Glastonbury live: Marina Abramović silences the Pyramid stage, and Sugababes roll back the years – live | Glastonbury 2024

Dexys reviewed!

Laura Snapes

Considering how many decades Kevin Rowland has bared his tortured soul for us, it’s surprisingly touching to see him look so natural, easily admired, as the reformed Dexys perform on stage in the park, the setting sun casting a diagonal light on the crowd.

Parts of the set serve as tributes to past Runners: Geno is about Kevin Archer, an early band member “and obviously a huge influence on the second album,” and Until I Believe in My Soul is about trombonist Big Jim Patterson, who couldn’t make it joined them on recent tours. And absolutely nothing from their amazingly great 2023 album The Feminine Divine is played (seriously, it’s amazing: from classic Dexys to Gainsbourgian synth-louche as Rowland unravels and disavows his historical attitudes towards women), in keeping with Rowland’s trademark contrarianism about nostalgia. But he’s so vital: he seems to have someone’s portrait locked up in his attic, looking so tanned and gorgeous in his pink and green suit. And that voice it is still the sound of a soul reaching from the depths of isolation in a desperate attempt to connect; he can still rip out high notes in a way that sounds like a matchstick.

Down on the Pyramid stage at the same time as Dexys started, Marina Abramovic asked the audience to remain silent for seven minutes while they gave each other their unconditional love. The atmosphere here is much more mellow, but the mood is much the same: that of a heavily carpeted, musty brown pub filled with emotional men hugging each other while singing some of the greatest pop songs of the past 40-plus years.

It’s a veritable party up here, rising on Geno’s brass, igniting the fantastic theatrical spirit of Until I Believe…, as Rowland pretends to scream, hoo-hoo-hoo, in a classic account of romantic rejection. In one of the revue-style bits with foil (and occasional saxophonist) Sean Reid, he admits he’s 70 – “I’m old now, man!” – but Come on Eileen – man, it’s totally timeless. I firmly believe that there are songs that every Brit deserves to hear live at least once – Robbie Williams’ Angels, for example – and this is pretty much the same; raunchy, rowdy folk song (and the sped-up beat in the middle eight makes me giggle). “You sure liked that!” Rowland says, still seeming surprised to be striking such a chord 42 years later. Too rye yes!!!!

Jason Okundai

Ted Lasso actor Kola Bockini looks fresh in a purple pleated Issey Miyake two-piece. He just saw the Sugababes and is especially excited for Burna Boy and Shania Twain!

Zoe Williams

D:Ream brought in Brian Cox for Things Can Only Get Better. He is introduced with “ladies and gentlemen and everything in between, welcome back to a man who has become far more famous than any of us.”

Sugababes reviewed!

Jason Okundai

“What a twist, ladies!” Keisha Buchanan says. Perhaps the understatement of the century. Sugababes is rising. So heavy that this review is almost not happening – access to the West Holts stage is blocked by various entrances and I am forced to go on a mad dash around the perimeter of the area before it is completely closed. Two years ago, when the Sugababes played the Avalon stage at Glastonbury, they were so overwhelmed with interest that the audience in attendance could have filled the marquee five times over. You have to wonder, then, how Glastonbury managed to once again underestimate the popularity of one of its legacy acts – who could have easily filled the Pyramid stage to capacity.

Kicking off with Freak, the revived zero three piece phenomenon delivered a string of their greatest hits. Their harmonies are luxurious and transcendent, but often what stands out is the unique, sustained vibrancy of Mutya Buena’s vocals. The Sugababes have always been more defined by cool grooving and smooth electric movement than highly choreographed theatrics and as such, naturally their comeback performance of the breakout single Overload, with a chair routine reminiscent of Top of the Pops, is the centerpiece of the show. The performance is elevated through the dynamics of British garage, and although the crowd is at capacity, there is still plenty of hand-waving, jumping and singing. Too much time is devoted to the call and response of “olly olly olly”, but their cover of Sweet Female Attitude’s Flowers is triumphant.

The crowd only quieted down during two of the resurgent Sugababes’ more recent songs – When the Rain Comes and Today – although the catchiness of the latter’s chorus soon faded. You might have hoped they’d reach for deeper tracks on the album, but they’re comfortable with their hits: Push the Button, Round Round and Too Lost in You. However, closer About You Now makes me wonder if the set was too safe: its glitzy pop commercialism feels out of step with the too-cool-for-school grit that defines the trio. Their ownership of the entire Sugababes catalog is a triumphant development considering their legal battles, but they’ve long since proven that the name is theirs and theirs alone.

Sarah Phillips

This is Lucinda and Lizzie from Bristol who live in the same street and bumped into each other in the crowd for Marina Abramovic. Lucinda: “I thought it was wonderful. I found out about it 30 seconds before she started. I adored her. That made my Glastonbury. I thought it was really strong. The seven minutes went really fast.”

Gwilym Mumford

Gwilym here, taking you through Glasto’s pre-title change. Right now on the pyramid Marina Abramovich trying to get tens of thousands of punters at the festival to close their eyes and keep quiet a whole seven minutes. It’s a big ask given the, um, well-oiled nature of some Glastonbury punters, but it sounds like she’s pulled it off. Sarah Phillips of The Guardian, who was on the ground, said that apart from a hoax screamer, the entire crowd remained quiet and that the effect was “incredibly loud and moving”.

“He’s completely still and quiet and I strangely want to cry,” adds the Guardian’s Jenny Stevens.