Richard Hawley turns down ‘meaningless’ Glastonbury Festival slot

The singer says corporate festivals are 'nasty and not what I'm about'

Richard Hawley has explained that he turned down ‘a lot of money’ to play Glastonbury Festival because the event has become meaningless.

Speaking to Gigwise, the singer said: “I got offered a lot of money to play there and I turned it down because it doesn’t have any meaning. All of the political sides of it seem to have been whitewashed and airbrushed over. The Rolling Stones are playing and that just seems weird to me if you think about what it’s supposed to be and what its become.”

He added that he has a problem with most commercial festivals, saying: “It’s not just Glastonbury. I don’t like the whole corporate festival thing. I’ve done V Festival with Pulp and as a solo artist and I hated every minute of it. It’s just nasty and not what I’m about – I want something a bit more free and organic. I want the audiences to feel included rather than trapped. They’ve paid for the privilege to be trapped in a field and marketed to. What the fuck is that all about?”

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Richard Hawley will be playing Graves Park in Sheffield on July 13 and this year’s Summer Series at Somerset House in London on July 14. “Playing Somerset House is the venue along with Greenwich Observatory I’ve always hoped I might get a chance of playing as they are both connected deeply with our country’s history,” said Hawley of the show. “I’m a bit of a history lover truth be told so I’m really looking forward to it, you never know they might let me have a look around the place then I can visit the shop and bring me mum a tea towel home like a proper tourist.”

Hawley will also be headlining Camp Bestival festival, which takes place August 1-4 at Lulworth Castle in Dorset.

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