Duran Duran refuse to play Glastonbury unless they get a headline slot

Duran Duran have made it clear they won’t set foot on Worthy Farm unless they’re handed one of Glastonbury’s biggest slots.

The ’80s icons still have a few major ambitions on their bucket list, including a Sphere Las Vegas residency and even a hologram show in the style of ABBA Voyage.

Glasto is on that list too, but only if the festival gives them the status they believe they deserve.

Frontman Simon Le Bon told The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine: “I’d love to do one [hologram show]. But I’d also like to do the Sphere in Las Vegas.”

But when it comes to Glastonbury, the band say they’ve already rejected one offer because it didn’t match their expectations.

Asked about the festival, Simon revealed: “Well, we want to – but not in a disco tent at 3pm, which is what we were offered. We want the right slot … We shouldn’t be below anybody on the bill. So, we’ll hold out because we’re a headline act – that’s all there is to it.”

The group, who have sold more than 100 million records and remain one of Britain’s most successful pop exports, clearly believe their legacy earns them a place at the top of the Pyramid Stage.

In 2023, the Girls On Film hitmakers promised to bring out Nile Rogers and Mark Ronson as special guests if they ever get to perform at Glastonbury.

Appearing on the Headliners podcast, Simon said: “I want to play Glastonbury. I don’t want to go as a punter, but I want Duran Duran to get the right slot. Anyway, that’s the conversation that we shouldn’t really have on the air. I’d love to do it. I’d like a night-time slot, to be honest with you, and it’s got to be on the Pyramid Stage.”

Asked whether they’d invite any special guests on stage, bassist John Taylor suggested they would bring out two of the band’s high-profile collaborators, Nile Rodgers, who produced their 1986 album Notorious and has continued to collaborate with them over the years, and Mark Ronson, who worked on their 2010 record All You Need Is Now.

John said: “You’d have to bring Nile out and maybe Mark.“