Rod Stewart admits Glastonbury Legends performance will cost him a ‘fortune’

Rod Stewart has said his forthcoming Legends slot performance at Glastonbury 2025 will cost him “a fortune.”

The 79-year-old British rocker was announced as the first artist in the music festival’s 2025 lineup on Tuesday (November 25).

In an interview with talkSPORT the following day, Stewart said of the opportunity: “It’s a great honor, it’s going to cost me a fortune to do it — $300,0000.

“I’ve got to bring all my band back from America, of course Glastonbury don’t pay for that,” he added. “But I don’t care if it cost me $1 million, I would have done it. It’s a great honor. It really is the greatest honor.”

Stewart shared the news of his Legends performance on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: “I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I’ll be playing 2025!

“After all these years, I’m proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. I’ll see you there!” he said.

Stewart makes history as the first artist to take the stage in a Legends slot after previously headlining the festival. He first played the Pyramid stage in 2002.

The “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” singer’s announcement comes after he insisted he has no immediate plans to retire but that he would be scaling back his world tours.

“This will be the end of large scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love,” he shared in a statement last week.

“I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 meters in 18 seconds at the jolly age of 79.”

Stewart follows in the footsteps of previous Legends, including country-pop queen Shania Twain, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton and Paul Simon.

While he claims it will be an expensive endeavor to fly his band from the U.S., he’ll likely earn at least a portion of it back.

Dolly Parton reportedly earned over £1 million to perform in the Legends slot in 2014.

Organizer Emily Evis told the BBC in 2017 that Glastonbury headliners are typically paid less than 10 percent than they would be for other festivals.

Among the potential headliners rumored to be joining Stewart at Glastonbury 2025 are Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Sam Fender, The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo.

Glastonbury 2025 will take place between Wednesday, June 25 and Sunday, June 29.