Rumours are circulating online that Coldplay are set to play a secret Glastonbury warm-up show at a nearby music venue.
The band are set to return to Worthy Farm to headline the Pyramid Stage for a fifth time on Saturday (June 29). Now, fans are speculating whether or not they might be preparing for a surprise last-minute intimate gig at Cheese & Grain in Frome after large stage trucks and the band’s gear was spotted at the venue. A section of the car park has also been fenced off, with a sign stating it has been reserved for a private function for today (Thursday, June 27)
This wouldn’t be the first time that a Glasto headliner has popped up for an intimate gig ahead of their Pyramid appearance, with Paul McCartney doing the same in 2022. However, SomersetLive reports that the band are simply rehearsing there. Foo Fighters also performed there in back in 2017, to mark the announcement of them topping the bill.
The rumour here is that @coldplay are doing a secret gig @cheeseandgrain in Frome before their headline set @glastonbury this weekend
3x StageTrucks all with NL/EU plates are lined up outside, presumably having driven here from their Lyon gig. pic.twitter.com/ABSe6HfkjX— Richard of Flynnland 🇺🇦🌻#FBPE #FBPPR #FBPA (@wellowdriver) June 27, 2024
every glasto residents of Frome engage in fevered speculation about the possibility of a surprise live gig at our (tiny!) music venue The Cheese and Grain. We’ve had the Foo Fighters, Macca – and this morning Coldplay were loading stuff outside. pic.twitter.com/JxGISgb3ER
— Grace Pengelly (@Grace__Pengelly) June 27, 2024
Psst, @coldplay, is there something going on down Frome way today or tomorrow…..?
— Chris (@chris_bristol) June 27, 2024
Are you playing in my home town Frome tomorrow, at the Cheese and Grain?
— Andrew Parfitt (@parf1971grizz) June 27, 2024
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The venue has also issued a statement, revealing: “We are receiving a large number of enquiries about the potential of a secret Glastonbury show at the venue. We can unequivocally state that there will be no events at all taking place at the Cheese & Grain until Sunday’s screening of England’s Round of 16 game in the UEFA EURO 2024.
“To those lucky enough to be making the trip to Glastonbury Festivals over the weekend, we hope you have an incredible time and drink lots of water!”
NME has contacted a Coldplay spokesperson for a comment. The band are believed to still be in the area, after frontman Chris Martin posted a photo of himself on the Pyramid Stage earlier this week.
There are a number of other secret sets on site at Glastonbury throughout the weekend, with Kasabian tipped as favourite to fill the TBA slot on Woodsies on Saturday.
Their headline slot this year will come ahead of what has been said to be their final album next year, ‘Moon Music’, scheduled for release on October 4.
Martin shared the sentiment with NME in 2021, when he discussed how “intense” it can be to keep releasing new material.
“We’re going to make 12 albums. Because it’s a lot to pour everything into making them. I love it and it’s amazing, but it’s very intense too,” he said. “I feel like because I know that challenge is finite, making this music doesn’t feel difficult, it feels like, ‘This is what we’re supposed to be doing’.”
He added: “I don’t think that’s what we’ll do. I know that’s what we’ll do in terms of studio albums.”
The gates to Glastonbury 2024 opened yesterday (Wednesday June 26), ahead of a weekend of music from the likes of headliners Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA, alongside Shania Twain’s legends slot and performances from LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Idles, Anne-Marie, Confidence Man, Disclosure, Camila Cabello, The Last Dinner Party, Avril Lavigne, The National, Jessie Ware, Jungle, Justice, Masego, Sugababes and countless more. Check out the full line-up here.
Meanwhile, here are the worst clashes to expect this year, as well as the latest weather forecasts for Glastonbury 2024.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos, rumours and more from Glastonbury 2024.