Alex from Taunton is “delighted and overwhelmed” by a verse from Coldplay’s Chris Martin

HOW does it feel when Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sings a verse to you on the Pyramid Stage at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival?

That’s exactly what happened to 48-year-old Alex McGuire from Taunton on Saturday night (June 29) when the Fix You and Yellow hitmakers headlined at Worthy Farm.

At the last five Glastonbury events, the Asda saleswoman has spent hundreds of hours making spectacular hats themed around the stars’ performances.

This year’s event was inspired by Coldplay and included a 3D-printed replica of the Pyramid Stage and Lego figures resembling the four band members.

Towards the end of the set, Martin improvised a short song about Mr. McGuire and his hat after they were picked up by camera crews during a part of the concert where the band approached individual audience members.

Alex’s view of the Pyramid Stage as Coldplay headlined Glastonbury 2024. (Image: @Crazyfool110, X (Twitter))

“I want to thank you, my brother,” sang Martin while playing guitar.

“You could have been at another concert instead. But you showed up here, at this time of year, with the Pyramid Stage on your head.”

This came just days after Mr McGuire was diagnosed with facial palsy, a temporary weakness or loss of movement that usually affects one side of the face.

However, he did not let this spoil his enjoyment of the show.

In conversation with the District GazetteHe said: “I was absolutely delighted, but I couldn’t really show how pleased I was with it.

“People have to overcome different things to attend the festival and that was something I had to overcome.

“I simply couldn’t have imagined that it would turn out like this, it was just too much for me.

“I was inundated. There were messages from everywhere.

“Coldplay are just incredible. It was absolutely phenomenal.”

“I’ve appeared in a few small videos over the years, but I don’t think I could ever top this experience!”

Each year, his creative hats attract the attention of other festival-goers, who often stop him for photos and a chat when he is at the farm.

“It’s great. I want to make people smile and get them to respond because that’s what Glastonbury is all about,” said Mr McGuire.

“It’s about creativity, pushing boundaries and being expressive. Stopping, taking photos and making people smile is a big part of it.”

Last week’s festival was his seventeenth Glastonbury and he is full of praise for Sir Michael and Emily Eavis and the teams who make the festival possible.

“This is an absolute step away from normal, everyday life,” he said.

“You step through the fence, set up your tent, open your first can of cider and forget about everything else for the entire five days.

“It’s so relaxing. The things they do for us are just incredible.”

“The organisers are great, right down to the litter painters, the rubbish pickers, the Water Aid volunteers and the toilet cleaners.

“It’s just an incredible organization. How they’ve turned it into a city for over 200,000 people is almost indescribable.”

Glastonbury Festival will return in 2025 before entering its first post-Covid fallow year in 2026.