Olivia Rodrigo revealed she came close to having an anxiety attack moments before headlining Glastonbury Festival in 2025, one of the biggest performances of her career.
Speaking to the BBC, Rodrigo recalled the nerves that hit her backstage before taking the stage.
“I remember having a near-anxiety attack in the bathroom, like, ‘How am I going to do this? I don’t know if I’m ready,'” she said.
The feeling disappeared once she walked onstage. “Something overcame me the second I stepped on stage and started singing. I felt totally calm and so in my element. I’m not very spiritual or religious, but it’s moments like that where I feel music is just so magical that you just can’t really describe it,” she noted.
The interview was published ahead of the release of her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, as Rodrigo continues to speak openly about the emotional challenges that accompany her success.
Night at the Pyramid Stage
Rodrigo made her Glastonbury debut on the Other Stage in 2022, but her move to the Pyramid Stage marked one of the most significant moments of her career.
The Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury’s most prestigious platform, has hosted generations of iconic headliners and Rodrigo acknowledged the weight of the occasion.
Making her debut as a Pyramid Stage headliner, Rodrigo opened with “Obsessed,” “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” and “Vampire.” Wearing a lacy white corseted dress and backed by a full band, she commanded the stage with confidence.
“Holy fucking s***, this is the most people I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” she told the crowd. “This is a dream come true, I actually can’t believe this is my life right now.”
NME awarded the performance four stars, writing that “there is no doubt about the commitment that Rodrigo has put into this set” and calling it one that “will stand the test of time.”
Reflecting on the experience in her BBC interview, Rodrigo said, “I have such a reverence for the festival and the incredible heritage and artists that have played on that stage, so I put so much love and care into that set and spent so much time thinking about it. The fact that it translated — it was totally a dream come true.”
She described the moment as “probably the best weekend” of her life.
The final stretch of the set featured “So American,” which Rodrigo dedicated to a British boy she “fell in love with.” Rodrigo reportedly split from English actor Louis Partridge in 2025.
She closed the show with “Brutal,” “All-American B****,” “Good 4 U” and “Get Him Back” as fireworks lit up the sky.
