Now back in full regular swing, the world’s most famous music festival is back again, and the weather forecast looks idyllic. Headliners for this weekend include Arctic Monkeys, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Elton John. Here’s how to watch live coverage of Glastonbury 2023 for free with some in 4K Ultra HD.
As per usual, the BBC is going to be broadcasting extensive coverage of the festival from Worthy Farm and we’ll explain all your options including iPlayer, broadcast TV and radio. You’ll be able to watch and listen on a wide range of devices, whether you failed to get tickets or just don’t fancy spending the weekend with thousands of others in hot and/or muddy fields.
Glastonbury 2023 line-up and headline set times
The trio of headline acts for this year seems to be pretty popular, showcasing a range of genres and ages. Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys will play Friday night followed by Guns ‘N’ Roses and Elton John on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Below you can see the set times along with the supporting headline acts.
Friday headline set times
- Arctic Monkeys – 22:15 – 23:45 (BBC One)
- Royal Blood – 20:15 – 21:15
- The Churnups – 18:15 – 19:30
- Texas – 16:45 – 17:45
Saturday headline set times
- Guns ‘N’ Roses – 21:30 – 23:45 (BBC One/Two)
- Lizzo – 19:30 – 20:30
- Lewis Capaldi – 17:35 – 18:35
- Aitch – 16:00 – 17:00
Sunday headline set times
- Elton John – 21:00 – 23:05 (BBC One)
- Lil Nas X – 19:00 – 20:00
- Blondie – 17:00 – 18:15
- Yusuf / Cat Stevens – 15:15 – 16:30 (Legends slot)
The Other Stage will be headlined by Wizkid, Lana Del Ray and Queens of the Stone Age supported by Fred Again, Central Cee and The War on Drugs.
The West Holts Stage hosts the likes of Kelis, Loyle Carner, Rudimental, Young Fathers, Mahalia, Candi Station and Ezra Collective.
The Woodies Stage (formerly John Peel) will see Hot Chip, Christine and the Queens and Phoenix headline.
You can see the full line-up on the Glastonbury website.
How to watch Glastonbury 2023 live online and in Ultra HD
Like in previous years, you can get almost endless Glastonbury live coverage via the BBC Glastonbury website where you’ll be able to choose which stage you want to watch from. The BBC said over 40 hours of coverage will be available via the iPlayer which is more than ever. The dedicated Glastonbury channel will be live Thursday to Sunday.
Even before the festival starts you can watch ‘best of’ highlights from previous years, a Glastonbury: 50 Years and Counting documentary and a selection of individual sets from the likes of Radiohead, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.
“For those wanting a personalised experience, BBC iPlayer also offers the choice to move between continuous live streams from the five main festival stages, watch Pyramid Stage sets in Ultra High Definition or catch up on over 90 on-demand sets from 2023, for 30 days after broadcast.” said the BBC.
For only the second time, Glastonbury will be shown in 4K Ultra HD quality if you have a compatible TV and streaming device – you can see a full list of what is supported over on the BBC website. Sadly, the list does not cover Sky Q but the PS5 is supported.
You will also need a strong internet connection – the BBC recommends 24MBit/s to stream in full 4K, or 12MBit/s for 2560p Ultra HD.
This will be limited to the Pyramid Stage sets and there may be a ‘Best of’ program to come after the festival like 2022. On iPlayer, make sure you’ve selected ‘Best Quality’ in the Settings menu under ‘Video Quality’ to get 4K Ultra HD.
It’s also worth noting that iPlayer will have, for the first time, a Pyramid Stage – Signed stream, which includes British Sign Language.
Following @bbcglasto on Twitter will also help you keep up with everything that’s happening at the music festival. Also, check out the official Glastonbury app in partnership with Vodafone.
How to watch Glastonbury 2023 live on TV
You don’t have to watch online, of course, as the traditional television will also feed your need for live music without standing in a muddy field. TV (and radio) coverage will be presented by the likes of Cerys Matthews, Clara Amfo, Dermot O’Leary,H uw Stephens, Jo Whiley, Jordan North, Lauren Laverne, Pete Tong and Zoe Ball.
The BBC has confirmed it will broadcast more than 40 hours of coverage across BBC One, Two, Three and Four – with a record number of hours on BBC One. Note that if you want to watch in Ultra HD, you’ll need to use the iPlayer (see above).
Watch Glastonbury 2023 from outside the UK
Although it’s easy to watch coverage from the UK, those abroad can still access things like the BBC iPlayer to watch live performances with the help of a VPN (virtual private network). When content like this is geo-restricted, a VPN allows your computer to effectively browse from the place where it is available.
Our pick of the best VPN for BBC iPlayer is NordVPN, which also tops our overall best VPN round-up thanks to its ease-of-use, top-notch security and excellent value for money.
You need to signup to a VPN, download and install it, launch it then connect to a United Kingdom server before opening iPlayer. Read more in our How to watch BBC iPlayer abroad article.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Glastonbury 2023 on Red Button
If you want to watch Glastonbury live on the Red Button then there will be many hours of broadcasting. The Red Button will be showing coverage from Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park stages.
The Red Button is available on the following services:
- Sky: Channel 980, 981, 982, 983
- Freesat: Channel 980, 981, 982, 983
- Virgin Media: Channels 990, 991, 992, 993
- Freeview: Channel 601
How to listen to Glastonbury 2023 live on radio
For Glastonbury 2023, the BBC is broadcasting over 85 hours of coverage so you can tune into Radio 1, Radio 1 Dance, BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2, 5 Live, 6 Music, Radio 4 and others to catch the festival over the weekend.
There’s loads of stuff happening across the BBC radio stations with a particular focus on dance music this year via Radio 1/Dance, although Elton John’s headline set will be broadcast on Radio 2.
The easiest way to listen to BBC radio on smart devices is via the BBC Sounds app.
Glastonbury 2023 live webcam
As if all the above wasn’t enough, the usual Glastonbury live webcam is live and kicking accessible on the BBC site. The camera is sat atop the barn bringing a spectacular panoramic view of the festival including the Pyramid Stage, John Peel and Greenfields.
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor
Tech Advisor's Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.