Olivia Rodrigo reveals near anxiety attack before headlining Glastonbury 2025

• Rodrigo recalled nearly having an anxiety attack in the bathroom before taking the Glastonbury stage.
• She brought out The Cure's Robert Smith for a duet at Glastonbury 2025.
• Her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, drops on 12 June 2026.

Olivia Rodrigo has revealed she came close to having an anxiety attack in a backstage bathroom moments before delivering her headline set at Glastonbury Festival in 2025 — a performance she later described as one of the best weekends of her life.

The 23-year-old singer-songwriter spoke to the BBC on Wednesday, sharing how the nerves that nearly overwhelmed her backstage vanished the instant she walked out on stage.

'How am I going to do this?'

Rodrigo described the panic she felt in the moments before her set began, admitting the weight of performing at such an iconic festival had got to her. "I remember having a near anxiety attack in the bathroom, like, 'How am I going to do this? I don't know if I'm ready,'" she said.

The feeling disappeared the moment she started singing. "But something overcame me the second I stepped on stage and started singing," she continued. "I felt totally calm and so in my element. I'm not very spiritual or religious, but it's moments like that where I feel music is just so magical that you just can't really describe it."

She attributed some of her pre-show anxiety to the deep "reverence" she feels for Glastonbury and its "incredible heritage." The performance itself, which she had spent considerable time preparing, ultimately delivered on every expectation. "I put so much love and care into that set and spent so much time thinking about it," she said. "The fact that it translated... It was totally a dream come true."

Robert Smith joins Rodrigo on stage

Rodrigo first appeared at Glastonbury in 2022 before returning in 2025 as a headliner. During her headline set, she brought out The Cure Frontman Robert Smith for a special duet performance of "Just Like Heaven" and "Friday I'm in Love."

When she was first announced as a headliner, Rodrigo shared her reaction in an Instagram Stories post. "Headlining glasto has been one of my biggest dreams for so long," she wrote. "Truly can't believe this! So grateful and sooo excited. Hope to see you there."

New album and world tour

Rodrigo is now preparing for the release of her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, on 12 June 2026. In a recent cover story with Dazed, she explained how producer Dan Nigro landed on the title during a candid moment in the studio. "I was having a conversation with him and he said, 'You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,' and I was like, 'Oh my God, that's exactly what I've been trying to go for,'" she recalled.

Rodrigo said the title perfectly encapsulates the album's emotional core. "I just think the title captures what I was trying to go for: the pitfalls of being in love," she said. "It is a little bit of a mouthful... but it's worth it. I'm obsessed with the title."

Two singles have already been released ahead of the album — "Drop Dead" and "The Cure." Following the release, Rodrigo will embark on The Unraveled Tour, running from September 2026 through to May 2027.