner Party have already gained millions of streams and shared bills with the likes of The Rolling Stones at BST Hyde Park.
It was their live performance that first gained them a cult following surrounding the London Windmill scene – the five-piece have a unique style and magnetic presence on stage. Don’t miss your chance to catch it live on the Woodsies stage, Saturday, at 11:30am.
Slowdive
Shoegaze staples Slowdive need no introduction. Born in the genre’s heyday amongst peers My Bloody Valentine and Ride, their second album Souvlaki has become one of the seminal albums of shoegaze. Almost 30 years on from its release, amidst a shoegaze renaissance, Slowdive’s dreamy, hazy guitars are just as popular as ever.
The band released a new album just over five years ago, the self-titled Slowdive, which retained their deserved place in dream-pop and shoegaze history. Atmospheric and soothing, Slowdive are the perfect band to soundtrack your Sunday evening at Glastonbury – catch them on the Woodsies stage on Sunday at 5pm.
Hot Chip
If you’re looking to boogie in the fields of Glastonbury, be sure to catch alternative, synthy indietronica outfit Hot Chip. The London-born band are led by Alexis Taylor and blend danceable disco beats with synth and indie influences. Since their formation in 2000, they’ve dependably provided fresh summer anthems.
If your schedule is looking a little too dark and alternative, catch their synthy set at Woodsies late Friday night to perk up your trip to Somerset. They’re on at 10:30pm. And they will definitely put some pep in your step for the rest of the night.
Jockstrap
Jockstrap is made up of Black Country, New Road violinist Georgia Ellery and electronic producer Taylor Skye. The duo create eclectic, experimental electronic music that’s as fun as it is weird. Combining Ellery’s distinctive vocals with Skye’s innovative beats, their set is sure to get people moving.
Their debut studio album, I Love You Jennifer B, came out just last year to huge critical success. Featuring synth hits and playful drum machines, hits like ‘50/50’ are endlessly danceable. Catch the duo on The Park Stage at 3:15 on Saturday.
Tokky Horror
For those looking for the weird and wonderful, chaotic left-field four-piece Tokky Horror are well worth a listen. Describing themselves as “virtual hardcore for thee soul, deth breaks for thee people, jungle punx 420mph”, Tokky Horror create dark, computer-driven hardcore rave with punk influences with a sloshing of self-aware humour.
Previously supporting the likes of Enter Shikari, their live set is sure to be as fast, exhilarating and exciting as their studio recordings. Hell, they might even be the sort of thing you love to hate, but they’re certainly impossible to ignore. Catch them as it gets dark on the Truth Stage on Saturday at 10:30pm.
