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Lewis Capaldi at Glastonbury review – a triumphant, hugely emotional return to the Pyramid stage

After struggling with his performance in 2023, the Scottish star was bouyed by the palpable adoration of a packed-out audience that sang every word along with him

As Lewis Capaldi points out, the “secret” of his brief and ostensibly unannounced set on the Pyramid stage wasn’t terribly well-kept. He last played Glastonbury in 2023: it was supposed to be a return to live performances after he had to cancel a series of gigs amid struggles with his mental health and Tourette syndrome. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPAFrom the opening notes of Before You Go, the crowd sing along to every song he plays, only ceasing when he performs a new song, Survive, that’s very clearly inspired by the events of the last two years: “I’m going to get up again, I’m going to get up and try if it’s the last thing I do.” It’s slow-paced, soaring-chorused business as usual, but whatever other advances have taken place in pop since Capaldi absented himself, the success of Alex Warren, Benson Boone et al. proves there’s still a substantial space for earnest, melancholy young men with acoustic guitars.

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