Why are there no female headliners at Glastonbury?
The recent announcement of Glastonbury Festival’s 2023 lineup has quickly received backlash for its all-male (and white) headliners. British indie favourites Arctic Monkeys will take to the Pyramid Stage on Friday, followed by Guns ‘N’ Roses on Saturday and Elton John on Sunday night. Where are the women?
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis revealed that a female headliner was booked to perform, yet she “changed her touring plans,” leading to her replacement with Guns ‘N’ Roses. Although she did not name the female musician, most people believe it to be Taylor Swift. In that case, how does one go from Taylor Swift to Guns ‘N’ Roses – a group of white male rockers known for spewing racism, homophobia and misogyny in and outside their music?
The decision hardly solidifies Glastonbury as a safe and inclusive space for people of all races, genders and sexualities to come together and enjoy live music. By championing a band representing such abhorrent values, the festival only perpetuates the notion that men in the music industry (and in general) can get away with anything and still be rewarded with major opportunities rarely afforded to women. It feels like one big kick in the face to female artists.
Lizzo will perform before Guns ‘N’ Roses, with Eavis stating that “she could totally headline.” So why isn’t she? No reason justifies Lizzo as an unworthy headliner. She has four Grammys under her belt, several of her songs have hit number one, and her previous Glastonbury performances have gone down a treat. Even from a data angle, she gets 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify whereas the ageing rock band get 25 million. Regardless, countless other massive (and considerably more relevant) female artists have the popularity to headline, if not Swift or Lizzo. Perhaps most notable is Lana Del Rey who will simply take to the headline slot on the Other Stage while the notoriously shaky Guns ‘N’ Roses front the mainstage.
Eavis claimed that the lack of female headliners is a “pipeline problem.” She explained, “We’re trying our best, so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like, but we need to get everyone on board.” However, a festival as big as Glastonbury certainly has the power to place women on top, introduce up-and-coming female artists on smaller stages, and actively combat misogyny by blocking opportunities for known sexists to headline. By taking such measures, which would undoubtedly go down successfully, record companies, radio stations and the like will be more likely to invest in and spotlight female artists. Glastonbury and other festivals are part of that very pipeline and their progressive influence must trickle down.
A recent University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative report found that only 14% of songwriters in the Billboard Hot 100’s year-end chart were women. Moreover, the peak percentage of female producers in its year-end chart came in 2019, when women represented just 5%. Leading the report was Dr Stacy L Smith, who said, “It’s more than just allowing an artist to credit themselves on a song, it’s about identifying talent and hiring women in these roles. That’s the only way that we will see change occur.” The report found that “women are stereotyped – in terms of the types of songs and genres they can create, and the roles they can play – they are sexualised, and their talents and experience are discounted.” It suggested that to gain more female voices in the industry, more programmes must be set up to allow access to services.
Yet the main problem lies in the deeply-rooted sexist attitudes embedded in our society. It is terribly difficult for women to be taken seriously in the music industry – you only have to look at a band like Wet Leg, whose immense success has been ridiculed and torn apart by men, to see that male artists are treated much more kindly than their female counterparts. When male bands are criticised, their gender is never brought into the argument. People must actively take a stand against the industry’s misogyny for changes to be made. It would be nice to see male artists refuse to play unless some of their fellow headliners are women or, when embarking on headline tours, choose female acts to support. The sad reality is that this seems unlikely.
Festivals must understand that, although booking the same male artists is undoubtedly a safe choice, attendees will be receptive to female headliners. Glastonbury would not lose ticket sales if Björk or Billie Eilish took to the main stage instead of Guns ‘N’ Roses. Similarly, radio stations will not lose listeners if they play more female artists. The problems are deep-rooted, yet Glastonbury is in a prime position to become an example for change. The impact of seeing successful women at the top of lineups for other young and hopeful female artists cannot be understated.
