Glastonbury announces 2025 edition of Emerging Talent Competition
As ever, the winner of the competition will play a slot on one of the main stages at this year’s festival
Glastonbury Festival has announced details of the 2025 edition of its Emerging Talent Competition – find out how to enter below.
The festival’s annual competition was won by Jamaican-Irish rapper and singer JayaHadADream last year, while other past contenders include Declan McKenna who won in 2015 and Rolling Stone UK Award winners English Teacher.
The winner of the prize will receive a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation, with two runners up receiving £2,500.
Entries for this year’s prize – free to enter for any artists based in the UK and Ireland – are open for a week from 9am GMT on Monday, January 27 to 5pm on Monday, February 3. Artists can enter here.
Of this year’s prize, Emily Eavis said: “We know how hard it is for new acts to take their first steps towards a career in music – particularly with the challenges facing small venues in this country – so the Emerging Talent Competition is a hugely important part of Glastonbury’s annual calendar. I can’t wait to hear the entries from across all the musical genres. And it’s free to enter, so you’ve nothing to lose!”
Earlier this month, Neil Young confirmed that he is to headline Glastonbury Festival in 2025 after initially saying he’d pulled out of the gig.
In an open letter shared on his website, Young had said the “corporate control” of the BBC was the reason for him backing away from the gig.
“The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favourite outdoor gigs,” Young wrote in an open letter on the Neil Young Archives. “We were told the BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot for things we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
Three days later, Young then backtracked and wrote: “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved. Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing! See you there! LOVE, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts.”
Confirming the gig, Glastonbury boss Emily Eavis wrote on Instagram: “What a start to the year! Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way and that’s why we love him. We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June.”
The only other confirmed artist for Glastonbury 2025 is Rod Stewart, playing the Sunday Legends Slot.