Lewis Capaldi extends mental health break following Glastonbury set

Lewis Capaldi has confirmed that he will be taking a mental health break following his set at Glastonbury Festival.

While onstage on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury yesterday (June 24), Capaldi – who was noticeably experiencing vocal difficulties – addressed the recent break he took prior to the festival performance, saying: “I recently took three weeks off. It was a break for my mental health and stuff.”

“I wanted to come back and do Glasto ’cause it’s so incredible, so I just wanna thank you for watching us. I was shit scared but you’ve really made me feel at ease. I’m really sorry. I hope the Eavises will have me back on, even though it’s been a bit of a shit show,” he added.

Capaldi then told those in attendance that he would be taking a longer break after the set: “I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break for the next few weeks, you might not see me for the rest of the year. But when I do come back and I do see you I hope you’re up for watching.”

During his Glastonbury set, Capaldi struggled with his voice several times. “My voice is going big time,” he said mid-set. “It’s really fucking packing in.” He went on to finish out the rest of his set, calling on the audience for help along the way.

Capaldi’s set – which included a snippet of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ and a singalong – saw him perform ‘Before You Go’, ‘Wish You The Best’, ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ and ‘Someone You Loved’ among others.

Earlier this month, Capaldi cancelled all of his shows leading up to Glastonbury, explaining that the last few months have been a lot for him and it has taken a toll on him “both mentally and physically”.

He continued: “I need to take these three weeks to be Lewis from Glasgow for a bit, spend some time with my family and friends and do normal life things that are an important part of me feeling better. I hope everyone understands.”

Other key moments from Saturday, June 24, at Glastonbury saw Guns N’ Roses start their raucous set on time, closing with Dave Grohl playing ‘Paradise City’. Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey returned to the festival for the first time in a decade: her set getting cut short after starting late and breaking curfew, with he fans singing an acapella rendition of her track ‘Video Games’.

Check out all the latest from Glastonbury 2023 on the NME liveblog here, and see more news, reviews, photos, interviews and more here.