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Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Sza will headline Glastonbury 2024, it has been announced.

Shania Twain will perform the Sunday afternoon “legends slot” on the festival’s famous Pyramid stage.

Glastonbury organisers announced the line-up for this summer’s event today after months of speculation.

Dua Lipa performs during the Brit Awards 2024 in London, Saturday, March. 2, 2024. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP)
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Dua Lipa will headline the Pyramid stage on the Friday night. Pic: Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP

With stars including Little Simz, Avril Lavigne, Jessie Ware, Janelle Monae, Cyndi Lauper, PJ Harvey and Camila Cabello on the bill alongside Dua Lipa, Sza and Twain, it is a line-up filled with female acts.

For Lipa, it will be her Pyramid stage debut – and comes fresh off the back of Brits and Grammys performances earlier this year.

“FRIDAY NIGHT PYRAMID STAGE HEADLINE!!!!,” the star posted on Instagram. “I have dreamt of this moment all my life. Something that lived only in my wildest dreams and highest manifestations !!! I am so excited to see you all in my favourite place on earth and make it a night to remember!!”

British singer Chris Martin of Coldplay performs on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Music Festival, Saturday, June 25, 2011. More than 170,000 ticket-holders have arrived at Worthy Farm for the 41st festival. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)
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Coldplay will give their fifth headline performance – breaking a Glastonbury record. Pic: AP/Joel Ryan


SZA performs during the 2022 Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival at Golden Gate Park on August 05, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Casey Flanigan/imageSPACE/MediaPunch /IPX
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SZA makes her Pyramid debut. Pic: Casey Flanigan/imageSPACE/MediaPunch /IPX

It will also be a debut for SZA, who is “quite possibly the hottest hip-hop/ R&B act on the planet”, organisers said, while for Coldplay the 2024 slot means they become the first act to lead the bill five times, having headlined previously in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016.

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Five-time Grammy-winning Canadian star Twain, who has sold more than 100 million records and is best known for hits including Man I Feel Like A Woman, You’re Still The One, and That Don’t Impress Me Much, shared a video post on Instagram saying she was getting her wellies and raincoat ready.

“Another jewel in my crown!” she wrote. “I feel so honoured and so excited about this one! Thinking about what to wear already… Let’s make history this summer with this ultimate dream performance.”

Shania Twain will play the Glastonbury 2024 legends slot. Pic: Cover Images via AP
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Shania Twain will perform in the legends slot. Pic: Cover Images via AP

The strong female line-up comes after organisers were criticised for having all-male headliners last year, with Arctic Monkeys, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Sir Elton John, performing his last-ever UK gig, topping the bill.

Other acts announced for this year include Idles, LCD Soundsystem, Michael Kiwanuka, Disclosure, The National, Burna Boy, Bloc Party, Jungle and Keane.

The Streets, Olivia Dean, Anne-Marie, Nia Archives, Two Door Cinema Club, Sampha, Bombay Bicycle Club, Nothing But Thieves, Fontaines DC, Arlo Parks and Brits rising star winners The Last Dinner Party are also on the bill.

Sharing the announcement, organiser Emily Eavis said there would be “even more to come over the coming weeks”.

Tickets for this year’s festival were snapped in under an hour when they went on sale in November. A resale of any cancelled or returned tickets is expected at some time in April.

The event, which hosts more than 3,000 acts and around 200,000 people on site, will take place from 26-30 June.

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Bernard Hill: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies aged 79

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Bernard Hill: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies aged 79

Actor Bernard Hill, who played roles in Lord Of The Rings and Titanic, has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed.

Hill also featured as Yosser Hughes in the iconic drama series Boys In The Blackstuff.

He was given a number of awards for his role as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.

The actor was born in Blackley, Manchester, in 1944 and graduated with a diploma in theatre in 1970.

He was married to fellow actor Marianna Hill, with whom he shared a son. His agent Lou Coulson said he died in the early hours of Sunday.

Hill will return to TV on Sunday night starring in the second series of Martin Freeman’s The Responder.

Fans have already started to pay tribute to him on social media.

Scottish musician Barbara Dickson wrote of their time working together: “It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.

“A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x.”

At a London premiere in 2005. Pic: PA
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In London in 2005. Pic: PA

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Madonna plays biggest-ever show to 1.6 million fans on Rio’s Copacabana beach

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Madonna plays biggest-ever show to 1.6 million fans on Rio's Copacabana beach

Madonna has played her biggest-ever gig to an estimated 1.6 million people on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

It was the last show in her Celebration tour and she performed hits such Like A Prayer, Vogue, Hung Up, Into The Groove and Like A Virgin.

The Brazil city was buzzing ahead of Saturday’s free two-hour show, with hotels and Airbnb’s packed and about 170 extra flights expected into the city.

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

The famous Rio beach was packed with fans. Pic: AP
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The famous Rio beach was packed with fans. Pic: AP

Helicopters and drones buzzed over the beach as the Queen of Pop took to the stage at 10:37pm, nearly 50 minutes late.

