Crowd at Kylie’s emotional Glasto set could break records

By Gemma Peplow, arts and entertainment reporter

Kylie Minogue has stormed a triumphant and poignant set at Glastonbury in front of an enormous crowd of fans, holding back the tears as she finally got to play the famous Pyramid Stage.

While confirmation is yet to come from festival organisers, it would be no surprise if her audience has broken records, certainly for the Sunday afternoon legends slot.

If you were late to the party you had no chance of getting near.

Thousands dancing along on the fringes almost certainly had no view of the stage, but no matter.

I found myself at the side, unglamorously all the way back near some toilets and with tents in sight – but this was Kylie at Glastonbury. I was happy just to get a glimpse of her on the stage-side screens and enjoy the joy.

The emotional set came 14 years after the singer was forced to pull out of her headline gig at Worthy Farm when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Apart from a cameo with the Scissor Sisters in 2010, this is the only time she has performed at the festival.

“I wished things were different, but life is what it is. We’re all together in this moment.”

The love for Kylie is palpable. You could feel every single person watching willing her to do well, and she didn’t disappoint.

With a feel-good back-catalogue spanning more than 30 years, the honorary Brit sang her way through as many hits as she could cram into 75 minutes, with Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, Slow, All The Lovers and On A Night Like This ticked off, as well as ’80s classics Locomotion, Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi and I Should Be So Lucky.

“This girl is feeling very lucky right now,” Kylie told the cheering crowd as she performed the latter.

She brought out guests including Nick Cave and Coldplay’s Chris Martin – a nice touch, but she didn’t need them. (Side note: Chris Martin gets about at Glastonbury, doesn’t he?).

With several outfit changes and rainbow glitter bursting out into the crowd, she showed how to do Glastonbury, Kylie style.

“I’m speechless,” she said, seeming genuinely overwhelmed as she surveyed the mass of dancing bodies singing along in front of her.

Ending the performance with one of her newer country hits, Dancing, and her signature Spinning Around, she was met with huge applause as she finished, looking like she never wanted to leave.

Following in the footsteps of Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Shirley Bassey by playing the legends set, which has become a Glastonbury Sunday afternoon tradition in recent years, Kylie more than lived up to the title.

Next time, we’d like to see her back where she belongs – in the headline slot, please.