Classic Rocker, 80, Makes Bold Political Statement Ahead of Glastonbury Appearance

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Classic Rocker, 80, Makes Bold Political Statement Ahead of Glastonbury Appearance originally appeared on Parade.

When it comes to music and politics, Rod Stewart isn’t the first artist that comes to mind, but the “Do You Think I’m Sexy” singer shared some political views in an interview leading up to his appearance at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival Sunday, June 29.

Stewart called on his fellow Brits to give Reform U.K. party leader Nigel Farage “a chance.”

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The 80-year-old rocker offered the endorsement in an interview with the U.K.’s The Times, that was published on June 27.

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“It’s hard for me because I’m extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn’t really touch me. But that doesn’t mean I’m out of touch,” Stewart explained. “For instance, I’ve read about [U.K. Prime Minister Keir] Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn’t made him popular. We’re fed up with the Tories. We’ve got to give Farage a chance. He’s coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got? I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him.”

When the interviewer asked Stewart what the politician stands for, aside “from Brexit, tightened immigration policies and unrealistic economic promises?” Stewart responded, “Yeah, yeah. But Starmer’s all about getting us out of Brexit and I don’t know how he’s going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.”

In the interview, Stewart also said he was disappointed President Trump “has moved away from Europe, as America were our strongest allies.” He also referred to Elon Musk as “the other dickhead, the one with the motor car company, coming in wearing a baseball cap,” when discussing Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting at the White House with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Related: Rod Stewart Confirms He’ll Perform With Former Bandmate Ronnie Wood at Summer Festival

Stewart’s foray into politics caught the eye of at least one fellow musician. Veteran indie rock troubadour and political Billy Bragg posted the “give Farage a chance” headline on Facebook, along with the sarcastic caption, “Why is Rod Stewart making Glastonbury political? Artists should stop banging on about bloody politics and just sing their songs. Grrr.”

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Don’t, however, expect Stewart to get political on stage during his Glastonbury set. He told the BBC that he won’t “make any announcements between songs” so he can “get in as many songs” as possible during his set.

Classic Rocker, 80, Makes Bold Political Statement Ahead of Glastonbury Appearance first appeared on Parade on Jun 28, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.