“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna told the crowd as she pointed out Rio’s famous mountains and Christ the Redeemer statue.

The 65-year-old opened up with Nothing Really Matters from 1998’s Ray of Light album.

Eighteen speaker towers were dotted along the beach to ensure everyone could hear the US star’s vocals.

Brazilian musicians and people from local samba schools were involved in the show – with many fans dressing up in Madonna-themed outfits.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

“Since Madonna arrived here, I’ve been coming every day with this outfit to welcome my idol, my diva, my pop queen,” said Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer, 69, who wore a version of Madonna’s iconic gold cone bra.

Many fans had staked out a spot many hours – or even days – before the show, while others took in the spectacle from yachts or apartment balconies.

Madonna’s website said it was the biggest she had ever done – more than 10 times the 130,000 she played to in Paris in 1987.

However, Rio is used to huge shows – The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have played to similar-size crowds there.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

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Thousands of police were on duty for Saturday’s show, which city authorities estimated drew a crowd of 1.6 million and would earn the local economy about 293 million reals (£46m).

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For Madonna, it was the culmination of an 81-date retrospective tour that began in London in October and moved across Europe and North and South America.

The singer embarked upon the tour a few months after being admitted to intensive care with a serious bacterial inaction in June 2023.

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Olly Alexander addresses ‘extreme’ remarks from fans on Israel’s Eurovision inclusion

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Olly Alexander addresses 'extreme' remarks from fans on Israel's Eurovision inclusion

The UK’s Eurovision Song Contest representative has addressed “extreme” remarks from fans over Israel’s inclusion in the competition.

Olly Alexander was selected as this year’s representative for the UK for the popular singing competition.

It’s set to take place in Malmo, Sweden, next week but tens of thousands are expected to protest Israel’s involvement and its ongoing war in Gaza.

Alexander, the Years & Years singer, has found himself facing criticism from some who called for him to withdraw amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Queers for Palestine circulated a letter, signed by thousands including actors Indya Moore, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Maxine Peake calling for the It’s A Sin actor to pull out of the show.

In March, along with Irish hopeful Bambie Thug, Danish entrant Saba and other Eurovision artists, Alexander released a joint statement, backing “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” but refusing to boycott the event.

Now, speaking out in a new documentary which has followed the 33-year-old as he prepares for the show, he has described some of the comments he and other participants have faced as “very extreme”.

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Bambie Thug, the Irish entrant in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Pic: Pa
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Bambie Thug, the Irish entrant, also signed a statement backing a ceasefire, but is refusing to boycott the event. Pic: PA

He said: “A lot of the contestants and myself have been having a lot of comments that are like ‘You are complicit in a genocide by taking part in Eurovision’ which is quite extreme. It’s very extreme.

“I understand where that sentiment is coming from but I think it’s not correct.

“It’s an incredibly complicated political situation, one that I’m not qualified to speak on.

“The backdrop to this is actual immense suffering. It’s a humanitarian crisis, a war.

“It just so happens there’s a song contest going on at the same time that I’m a part of.”

Speaking in the BBC’s documentary titled Olly Alexander’s Road To Eurovision ’24, he continued saying that people should boycott Eurovision if they didn’t feel comfortable watching and he respected their decision – but would be taking part himself.

He added: “My plan is to just focus on putting on a good performance in Malmo.

“My team, everyone’s worked so hard, and we’re in the final stretch now.”

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Earlier in the week, Alexander broke down crying during an interview with The Times when discussing the pressure he had come under for participating in Eurovision.

He told the paper he knew a number of signatories of the petition against him, and none had reached out to him.

He said: “This is so much bigger than me and Eurovision, it really is. But, obviously, I wish there wasn’t a war or this insane humanitarian crisis.

“I wish for peace and I have found this experience, at times, extremely … I’ve just felt really sad and distressed.”

Olly Alexander. Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Speaking on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, deputy director general of the European Broadcasting Union who organises Eurovision, Jean Philip De Tender, defended Israel’s inclusion in the competition.

He said: “We do understand the concerns and deeply held views around the war in the Middle East.

“The song contest is a music event organised and co-produced by 37 public broadcasters, it’s not a competition between nations or governments.

“Our governing bodies reviewed the participation of Kan [Israel’s public broadcasting corporation] and found that they met all of the competing rules.”

Phillips pointed out incidences when Kan came under fire for their broadcasting.

This included, he said, when Kan published a video of children singing, in the public broadcaster’s own words, for the “annihilation of Gaza” and when one of their presenters was seen writing “I want to send the people of Gaza artillery shells”.

Mr De Tender said they had been in contact with Kan about the content they published and their editorial output, and had expressed concern on occasion.

He added that Eurovision had competition rules which they had to follow, and taking action beyond these rules to exclude Kan would have been a “political decision as such which we cannot take”.

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