【Performance Review】Rod Stewart at Glastonbury: A tender echo of rock's golden age

The Glastonbury Festival Pyramid Stage in 2025 once again welcomed the legendary superstar Rod Stewart. The "Hot Rod", who is over 80 years old, still has thick blond hair and is as charming as ever, brought a nostalgic, warm and old-school sexy classic performance to the enthusiastic audience in the hot summer.

🥁 The pride of Scotland in the sound of bagpipes, the horn of the performance

As "Scotland the Brave" played, bagpipes echoed in the hills around the Pyramid Stage, and the audience - braving temperatures of nearly 40 degrees - had gathered since the early morning, waiting for the legendary star to appear. And Stewart lived up to expectations.

Wearing a black jacket with gold thread and bell-bottom pants with star patterns, he still walked in the center of the stage, twisting his body as always, showing his "Muppet-like" enthusiasm. He was not just singing, but also playing the role he once was: sexy and cynical, retro and sincere.

Lulu performs with Rod Stewart on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury festival. Photograph: Harry Durrant/Getty Images

🎤 From gentle skits to passionate songs: a rock journey through time

The show did not start directly with the hits, but gently opened with "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)", as if it was an invitation to "afternoon tea rock". As "Some Guys Have All the Luck" sounded, the whole audience began to sing loudly, and Stewart also called on "the media to pay more attention to Ukraine", followed by "Love Train", a song dedicated to the suffering people.

The first climax of the audience's emotions came from "The First Cut Is the Deepest", and the scene finally became really "hot"; while the slightly provocative "Tonight's the Night" was a little inappropriate in the 30-degree high temperature. Although Stewart wanted to create a sexy atmosphere, it was clear that today's audience was more eager for freshness and sensuality.

Then, the Polaroid projection of "Forever Young" brought back collective memories, and the violin performance of "You Wear It Well" also brought the performance to a climax. When Maggie May started, the whole audience was immersed in the nostalgic atmosphere of pure British rock.

relaxing moment

🎉 Guest appearance: a moment that belongs to a generation

Stewart's performance was far more than a solo show. Surprise appearances by Simply Red lead singer Mick Hucknall , the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Scottish singer Lulu made this performance a true gathering of "Britain's Golden Age".

Wood and Stewart's duet "Stay With Me" is full of primitive rock tension, while Lulu and Stewart's duet "Hot Legs" pushes old-school sexiness to the extreme. The two are not afraid of age and fully display their stage charm, as if taking people back to the wild nights of the 1970s in an instant.

Mick Hucknall joins Stewart on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury festival. Photograph: Harry Durrant/Getty Images

🌊 The final tenderness: "Sailing" brings the show to a close

After a gentle rendition of "I Don't Want to Talk About It," the show ended with "Sailing." Despite the heat, thousands of people hummed, waved, and basked in the moment. It was more than just a performance, it was an echo of the zeitgeist.

🎸 Why Rod Stewart still matters

• He doesn’t just sing songs, he tells his story;

• He never shied away from old age, but embraced it with charm;

• He reminds us that rock is not just a game for young people, but belongs to those who persist in their passion.

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relaxing moment