The show burst with charisma, charm, and literal fireworks—but what brought people to tears wasn’t the lights or the spectacle. It was that unmistakable raspy voice, still raw, still alive. From the very first note, the energy was electric. Rod Stewart didn’t just perform at Glastonbury—he redefined what it means to survive as a legend. He didn’t play the songs. He wrote history all over again—with a heart still beating in rhythm to every chord

At 80 years young, Sir Rod Stewart is still proving he’s got the stamina—and the swagger—to headline one of the world’s biggest music festivals. This weekend, the legendary rocker takes the coveted “legends” slot on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, but there’s one thing he’d like changed about his billing.

“I just wish they wouldn’t call it the tea time slot,” Stewart joked in a recent interview. “That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn’t it?”

Never one to settle for less, Rod also convinced the festival organizers to extend his set to an hour and a half, up from the initially offered 75 minutes. “Usually I do well over two hours so there’s still a load of songs we won’t be able to do,” he said. “But we’ve been working at it. I’m not gonna make any announcements between songs. I’ll do one number, shout ‘next,’ and go straight into the next one. I’m going to get in as many songs as I can.”

With a catalogue spanning decades—from Faces classics like “Stay With Me” and “Ooh La La,” to his solo smash “Maggie May,” disco-era hits like “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” and soulful crooner favorites such as “Downtown Train” and “Have I Told You Lately”—Stewart’s set promises a nostalgic yet energetic journey through his illustrious career.

From Skepticism to Adoration

Stewart’s last Glastonbury appearance was back in 2002, when the crowd was initially wary of the rock veteran sharing the stage with bands like The White Stripes and Coldplay. The BBC’s Ian Youngs noted the audience saw Stewart as “taking himself too seriously.” But his memorable performance, capped by the crowd singing along to “Sailing,” turned skeptics into devoted fans.

Asked about that show, Stewart admits he has no memory of it. “I don’t remember a thing,” he said with a laugh. “I do so many concerts, they all blend into one.”

A Career Full of Unforgettable Moments

One standout gig for Stewart was his record-breaking New Year’s Eve 1994 performance on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach, which drew a crowd of over three million people. Despite being violently ill just before going onstage, Stewart soldiered through the set with the help of a doctor, delivering a show that’s still remembered as epic.

The Man Behind the Legend

We caught up with Stewart at the Devonshire pub near Piccadilly Circus, a favorite haunt of stars like Ed Sheeran and U2. Sporting his signature bleached blonde spikes and zebra-striped trainers, Stewart was in fine form—bright-eyed and brimming with stories.

Contrary to rumors, his iconic hair was never styled with mayonnaise, as a fellow Small Faces musician once claimed. “That’s utter bollocks,” he said. “I used to use sugared hot water before hair lacquer was a thing. Couldn’t afford hair lacquer anyway.”

A Voice Like No Other

Stewart’s raspy, soulful voice is one of rock’s most distinctive. While many remember his hits, few know he was originally discovered not for singing but for his harmonica playing. In 1964, while waiting for a train at Twickenham’s Eel Pie Island, a drunken Stewart was playing “Smokestack Lightning” on his harmonica when bluesman Long John Baldry overheard him.

“As he described it, he was walking along platform nine when he noticed this pile of rubble and clothes with a nose sticking out. That was me playing harmonica,” Stewart recalled.

Encouraged by Baldry, Stewart began to develop his singing voice, drawing inspiration from legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. “I wanted to always sound like them, so that’s the way I went. I suppose I was trying to be different from anybody else.”

Ready to Rock Glastonbury

As Stewart prepares to take the stage again this weekend, one thing is clear: despite decades in the business, the rock ‘n’ roll icon is still full of life, energy, and plenty of stories to tell. And with an extended set and no announcements to slow him down, fans can expect a classic, non-stop Rod Stewart experience—one that’s far from the “tea time” quiet the label might imply.