SZA opens Glastonbury headline set to sparse crowd amid major set clashes
Subscribe To Roisin O’Connor's Music Newsletter For The Latest Updates
Sign Up For Our Free Email Newsletter
The audience at SZA's Glastonbury show on Sunday seemed smaller than expected for a festival headliner, as the Grammy-nominated singer's performance was scheduled at the same time as several other popular acts.
The 34-year-old R&B singer ended the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset on Sunday night (30 June), after Dua Lipa and Coldplay headlined on Friday and Saturday.
SZA made her first appearance at Glastonbury, but she had tough competition from Justice, James Blake, London Grammar, and The National who were all performing at the same time on different stages.
Louis Chilton from The Independent noted that a large amount of attendees were leaving the Worthy Farm festival grounds before her performance, likely trying to avoid traffic congestion.
At the same time, people watching the BBC's broadcast also raised concerns about the smaller audience at the Pyramid Stage. One viewer asked on X/Twitter, "Did you notice the lack of people at the Pyramid Stage?"
SZA's first performance at Glastonbury has sparked some controversy among festival attendees, as some have raised questions about her being chosen as a headline act. Many have admitted they were not familiar with her before she was added to the lineup.
A user on X/Twitter shared their puzzlement, stating, "I searched for SZA on Spotify and found out she has 70.5 million followers and one of her songs has been played 1.9 billion times. I must be in the minority because I have never listened to her music or even heard of her before."
SZA started making music in 2011, after collaborating on successful songs like "Consideration" for Rihanna's album Anti in 2016.
The artist received more attention in 2017 for her highly praised first album Ctrl. Her upcoming album, SOS, reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was awarded the 2024 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album. This success also resulted in four consecutive sold-out performances at the O2 Arena in London last year.
Indulge in endless listening to 70 million music tracks and podcasts without interruptions on Amazon Music.
Join today to try our service for 30 days without any cost.
Experience endless listening to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts on Amazon Music.
Register today for a 30-day trial at no cost.
Lana's upcoming album is set to be released later this year.
During SZA's headline performance on Sunday, the audience was not as large as anticipated due to conflicting set times with other popular artists. This has raised concerns about scheduling other musicians on smaller stages.
Adam White from The Independent wrote about the large crowds at the Sugababes performance at West Holt on Friday night, and the masses of people gathered at the Other stage to catch a glimpse of Avril Lavigne.
He said, "Similar to Sugababes' crowded performance, the edgy, nostalgic pop-punk icon Avril Lavigne is one of the acts you have to see at the festival, but unfortunately, she is squeezed onto a small stage in front of a massive crowd."
