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Brian May<\/a> has revealed why Queen<\/a>\u00a0still refuse to play the U.K.’s legendary Glastonbury festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n The festival typically takes place in early summer each year and features artists from all different genres. Rock and metal acts such as Guns N’ Roses<\/a>, Foo Fighters<\/a>, Queens of the Stone Age<\/a> and The Prodigy<\/a> have all played the festival in recent years, but Queen never have.<\/p>\n May told Daily Mail<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>that the reason has to do with political differences between Queen and festival founder Michael Eavis, a sentiment he’s repeated numerous times in the past.<\/p>\n “I wouldn’t do Glastonbury<\/span><\/span> next year because of the politics of the people who run it. Unless that changes, I won’t do it,” the guitarist told the publication.<\/p>\n The “politics” in question have to do with animal rights, particularly the hunting of badgers.<\/p>\n “They like killing badgers and they think it’s for sport and that’s something I cannot support because we’ve been trying to save these badgers for years,” May elaborated. “And they are still being killed for years, so that’s the reason we’re missing out on it.”<\/p>\n The rocker suggested that Queen were never asked to play the festival because the organizers are aware of his\u00a0animal rights activism.<\/p>\n In the past, Eavis has addressed May’s views on\u00a0badger culling, which is the government-licensed killing of badgers in order to prevent the spread of\u00a0bovine tuberculosis in England [via ZSL.org<\/a>].<\/p>\n “He\u2019s a danger to farming,” Eavis told the Daily Mail<\/em> of the guitarist’s opposition to the practice several years ago [via NME<\/a>].\u00a0\u201cHe doesn\u2019t care about the badgers \u2013 he doesn\u2019t know anything about it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n The last show Queen played with Adam Lambert<\/a> took place in February of 2024. Though they haven’t made plans to embark on a full tour again, May teased that there may be some things in the works for the band.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a010 Iconic Rock + Metal Live Aid Setlists<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n “I don’t know when Queen will be back onstage, it’s an unknown we’ll take it day by day,” he told Daily Mail<\/em>.<\/p>\n “It was time to take a break and spend time with family, take stock… But never say never about not coming back, the rebuild of Queen Two<\/em> is coming back and there are a couple of things you haven’t heard.”<\/p>\n In the meantime, you can see which bands are touring this year in our 2026 tour guide below.<\/p>\n These are the biggest rock and metal tours happening in 2026 so far, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhy Do Queen Refuse to Play Glastonbury Festival?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Has Michael Eavis Responded to May’s Criticism?<\/b><\/h3>\n
When Will Queen Play Shows Again?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2026 Rock + Metal Tour Guide<\/h2>\n