Elton John to bring Hollywood star out as special guest during Glastonbury performance
HIS headline slot at Worthy Farm on Sunday is gearing up to be the biggest show of the Glastonbury Festival.
And Sir Elton John is pulling out all of the stops for the performance, the last UK date on his final ever world tour.
I can exclusively reveal Hollywood A-lister Taron Egerton will be joining him on stage.
The Brit played Elton in Rocketman, the 2019 film biopic, and will be one of four special guests.
A source said: “Elton is going to give the performance of a lifetime at Glastonbury and has lined up some surprises for his fans at Worthy Farm. Taron will be coming out to sing alongside Elton after befriending him while making the film.
“The final plans are being kept a closely guarded secret but rehearsals are taking place and Elton has planned an entirely new set, different from the one on his tour, for the show.”
Elton’s husband David Furnish yesterday teased the performance.
He told Sky News: “Four collaborators of his choosing. People he just thought, ‘I’d really like to do something with these artists at Glastonbury’. And that’s all I’m going to say. This one is very special. It’s not just another day in the office. It’s a different set-list, it’s a huge outdoor live festival.
“He’s got four different collaborators joining him on stage at different times, who I won’t name, sorry.
“So he’s done a lot of changes. (He has) A lot on his plate, so I think he’s anxious. But I think good anxious, healthy anxious.”
There are plenty of other stars who look likely to join him, perhaps Rina Sawayama or Years & Years, both of whom he has collaborated with in recent years.
It would be incredible if superstar Lady Gaga, godmother to his two sons, joined him.
Unfortunately I’m told Dua Lipa, who sang with him on hit single Cold Heart, will not be there.
I’m sure it won’t be long before she has a headline set of her own though.
Hope and glory
VICK HOPE got all dolled up one last time before packing her wellies and heading down to Worthy Farm.
The Radio 1 DJ wore this black sheer dress to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s summer party in London.
Later today she will be joining radio co-host Jordan North to broadcast live from Glasto.
They will present shows from 1pm to 4pm every day of the festival – and it sounds like it will be chaotic. Jordan has had a huge flag made which Vick has promised to wave – but he hasn’t told her what’s on it. That might lead to an embarrassing moment for her.
In good news, the forecast looks sunny for the weekend. So even if she does look like a fool, waving something rude, at least she won’t be doing it in the mud.
Cruz bags posh van
HE turned 18 only four months ago and Cruz Beckham is already taking advantage of his new found freedom with a wild weekend away at Glastonbury.
The youngest son of Victoria and David arrived at the festival with his girlfriend Tana Holding – and has made his bed at the festival’s most expensive accommodation.
Cruz has a spot in the site’s swanky Winnebago area, where plots cost £20,000.
Security is tight, but he has also been joined by his minder to keep him safe.
A source said: “Cruz’s big brother Brooklyn had a mad one at Glastonbury when he turned 18 and he’s clearly told Cruz all about it.
“He is set for a big weekend with four days of partying – although his family are due to join him on Sunday.
“Elton is close friends with his parents so they are keen to watch him.
“But it’s an exciting time for Cruz given he is going to launch his music career soon.
“One day he hopes to be performing at Glastosinger, too.”
Other early arrivals on Thursday before the bands start on Friday included actress Daisy Edgar Jones and singer Ella Eyre.
Maisie proves women Worthy
IT’S the biggest day of Maisie Peters’ career on Friday as she performs on the Pyramid Stage and drops her second album, The Good Witch.
But the singer-songwriter from West Sussex is hoping that belting performances from artists like her, Stefflon Don and Texas will help pave the way for more women high up on festival bills.
This year’s event has been criticised for having three male headliners, as well as another man, Yusuf/Cat Stevens in the Sunday afternoon legends slot.
Maisie told me: “I have so many friends and so many heroes of mine, especially British, who I respect hugely and would love to see on those stages and headlining festivals.
“Florence + The Machine, Charlie XCX, Rina Sawayama – all of them are amazing.
“I really hope that in the next few years we will see a real change from the ground up.
“It’s a wider issue than just festival bookings and I’m sure there’s already things in motion and I’m hoping in the next few years we’ll see a real shift.”
Forecast is lots of son shine
THEIR parents were famous caners in the Nineties and now Woody Cook and Raff Law are leading the charge.
Woody, the son of radio host Zoe Ball and superstar DJ Fatboy Slim, got on site on Monday, a full four days before the big stars start playing.
Meanwhile Raff, the offspring of actress and fashion designer Sadie Frost, and movie star Jude Law, was spotted hitting the bar yesterday afternoon.
It will be a family affair for Woody, as his mum will present her Radio 2 breakfast show from the festival site this morning.
In a potentially awkward chat, she will be interviewing ex-husband Fatboy on air.
Well, you have to take all the guests you can get, I suppose.
Alex in Turner for the better
ARCTIC MONKEYS are raring to go for their headline slot on the Pyramid Stage tonight, with frontman Alex Turner now rested up after being struck down with laryngitis.
The setback had thrown the band’s gig into doubt earlier this week, as they cancelled a show in Dublin, but fans can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Drummer Matt Helders says the group, also including bassist Nick O’Malley and Jamie Cook on guitar and keyboard, are thrilled to be headlining the festival’s main stage for a third time.
He added: “The first time we did it, it was crazy. It seemed quite early in our career to headline Glastonbury.
“It was terrifying. We were like, ‘What do we do to bring something special?’ The second time was ten years ago. Enough time has passed to let us do it again.
“The difference now is that we are in a place where we are firing on all cylinders and can perform the best we can perform. Everyone is enjoying it more than ever, it seems. It feels like the right time.
“We’re not quite the comeback legacy band, we’re not the new band, we’re somewhere nicely in the middle.”
Alert! This is Texas
SHARLEEN SPITERI says she doesn’t think anyone will recognise Texas.
Ahead of their gig on the Pyramid Stage today, the frontwoman, whose band’s first hit was in 1989, said: “I know we’re going to walk out and the audience is not our audience.
“They’re young. They’ll hear songs and go, ‘Oh, right, I never knew that was them’.
“They were the five-year-olds in the car when we were at our height.”
But the gig is still a massive deal.
Asked how she felt about getting on stage at Worthy Farm, Sharleen added: “It’s an amazing feeling.”
I’ll be there cheering you on, Sharleen.
Michael Cat and mouse
FESTIVAL founder Michael Eavis told how he spent two decades trying to get Yusuf/Cat Stevens to perform.
He said: “I went to visit him in London 20 years ago, because his agent said if I did, he’d play.
“He knew I was coming so he’d put out all the tablecloths and he gave me a piece of cake.
“We had a really nice afternoon. And after that, I thought it would happen. But it didn’t. Well, not until now. I’m so glad we got there eventually.”
Yusuf/Cat Stevens will play the Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday.