CNN
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Neil Young and his band The Chrome Hearts are no longer playing at this year’s Glastonbury music festival, the rock legend has announced.
Young said in a statement posted to his official website that his reason for backing out of his set is because of requests made by the festival’s corporate partner, British broadcaster the BBC.
“The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs,” Young wrote in the statement. “We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. it seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way i remember it being.”
“We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn – off, and not for me like it used to be,” Young added.
After thanking his supporters for seeing him play at the festival in 2009, he teased his upcoming tour, writing, “hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour” this coming year.
Young did not elaborate on what he claimed the festival had wanted him and his band to do during their set that caused him to pull out of performing. The BBC livestreams portions of the festival through its days-long run.
CNN has reached out to Glastonbury and the BBC for comment.
The festival has yet to reveal the full lineup. In November, it was announced that Rod Stewart will return to Glastonbury for the first time since his 2002 appearance.
Glastonbury is one of the UK’s biggest musical festivals. The 2025 event will take place between June 25-29 and is held at Worthy Farm in southwestern England.