Mel B has claimed that Glastonbury 2021 has been cancelled.
The Spice Girls star, 45, appeared on BBC 5 Live on Monday when she said the summer festival was no longer going ahead this year, after 2020’s 50th anniversary edition of the event was pushed back due to the coronavirus crisis.
Looking forward to her schedule for the year, Mel said: ‘I know Glastonbury has been cancelled, so a lot of big stage shows are going to be on hold again this year which is sad but we’ve got to get this virus under control then I guess.’
Shock: Mel B claimed on Monday that Glastonbury 2021 has been CANCELLED again after the COVID-19 crisis forced organisers to push back 50th anniversary by a year
When her claims were questioned, as no official news has been given to the public about the festival, she added: ‘They did today, unfortunately.’
However, show bosses claimed that there was ‘no news’ on whether the event would or wouldn’t go ahead, as co-creator Emily Eavis tweeted in response to Mel’s claims: ‘Nope, no news this end. Will let you know right here as soon as there is news.’
In a follow-up tweet, Emily reassured music fans: ‘Happy new year to you all! There’s no news this end yet, we haven’t cancelled. Will let you know right here as soon as we have an update.. (sic)’
2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury, and the June festival was set to see Sir Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar perform on the hallowed grounds of Worthy Farm in Somerset, south west England.
Claims: Looking forward to her schedule for the year, Mel said: ‘I know Glastonbury (pictured in 2019) has been cancelled, so a lot of big stage shows are going to be on hold again this year
Still hope? However, show bosses claimed that there was ‘no news’ on whether the event would go ahead, as Emily Eavis tweeted in response to Mel’s claims
Affirmation: In a follow-up tweet, Emily reassured music fans: ‘There’s no news this end yet, we haven’t cancelled. Will let you know right here as soon as we have an update.’
During her interview, Mel also said that she hoped the Spice Girls could appear at the festival as headliners, possibly in the coveted Sunday spot.
When asked about it, she said: ‘I’ve always wanted to do that, we always have.’
Reflecting on the coronavirus crisis she also said: ‘Hopefully the restrictions get lifted a little bit so we can get back to normal, and the Spice Girls – we’re hopefully planning if we can sometime soon another tour that we’ve all been talking about.
‘We’ve got other things in the pipeline because it’s going to be our 25th anniversary.’
Inside information: When her claims were questioned on the radio show, as no official news has been given to the public about the festival, she added: ‘They did today, unfortunately’
Goals: During her interview, Mel also said that she hoped the Spice Girls could appear at the festival as headliners, possibly in the coveted Sunday spot one day
In August last year, event bosses suggested the event might not return until 2022, as they claimed it was ‘wishful thinking’ to hope the show will be back in 2021.
The music festival’s co-organiser, Michael Eavis – who curates the lineup with his daughter Emily – admitted that, whilst they have been doing everything in their power to get the extravaganza back, it may not be possible.
Appearing on ITV News West Country, the event co-creator, 84, said: ‘500 people is OK isn’t it. But my job, 250,000 altogether is too many people I suppose isn’t it really.
‘I’m still hoping I’m going to be running next year and I’m going to be moving heaven and earth to make sure that we do. But that doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen. That is just wishful thinking really.’
Honest: In August last year, Michael Eavis (pictured with Emily in February) suggested the event might not return until 2022, as he felt it was ‘wishful thinking’ for it to return in 2021
Eavis insisted that, even if they have to wait an extra year, Glastonbury will survive in spite of the financial impact of the festival being postponed last summer due to the ongoing threat of Covid-19.
Asked if he was concerned about the legendary event’s future, he said: ‘No I do not worry at all, I am so confident that it will survive.
‘The only certainty I think is the year after, 2022. To be perfectly candid, so we might have to wait for two years maybe.
‘But I am still hoping and we are fighting and working at it all the time to make sure it happens next year.’
Logistics: Michael said: ‘I’m going to be moving heaven and earth to make sure that we do. But that doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen’
And Eavis reassured festival-goers that they will bounce back ‘stronger’ as he went on: ‘You can’t kill it off just like that. It will come back. ‘It will come back, probably stronger actually.’
If 2021 does go ahead, Emily previously teased there will be ‘a hell of a lot of surprises’, as she explained: ‘We’re rolling two festivals together for 2021. We’ve got a hell of a lot of surprises and things that we were planning for the 50th (anniversary) and we’re going to try to get those things going for next year.
‘Logistically it’s a little bit complicated because we’d already pencilled in many of the acts for 2021.
‘It was one of those very unusual years where you’re quite far ahead, two years ahead, on the line-up. So we’re trying to work out how much we can fit into next year.
Postponed: 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury, and the June festival was set to see Sir Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift (pictured in 2019) and Kendrick Lamar headline the event
‘We’ve had lots of amazing letters from people with ideas of how we could make it into like a two-week holiday or run over three weekends. There’s lots of ideas going.’
Last year, Taylor told The Sun it was ‘so sad’ that the event couldn’t happen, but that it was ‘the right decision’.
The ten-time Grammy winner, 31, claimed: ‘I wanted to perform in places I hadn’t performed in as much, do things I hadn’t done — like Glastonbury. It’s so sad. But I know it’s the right decision.’
The Lover singer was set to headline the festival on Sunday night and announced her appearance on Instagram back in December 2019.
Headline act: Taylor was set to headline the festival on Sunday night and announced her appearance on Instagram back in December 2019