Dua Lipa hits all the right notes at Glastonbury

Written by Mark Savage, who covers music news, along with Annabel Rackham, who reports on entertainment.

Dua Lipa performed as the main act on the Pyramid Stage for the first time.

Dua Lipa came ready to make a statement.

The singer gave an energetic and impressive performance during her first headline set at Glastonbury, showcasing a range of hit songs from start to finish.

She started performing on the Pyramid Stage just after 10pm, kicking off with a perfect set of five songs: Training Season, One Kiss, Illusion, Break My Heart, and Levitating.

Every person had the exciting and well-rehearsed dance moves of a performance at an award show - and the energy never slowed down throughout the entire night.

Dua changed her outfit five times during the night, always sticking to a theme of heavy studs and leather.

She performed a total of 15 popular songs that made it to the top 40 charts, including hits like Don't Start Now, Physical, and New Rules. Additionally, she sang her collaborations with Elton John called Cold Heart and with Mark Ronson called Electricity.

Surprisingly, she decided not to perform her hit song "Dance The Night" with Barbie during the concert. Instead, the song was only featured in a video played between one of the star's many wardrobe changes.

Her rough mezzo-soprano voice was very noticeable on the warm summer night in Somerset. Especially on the powerful song "Happy For You" and the smooth, seductive "Houdini" which was the last song of her performance.

The 28-year-old also showed her respect to Shakespear's Sister, who was one of the first female headliners at Glastonbury in 1992. She wore a t-shirt with the album cover of Hormonally Yours, paying homage to the band.

During her performance, she constantly mentioned how she had made this moment happen, dreaming of being the main act at Glastonbury even before she released her debut album.

Dua Lipa managed to evoke a club vibe with her dance moves.

"I have carefully documented this moment and hoped for it and imagined it and put in a lot of effort," she informed the audience.

She remembered one of her early performances, in front of a crowd of only 10 people who "only showed up because we promised them complimentary drinks" - and was amazed by how much that audience had expanded.

Nearly 100,000 individuals tuned in to watch the performance, with supporters extending as far as Rowmead, a location previously designated for campers. However, in 2024, it was made accessible to accommodate larger audiences at the Pyramid Stage.

"It's a whole bunch, isn't it? A lot to absorb," Lipa mentioned.

Younger me would be overwhelmed with excitement at this moment.

It was a brief moment of openness in a very strong and protected performance. Every song was perfected, every note was harmonized, and every hair was purposefully tossed. Dua Lipa performed flawlessly, showing the skill and dedication she had been honing for years.

However, if that description makes it seem cold and impersonal, that wasn't the reality.

For instance, when she quickly made her way to the front of the stage to encourage the crowd to sing along to her popular song Be The One.

It wasn't completely unplanned - in reality, it was inspired by a moment she had during her previous Glastonbury show in 2017 - but the happiness on the singer's face as she climbed over the fences and sang directly to her fans was authentic.

Dua Lipa performed on stage with her collaborator, Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker.

Not long after that, she introduced Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, who is working with her on her upcoming album Radical Optimism. They performed their song The Less I Know The Better together.

Released from the strict regiment of rehearsed movements, she danced freely with him on stage, showcasing a peek into the individual underneath the carefully curated facade.

If there was one downside, it was that there weren't enough of these moments and they didn't happen often enough.

The performance sometimes seemed planned specifically for TV and the crowd at the festival, and the precise dance routines, although incredibly impressive, didn't leave room for creativity.

Lipa stated before the performance that she wanted to transform Glastonbury into a nightclub. In order to fulfill that pledge, she revamped all the songs by incorporating sounds inspired by the 90s rave scene and enhancing the beats with powerful sub bass.

Her popular song New Rules was mixed with the festival favorite Glue by the Northern Irish dance group Bicep, creating a breakout hit.

It is rare for a Glastonbury headliner to have their own secondary stage, but Dua Lipa is not like everyone else.

Dua carefully curated her outfits to match the club's theme, making sure her fashion choices coordinated with those of her dancers. She wore a chunky studded belt and red-and-black flamed hotpants to blend in seamlessly.

It was also interesting to see that she chose to wear comfortable shoes for dancing, which made us feel like we were partying with her instead of just watching a distant celebrity.

The show was filled with fireworks and confetti, giving the impression that she was determined to make her mark at Glastonbury forever. From my seat in the front row, I could see that she definitely accomplished her goal.

The other performances at the top of this weekend's lineup, including Coldplay who have headlined five times before, will need to work hard to match her level of ambition.