Summer has officially arrived, which can mean only one thing: festival season is upon us! It would be hard to miss Glastonbury Festival looming in the not-so-distant future, but in case you had not realised, it is due to take place 25th– 29th June. As one of the most famous festivals internationally, it attracts some of the biggest and best bands and artists across the world and this year is no exception.
Undoubtedly, it has provided a stellar line-up this year with The 1975, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts and Olivia Rodrigo headlining on the coveted Pyramid Stage. Some acts will make their debut at the festival such as Pinkpantheress, Djo, and Doechii, joining long-time industry favourites like Supergrass and The Fratellis. Charli XCX, a veteran of the festival now, returns for what is guaranteed to be a high-energy performance. Could this mark the rebirth of ‘Brat summer’?
Recently, Glastonbury has been the centre of additional attention due to the mysterious act called Patchwork in a prime 6.15pm slot on the Saturday night. In 2023, a similarly ambiguous pseudonym ‘The Churnups’ turned out to be Foo Fighters, who put on an electric performance. Inevitably, intense speculation has ensued with many trying to decipher the true act behind the name to avoid potentially missing one of their favourite artists.
The main theories currently seem to point to Pulp and Haim. Pulp has released an album for the first time in 24 years and have a gap in their tour diary around Glastonbury weekend, leading to speculation that they could be Patchwork. However, a spokesperson for the band has flat-out denied the theory, but whether this is an attempt to put fans off the scent or not, we will have to wait and see. Haim seem a likely contender with a new album out and a show in the UK on the Friday of Glastonbury weekend.
Fans have also made the connection to a novel titled ‘Patchwork’ by Sylvie Haim. While the author is no relation to the sisters, could this be the perfect easter egg to give fans a hint about their performance? Other names that have been thrown around are Oasis, Radiohead, and Robbie Williams, but following investigation, these all seem pretty unlikely.
A spokesperson for [Pulp] has flat-out denied the theory, but whether this is an attempt to put fans off the scent or not, we will have to wait and see.
My personal hope, and I am afraid it is only a hope seeing as I have not seen any other theories mention her name, is that it could be Chappell Roan. Her career has reached a level of acclaim and success to be deserving of an evening slot on the Pyramid stage, and she is known for being as fantastic a performer as she is a vocalist. There were many rumours spiralling around the prospect of her Glastonbury debut, but her name is still missing from the official setlist. Looking at her tour dates, she has nothing scheduled at the end of June and so I am hopeful that she may make an appearance either as Patchwork, or in one of the other surprise slots ‘to be announced’.
If you, like so many of us, missed out on tickets and want to find out who the mysterious Patchwork could be, tune in to the Pyramid Stage at 6.15 on Saturday on BBC iPlayer.
