Glastonbury’s action-packed weekend festival is almost here. Music fans snapped up all the tickets within an hour back in November, meaning those without a ticket will need to watch Glastonbury on screen. This guide has everything you need to know about how to stream Glastonbury online from anywhere and for free.
Since Glastonbury is a U.K. music festival, it’s no surprise that it will be broadcast live within the country. However, if you’re outside the U.K., you’ll be blocked from accessing it. Thankfully, a VPN (Virtual private network) can help with that. ExpressVPN is our top VPN recommendation. We’ll explain why below.
How & Where to Watch Glastonbury Live in the U.K.
The BBC handles all of the Glastonbury coverage in the U.K., with BBC iPlayer being the main place to catch all of the action. This includes special channels that provide live streams and on-demand options if you miss anything. Here’s a quick guide to the BBC iPlayer coverage:
To get you in the mood, the Classic Glastonbury Channel provides a 24-hour stream showing performances from past years leading up to and during the legendary festival.
The Glastonbury Channel Live coverage will start from midday Friday, June 28, through Sunday, June 30. Here you’ll find all the major live events, interviews, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
There will also be separate live streams of each of the five main stages: The Pyramid Stage, Other Stage, Park Stage, West Holts Stage and Woodsies. The BBC will stream performances from the iconic Pyramid Stage in Ultra HD and will also provide British Sign Language for performances on this stage.
The Glastonbury Channel II will provide coverage of all the day’s top performances, so you won’t miss out if you can’t watch live. Even after the event, you’ll be able to watch performances from more than 90 artists on demand.
Lastly, there’s the BBC Music YouTube channel, which will show key parts of the festival and performances from the top stages. Plus, you can keep an eye on the Glastonbury webcam.
Can I Listen Via the BBC Sounds App?
Yes, BBC Sounds will provide live coverage throughout the event, and you’ll also get access to more than 30 of the performances on demand. There will also be a Glastonbury Daily Playlist providing live tracks from top artists for each morning of the festival.
You can listen to ‘All Day Glastonbury’ on 6 Music from Wednesday onwards, which will provide a live broadcast from the Glastonbury gates. Plus, there will be coverage for different parts of the festival spread across Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, Radio 2 and Radio 4, which you can access via the BBC Sounds app.
How to Watch the Glastonbury Stream in the USA & Abroad
Though BBC iPlayer is a U.K.-only service, you can get access from outside the country with a VPN. All you need to do is connect to a U.K. server, which will mask your true IP address with one from the United Kingdom, making you look like you’re in the U.K. Then, you can create a free BBC iPlayer account and start watching. We’ll show you how in the next section.
How to Watch the Glastonbury Festival Live Stream Free Online With a VPN
Follow the steps below to start streaming Glastonbury live on BBC iPlayer. We’ve used ExpressVPN for this example. You can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to get a refund when you’re done.
- Sign Up for a VPN
Go to your chosen VPN’s website and pick a plan to subscribe to — ExpressVPN’s long-term plan works out to be the cheapest overall.
- Install the VPN
Download and install the VPN app on your device. Then, open the app and log in to your account.
- Connect to a UK Server
Find a U.K. server and click on it to connect. If it doesn’t connect straight away, click the “on” button to manually connect.
- Create a Free BBC iPlayer Account
Go to the BBC iPlayer website and create a free account. You’ll need to provide a U.K. postcode — a random one from Google will work.
- Start Streaming Glastonbury
Search for “Glastonbury,” pick the coverage you want to watch or listen to and start streaming.
The Best VPNs to Stream Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer Online
It’s important to choose a VPN with fast speeds, top unblocking ability and, of course, servers in the U.K. Here are our top recommendations for watching Glastonbury.
- ExpressVPN — Excellent speeds, unblocks any streaming service and easy to use. Read our ExpressVPN review for more details.
- NordVPN — Fastest speeds on average, affordable long-term pricing and easily accesses streaming services. Read our NordVPN review for more information.
- privadovpn — Free plan providing 10GB monthly data and U.K. servers, and unblocks streaming platforms. Learn more in our PrivadoVPN review.
Who Is Headlining Glastonbury 2024? Key Performances
The lineup for Glastonbury 2024 is huge, with more than 3,000 performances taking place on the festival’s many stages. Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA were announced as the headliners for the Pyramid Stage this year, and Shania Twain will fill the “legends slot” on Sunday.
We’ll also see acts like Cyndi Lauper, Little Simz and Paloma Faith on the main stage. Other top artists like Camila Cabello, Anne-Marie, Avril Lavigne and Disclosure will perform on the Other Stage.
Here are the dates and times for the headliners, as well as Shania Twain’s slot. For a complete schedule, head to the official Glastonbury Festival lineup.
| Performer | Date | Time | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dua Lipa | Friday, June 28 | 10-11:45 p.m. | Pyramid Stage |
| Coldplay | Saturday, June 29 | 9:45-11:45 p.m. | Pyramid Stage |
| SZA | Sunday, June 30 | 9:30-11:15 p.m. | Pyramid Stage |
| Shania Twain | Sunday, June 30 | 3:45-5 p.m. | Pyramid Stage |
How to Revisit Glastonbury 2023
You can still watch some performances from Glastonbury 2023 on demand on BBC iPlayer. Streams are available for acts like Elton John, Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, Tom Grennan and Rick Astley, as well as the Foo Fighters’ surprise appearance in 2023.
Older performances from headliners like Kylie Minogue from Glastonbury 2019 and Ed Sheeran from 2017 are also still available on BBC iPlayer. However, some videos are no longer available to stream, such as the Guns N’ Roses’ Glastonbury 2023 performance.
Of course, you can also watch a ton of Glastonbury action and highlights on YouTube, including on the official BBC Music YouTube channel.
Final Thoughts
Now you know how to watch Glastonbury online for free. Remember, if you’re not located in the U.K., you can use a VPN to gain access to BBC iPlayer. ExpressVPN is the best tool for the job, and its 30-day money-back guarantee means you can livestream for free.
Which Glastonbury headliners are you looking forward to watching? Will you watch Glastonbury live or on demand? Do you need a VPN to gain access? If so, which VPN will you use? Let us know in the comments below and, as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: How to Watch Glastonbury Online
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Music fans can tune in to Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer. It’s a U.K. service, so if you’re not in the country you’ll need to use a VPN to get access.
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Yes, all of the Glastonbury coverage on BBC iPlayer is completely free.
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There are highlights of some previous Glastonbury performances on Amazon Prime Video, but you can’t watch Glastonbury 2024 live on Prime.
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A good mix of performances from Glastonbury 2023 and other years can be found on BBC iPlayer in the U.K., YouTube and Amazon Prime Video in some countries. They include performances from the likes of Elton John, Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran.