Rock
Brian May insists Queen won't perform at Glastonbury 2027 due to badger politics
Sir Brian May has ruled out the possibility of Queen performing at Glastonbury next year, due to badger politics, despite admitting a couple of years ago it was "not impossible" for the group to perform at the spectacle.
Sir Brian May has once again insisted that Queen will not perform at Glastonbury, citing his long-running opposition to badger culling and his disagreement with festival founder Michael Eavis.
The 78-year-old guitarist, who has been a vocal animal rights campaigner for decades, said the band would refuse an invitation to headline the iconic Somerset festival unless there was a fundamental change in the views of those who run it. Brian has previously spoken out against Glastonbury over the issue, and he has now reiterated that stance ahead of next year’s event.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “I wouldn’t do Glastonbury next year because of the politics of the people who run it, unless that changes, I won’t do it. They like killing badgers, and they think it’s for sport and that’s something I cannot support because we’ve been trying to save these badgers for years, and they are still being killed for years, so that’s the reason we’re missing out on it.”
Brian went on to dismiss the idea that Queen have repeatedly turned down offers to headline the festival, suggesting organisers are already aware of his position.
He said: “I don’t think the conversation of us doing has ever taken place because they know how I feel.”
The comments reignite a long-standing dispute between the We Will Rock You hitmaker and Michael Eavis, who has previously supported badger culling as a measure to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis among cattle. The disease can devastate herds, with infected cows culled and entire farms placed at risk.
Eavis, 90, has previously hit back at May’s stance, branding him ‘a danger to farming’ over his outspoken opposition to the policy.
Despite his strong words, Brian has previously stopped short of completely ruling out a future appearance. In 2023, he acknowledged that dialogue could still be possible, even if the issue remains deeply personal.
Speaking to The Guardian at the time, he said: “You can never say never, but it’s a very big matter of principle to me. I am convinced, more than ever, that the badger cull is the greatest crime this country has ever committed against wildlife. It’s completely pointless and the tragedy is immense.”
He added that while he finds Eavis’s support of the policy “difficult to swallow”, he would still be open to discussion, saying he believes conversation is the only way forward.
