Glastonbury Festival
Paul McCartney Watches Inhaler at Glastonbury as Elijah Hewson Dedicates Song to Palestine
Beatles icon Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance at Glastonbury 2025, seen watching Irish rock band Inhaler perform on The Other Stage. But it wasn’t just the music that made headlines — it was frontman Elijah Hewson’s powerful political message.
Elijah Hewson, son of U2 legend Bono, used the band’s set to speak out against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, dedicating the band’s breakout anthem “It Won’t Always Be Like This” to “the people of Palestine, and to any innocent people being starved or bombed, or genocide for the sake of some lunatics.”
With cheers from the crowd and a few raised eyebrows, Bono’s son Elijah Hewson added: “Our greatest strength is freedom of expression, and there’s no better place for that than Glastonbury. So be kind to each other — and have a great time.”
The set wasn’t without its technical hiccups, with the audio briefly cutting out during “A Question For You”. But the emotional weight of the moment — especially with Paul McCartney watching just feet away — added gravity to the performance.
A video shared by Inhaler’s tour account on X (formerly Twitter) shows the legendary Beatle at the side of the stage, visibly engaged as the young band played. Paul McCartney, who headlined Glastonbury in 2022 with an epic duet featuring Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl, is no stranger to memorable moments at Worthy Farm — but witnessing a new generation take the stage with political conviction brought its own symbolism.
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Inhaler’s message aligned with a growing wave of artists using Glastonbury to advocate for Gaza and free speech. Earlier in the day, Irish pop artist CMAT ended her Pyramid Stage set with a chant of “Free Free Palestine,” while politically outspoken rap group Kneecap are expected to deliver a similarly charged performance, despite controversy surrounding member Mo Chara’s past remarks.
Elijah Hewson, who has often spoken about carving his own musical identity outside his father Bono’s shadow, told NME in a previous interview: “People ask if I get advice from my dad. Honestly, no. We have totally different ideas about songwriting. That’s what drives us to prove ourselves.”
Their most recent album, Open Wide, has drawn praise for its cathartic energy and arena-ready sound, and Glastonbury proved a fitting stage for the band’s maturing voice, both musically and politically.
As the festival barrels toward more headlining sets — including The 1975 and Loyle Carner later tonight — Inhaler’s stand has already become one of the most talked-about moments of Glastonbury 2025.
