Glastonbury's Emily Eavis hails 'wonderful' Coldplay

Emily Eavis has paid tribute to Music Week's Artist Of The Year Coldplay after the band's triumphant fourth Glastonbury headlining slot earlier this year.

In June the band became the first act to headline Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage on four separate occasions, having previously topped the bill in 2002, 2005 and 2011. They also played the festival in 1999 and 2000, prior to the release of debut album Parachutes.

"Having played at the festival right from the start of their career in 1999, Coldplay have a deep understanding of what Glastonbury is all about," Eavis told Music Week. "They know how to connect with people here so well and each time they play, they somehow raise the bar another level. It has to be said that Coldplay are a very generous band, they want to give everything they can to their audience and this year's wonderful Pyramid show was a true reflection of that."

Coldplay's set included a special tribute to Viola Beach and duets with Barry Gibb and Emily's father, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, who sang My Way to bring the event to a close.

"From the moment they walked on stage and kicked off with A Head Full Of Dreams they had the field transfixed," said Emily. "The energy they arrived with, it was so powerful. It felt personal. I loved the Viola Beach tribute, the kids singing, the wristbands flashing as far as you could see, and the guest spots from Barry Gibb and, of course, my dad!

"You could see the performance meant a lot to them and as a result, the audience here. It also really proved the incredible unifying power of their music, coming just a few days after the Brexit vote. It was, I honestly think, their finest performance here on Worthy Farm. I don't think anyone who saw it will forget it."

Eavis added she was awestruck by the band's evolution since their very first Glastonbury appearance back in 1999. "They've grown so much - we are incredibly proud to see them storm the globe like they have, filling stadiums around the world," she said. "I'm always so impressed when I see them live because they throw everything at it - relentless energy and pace, with a lot of humour too. They make people lose themselves in that moment. Their tribute to Viola Beach on the Pyramid this year really was a special and emotional moment. The whole field was incredibly touched by that."

Meanwhile, Michael Eavis has said the 2019 Glastonbury Festival could be held at a site 100 miles away from Worthy Farm to help protect the main site. The new site, "towards the Midlands", would be used every five years to help the land at his farm recover. Glastonbury is taking a fallow year in 2018.

Photo: Andrew Allcock