In a weekend packed with career-defining performances, Wolf Alice’s Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury Festival 2022 stood out—not just for its musical brilliance, but for the sheer drama that led up to it. Days before they were due to perform, the band found themselves stranded in Los Angeles after a cancelled flight, prompting a now-famous tweet appealing for a private jet. It was a moment that captured the chaotic energy of the modern touring musician—and a test of resolve they passed with flying colors. With fans on both sides of the Atlantic watching their updates anxiously, the band managed to reroute via Seattle and then London, landing back in the UK mere hours before their set. Lesser bands might have crumbled under the pressure. But Wolf Alice, as they’ve proved time and time again, are not lesser bands.
Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022
By the time they stepped onto the Pyramid Stage on Friday afternoon, there was already a sense of triumph in the air. The crowd, fully aware of the travel nightmare, welcomed them like heroes returning from battle. Ellie Rowsell, dressed in a flowing cream dress and flanked by her bandmates—Joff Oddie (guitar), ever the showman Theo Ellis (bass), and Joel Amey (drums)—looked simultaneously relieved and determined. They opened with Smile, a defiant anthem from 2021’s Blue Weekend, which set the tone for the set: muscular, melodic, and emotionally charged. The transition into You’re A Germ brought back the snarling, grunge-laced edge of their debut album, My Love Is Cool, prompting a roar from longtime fans.
The setlist was a carefully curated showcase of their evolution as a band. The dream-pop beauty of Lipstick On The Glass melted into the dark swagger of Formidable Cool. On How Can I Make It OK?, Rowsell’s voice soared with aching clarity, backed by atmospheric synths and a pulsing rhythm section that had the massive Pyramid Stage crowd swaying in unison.
For many, the emotional apex came during The Last Man On Earth. Pearched on the edge of the hallowed stage, Rowsell delivered the vocals with heartbreaking vulnerability. You could hear a pin drop during the song’s fragile verses, followed by thunderous applause as it built to its climactic finale. Yet, this wasn’t a performance that relied solely on ballads and mood. Giant Peach, their gritty, explosive ode to suburban restlessness, triggered mosh pits in the front rows. Bros was delivered with warmth and nostalgia, its themes of youthful friendship landing perfectly in the late afternoon sun. Moaning Lisa Smile, one of their early breakthrough hits, still packed a feral punch—Ellis and Oddie throwing themselves into the riffs with visible joy. Their 60 minutes closed with Don’t Delete the Kisses, perhaps their most beloved song—a dreamy, cinematic track that captures the modern angst of love and self-doubt. The crowd sang every word with Rowsell, turning the song into a communal hymn. It was a moment of catharsis, and as the final synths faded out, the applause was long and heartfelt.
Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022
Wolf Alice’s Glastonbury 2022 performance was more than a great festival set. It was a statement of resilience, of maturity, and of why they remain one of Britain’s most exciting and unpredictable bands. They’ve always been hard to categorise—part shoegaze, part punk, part classic rock, part synth-pop—and that’s precisely what makes them so special.
To deliver a set this tight, this dynamic, and this emotionally resonant under such pressure is no small feat. But Wolf Alice didn’t just make it work—they made it unforgettable. At Glastonbury, they didn’t just arrive on time; they arrived in style, staking their claim as a band that can go toe-to-toe with any headliner.
-
Joff Oddie & Theo Ellis of Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)
Live review and photography of Wolf Alice at Glastonbury Festival 2022 by Kalpesh Patel
Pyramid (And Other) Action On Friday At Glastonbury Festival 2022 In Photos
Share Thing