Paul McCartney’s headlining performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury yesterday night is still not available on BBC iPlayer, nearly a full day after his performance. This has angered music fans.
At the event, which ends tonight, Mr. McCartney played a jam-packed set that got underway after 10:30 pm last night (June 25).
But fans who couldn’t attend the show are wondering why his set isn’t already accessible to view on the BBC’s catch-up website, despite the fact that the bulk of other sets are.
Earlier this afternoon, the BBC iPlayer’s Twitter account responded to a disgruntled user by promising that they would be able to watch the episode in a few hours. However, five hours later, the episode is still not available for viewing.
After failing to discover the gig while trying to watch it with friends and family, prospective viewers voiced their dismay online.
The incident left social media users “disappointed” and “frustrated,” with one declaring that it is “doing my head in.”
Another fan found it “bizarre” that McCartney’s performance, which he headlined on the festival’s largest stage on one of its busiest nights, was still not available on iPlayer.
The 80-year-old Beatles star gained notoriety for displaying the Ukrainian flag during an encore as a show of support.
Currently, the nation and Russia are at war, which Russia refers to as a “special military operation.”
Just a week after his 80th birthday, Paul stunned with his extensive medley of hits during his historic Glastonbury performance, which was praised by fans.
Paul sang favorites from his time with the Beatles to his time with the band Wings when he took the stage for his first appearance at the event in 18 years.
The music icon received a rousing welcome from the hundreds in attendance, as well as the many millions who watched the program air on BBC One.
It should come as no surprise that audiences responded enthusiastically to Paul’s show, with many posting their reactions on Twitter.
One wrote: ‘Anyone criticising Paul McCartney tonight can f**k right off, he’s 80 and is most culturally important bloke this country has produced in a hundred years, he’s beyond critcism, so b****x off.’
But viewers on the BBC also reported issues last night as they were unable to watch the whole set live.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: ‘This year we are delighted to bring audiences our most extensive coverage of Glastonbury to date.
‘Paul McCartney’s much anticipated set was broadcast on BBC One at 10.30pm as well as on Radio 2 and will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
‘Due to the complexity of broadcasting an event of this scale and the volume of performances we cover, there is sometimes variation between the transmission of performances and their availability on BBC iPlayer.’
Paul McCartney took to the stage following a stream of huge names in the music world, including Billie Eilish who, at 20, became Glastonbury’s youngest ever solo headliner this weekend.
Meanwhile Mr McCartney himself became the oldest ever headliner – with fans raving about his performance and gushing about his incredible singing abilities.
Other significant appearances have included Noel Gallagher, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo, who used her set to protest against the US Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn the Roe v Wade ruling, which enshrined abortion as a constitutional right.
During his performance, singer-songwriter Paul was able to duet with his late bandmate John Lennon on The Beatles’ 1970 single I’ve Got A Feeling thanks to hi-tech wizardry from movie director Peter Jackson.
Following the heartwarming segment, which heard John’s vocals isolated from the rest of the band, he admitted: ‘That is so special for me. I know it’s virtual. There I am singing with John again, we’re back together.’
Sir Paul welcomed Dave Grohl in performing a string of chart-toppers together – including Band On The Run – before introducing another special guest, Bruce Springsteen, to the Pyramid Stage.
The Love Me Do hitmaker also got the crowd to cheer for his home city of Liverpool, as well as his late bandmate John, to whom he also dedicated Here Today to.
During the performance, Sir Paul revealed he had been playing George Harrison’s ukulele. He finished the show by waving the flag of Ukraine before spectacular pyrotechnics lit up the night sky.
The performance served as a significant turning point in Paul’s illustrious career because it occurred exactly 55 years to the day after The Beatles performed for the first-ever worldwide TV audience.
Paul’s show was not without drama, as it was stated that he interrupted it for a moment to check on a spectator who seemed to be in distress.
Paul’s 80th birthday was last Saturday, and his devoted fans sung him Happy Birthday before he started singing his 1995 hit, I Feel Like I’m Letting Go.
While Pauls’ headline performance was undoubtedly keenly anticipated by Glastonbury attendees, many spectators at home were equally excited to watch it on BBC.
Paul’s show started at 9:30 p.m., but BBC didn’t start airing it until 10:30 p.m., which infuriated many viewers, who vented their displeasure on social media.
One wrote: ‘Jealous of everyone watching Paul McCartney live tonight,’ while another added: ‘Hold on, we have to wait another hour for Macca? I mean, he’s already playing beyond HIS AND MY bedtime, but ok, BBC, ok…’.
It seems fans’ problems aren’t over either – and won’t be until the full set appears to watch and stream.