Lancashire's Sir Ian Mckellen performs at Glastonbury 2025 with the Scissor Sisters!
Glastonbury had a particularly Lancastrian flare this year with two local stars taking to its famous stages.
The most surprising of these appearances came from the legendary Lancashire actor Sir Ian McKellen, 86.
The Burnley born star, who has received a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award during his prolific career, was brought out by the Scissor Sisters to perform their 2010 hit ‘Invisible Light’ on Saturday night.
In what was the last set on the Woodsies stage, the iconic Amerian pop rock band were performing ‘Invisible Light’ when Sir Ian - who had contributed a spoken-word piece to the song - made his way onto the stage during a dark instrumental section.
When the spotlight shone on Sir Ian, revealing his presence, the crowd errupted into cheers.
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The actor, who was wearing a white and green patterned suit, then performed his spoken word peice in a commanding tone fit for a Shakespearean play.
Sir Ian bellowed: “Babylon
“Where bricks of mortar
“Diamonds, tower
“Sailors lust and swagger
“Blazing in woman's beam
“Whose lazer gaze penetrates thisSparkling theater of excess and strobed lights
“Painted whores
“Sexual gladiators
“Fiercely old party children
“All wake from their slumber to debut the bacchanal
“Come to the light
“Into the light
“The invisible light.”
After a break, Sir Ian then came back on to the stage later on, when Scissor Sisters were performing ‘Music Is The Victim’.
This time just wearing a white T-shirt, the Lancashire legend rocked out on stage with the performers to help see the show out with a bang.
Elsewhere, rockband English Teacher, whose guitarist is from Lancashire, performed on the Park Stage on Friday afternoon.
The Mercury Prize-winning band is made up of lead singer Lily Fontaine and musicians Lewis Whiting, Douglas Frost and Nicholas Eden.
Lewis was born in Kirkham and attended St Bede's Catholic High School in Lytham and Cardinal Newman College in Preston before studying at Leeds Conservatoire where English Teacher were formed.
Enlglish Teacher were named the 2024 winners of the Mercury Prize for their debut album, This Could Be Texas, back in September 2024 at an event held at the Ferret in Preston.
During the evening, a recorded message by Lewis was played in which the guitarist explained how his musical career all started in Lancashire, with his the first ever band gig even taking place at the Ferret.
You can read the full details of what Lewis shared here.