Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury 2023: Band will play headline slot, Emily Eavis confirms on BBC Radio 2

The Arctic Monkeys headline slot at Glastonbury 2023 was thrown into doubt after frontman Alex Turner fell ill this week, forcing the band to cancel an open-air concert in Dublin as part of their 2023 UK and Ireland Tour. The news was announced on Monday (June 19) on the band’s Instagram page.

The update read: “We are extremely sorry to announce the cancellation of Arctic Monkeys’ show at Marley Park in Dublin tomorrow. Alex is suffering from acute laryngitis, and following medical advice, has been ordered to rest.

“Alex and the band apologise for the huge disappointment this will inevitably cause to all their Irish fans. Full refunds will be credited back to the ticket purchaser’s account by Ticketmaster within the next six working days.”

But, after rife speculation, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis confirmed on Friday morning that the band would be playing their headline slot. She told BBC Radio 2: "He's ok. They're on. It was a little bit close there for a minute. We were thinking about whether we should have a serious back-up plan - but no, thankfully, they're on."

When are Arctic Monkeys playing Glastonbury?

The Arctic Monkeys are scheduled to headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury on Friday evening (June 23) as the festival at Worthy Farm returns for a 51st year. The rockers are also still scheduled to play their upcoming set in Glasgow two days later on June 25, with a gig planned at Bellahouston Park.

The show will be the final stop of the ongoing UK tour.

Will Alex Turner appear at Glastonbury after illness?

Alex Turner is suffering from acute laryngitis which meant the band were forced to cancel an open-air concert in Dublin on Tuesday. The frontman’s condition could affect his ability to perform the group’s Glastonbury headline slot, though it is currently scheduled to go ahead.

On Thursday, Emily Eavis said there was a back-up plan should the band be forced to pull out - but she was confident they would be there. And she confirmed on Friday on BBC Radio 2 that the headline act would be playing - much to her relief.

Who could have replaced the Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury?

It was rumoured that The Churn-ups, who are playing third from top the same day, could replace the Arctic Monkeys in the headline slot should their show be cancelled. Fans reckon that The Churn-ups are none other than Dave Grohl’s band Foo Fighters as the mystery band has no digital footprint and is widely anticipated as a huge guest.

There were also rumours that Harry Styles could step in if the band is forced to bow out. The 29-year-old pop singer performed at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday and is due on stage in Werchter, Belgium on Saturday - giving him enough time to squeeze in one more show.