The BBC has released its coverage guide for Glastonbury 2025, for all the fans at home this weekend.

Glastonbury Festival opened its gates for 2025 this morning, welcoming around 200,000 for five days of music, art, and more. If the ticket sale gods weren’t shining down upon you, and you will not be in attendance this year, there’s no shortage of coverage to stop you totally missing out.

The BBC is offering over 90 hours of coverage of this year’s legendary music event, from livestreams to TV highlights and radio broadcasts. However, unusually, one headline act appears not be included in the BBC’s scheduled TV or iPlayer coverage.

If you did grab tickets, check out (our) RouteNote’s guide to Glastonbury to ensure you have the best time. If you’re staying home, then here’s everything you need to know about how you can catch all the goings on from Worthy Farm.

BBC iPlayer

  • Live streams of the five main stages
  • Ultra High Definition (UHD) streams of Pyramid Stage sets
  • British Sign Language (BSL) options available
  • The Glastonbury Channel returns from Friday to Sunday, hosted by Clara Amfo, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders and others
  • The Glastonbury Highlights Channel offers 24/7 replays of standout performances until 30 July

BBC TV Schedules

  • BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC One will be broadcasting throughout the weekend
  • Special throwback programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s air from Monday 23 June
  • Live coverage kicks off Thursday night and runs throughout the weekend
  • Presenters include Jo Whiley, Lauren Laverne, Clara Amfo, Jack Saunders, and Jamz Supernova

Main acts featured

  • The 1975
  • Raye
  • Rod Stewart
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • Loyle Carner
  • Charlie xcx
  • John Fogerty
  • Portishead’s Beth Gibbons

Glastonbury on the radio

Radio coverage of Glastonbury 2025 is just as packed, spreading across:

  • BBC Radio 6 Music
  • BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra
  • BBC Radio 2
  • BBC Radio 4
  • BBC Sounds

Expect live sets, backstage interviews, special guest DJs and surprise sessions. Coverage begins from Wednesday 25 June, as festival-goers start arriving on site.

Why is a headliner missing from the programme?

Although Neil Young is set to headline Glastonbury 2025, his set is notably absent from the BBC’s broadcast schedule. As pointed out by NME, Young’s name doesn’t appear in the listings for either BBC TV or iPlayer coverage of the festival.

No official reason has been given, but the omission follows a period of uncertainty where Young pulled out of Glastonbury after learning of the BBC’s involvement. However, he reversed this decision after whatever misinformation he was provided with was corrected. “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved.”

This isn’t the first time artists have opted out of or been left out of broadcast coverage. In past years, performers like Prince and Daft Punk also chose to keep their Glastonbury sets off-air. Reasons are often personal, creative, or contractual – and while it’s a disappointment for viewers at home, Neil Young fans on site will still be able to enjoy his performance with The Chrome Hearts, of course.

Can you watch BBC coverage outside the UK?

Unfortunately, BBC’s Glastonbury coverage – including its live streams on iPlayer and TV broadcasts – is only available to viewers within the UK due to licensing restrictions. If you’re abroad, you won’t be able to access the streams through official BBC platforms.

That said, highlights and selected performances are often shared on the official BBC Music YouTube channel, which may be viewable internationally. Glastonbury’s own social media channels also tend to post clips and behind-the-scenes content, so keep an eye there if you’re tuning in from outside the UK.

Summing up

Whether you’re watching from the fields or your front room, Glastonbury 2025 promises another unforgettable weekend of live music, iconic moments and surprise guests. With the BBC offering extensive coverage across TV, radio and iPlayer, UK viewers have more ways than ever to soak up the atmosphere from home. While some acts like Neil Young may be absent from the broadcast schedule, there’s still plenty to look forward to.

Distribute your music for FREE with RouteNote. Sign up today to get started.