Kaiser Chiefs have issued an apology to fans who were disappointed that their Glastonbury Festival performance was not streamed live on the BBC iPlayer. The band’s set, which kicked off Saturday’s lineup at the iconic Pyramid Stage on June 28, was notably absent from the live coverage available to viewers at home.
While many festival highlights were broadcast live from Worthy Farm, fans tuning in from remote locations quickly noticed the omission. Frustration poured onto social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with viewers questioning why the Kaiser Chiefs’ performance was excluded.
One fan, @JoshFairhurst11, asked, “Why aren’t BBC iPlayer showing Kaiser Chiefs set?” Another, @ninety_88, expressed disbelief: “How can you put Kaiser Chiefs on to open on a Saturday and not televise it?”
READ MORE: Yeovil Hospital Children’s Services Rated ‘Inadequate’ Amid Growing Crisis
READ MORE: Glastonbury Festival 2025: Share Your Most Unforgettable Moments
In response, the band took to Instagram to share snapshots from their electrifying show and offer a heartfelt apology. Accompanying a post, they wrote, “Apologies to everyone who attempted to tune in yesterday. We appreciate you wanting to join the party from home alongside the almost one hundred thousand of you who filled the field! Such a lovely crowd!”
Fans took to social media in support of the Kaiser Chiefs but continued expressing their dissatisfaction with the BBC’s coverage decisions. @mamaandthedudes shared, “My son keeps going on iPlayer to see if you’re on there! We caught a bit on YouTube. Sounded great. Great photos! Looks amazing.” Similarly, @gvj80 said, “What an amazing time it sounds like you had—one to remember forever, although next time definitely headliners on one of the nights.”
The BBC faced criticism for not broadcasting the set live, with @tuckborough commenting, “Still can’t believe @bbciplayer @bbc ignored your set. Absolute madness,” and @kelly.lyddon adding, “If they say watch Glastonbury live on the red button it should be exactly that, not clips from the day before! Ridiculous.”
Other fans called the BBC’s actions an “epic fail” and expressed disappointment that the set was neither live nor available to stream later. Many insisted that the BBC owes an apology for the lack of coverage, while fans praised Kaiser Chiefs’ performance and their gracious response amidst the controversy.