Jade, Charli and a Haim secret set that dreams were made of: my Saturday at Glastonbury

After a wild night of Top of the Pops board game, I found myself happily awake at half six and popped out to find a cup of tea. Walking along the path, there was a guy coming towards me and we both caught eyes, had a big smile and said good morning. It was Gavin from Gavin and Stacey. Good morning to me and what a way to start the day.

Once I had written a few words about yesterday and had some breakfast, I returned to my tent hoping to film some getting ready makeup chats for Instagram. It had become so hot that I was dabbing the sweat from my face with a sock just so that my makeup would actually stick to it, so I made the executive decision to park the GRWM on this occasion.

With a constant trickle of sweat from my new M&S bralet to my tummy, I left my sauna - sorry, tent - and headed for the Woodsies stage again. Having bought some beef tacos (my main source of energy this weekend) I found a patch of grass, prayed no one had weed on it at any point, and resumed my favourite Glastonbury activity: a sit down in the shade. Then I met Naaman, his friends, and Lucy from the coach crew, and we all found a spot nearish the front to wait patiently for Jade.

Before she came on, Fcukers, an American electronica band, played a brilliant set. I had no idea who they were and was so glad to have seen them. They got us all dancing and our spirits were high by the time 3pm call rolled around. Taking to the stage in a brat green Choose Love hoodie, Jade was introduced by Ncuti Gatwa which garnered collective excitement and a happy "ahhhhhh!" from the crowd. He was the perfect beacon of joy to introduce such a special person.

Jade essentially bought the pop princess magic of Primavera 2025 to the Glastonbury fields. Girls, gays, a South Sheilds FC flag and a feather trim Kim Woodburn poster all congregated to hear a perfectly curated set. She performed a mixture of her solo material, a Madonna Frozen cover that bled into N-Trance Set You Free, and a Little Mix medley that - crucially - included Touch. If you went onto my Apple Music, Touch would come up as one of my most played songs. It made me cry to be able to sing it in a big tent with all of these people who love her as much as me (and yes, I *am* the only person in the world who doesn't use Spotify). She had an all female band, the most incredible dancers, and her kindness shone through in every moment. 10/10 afternoon for me.

Wet through with sweat and desperately hoping to dry off, I embarked upon a walk to the Pyramid stage with Lucy. We found a seat in my favourite place, the shade, and had a tinnie in the sunshine watching John Fogerty. I'm not familiar with John but he made for a cosy Saturday afternoon, and we loved having him there while we had big girlie chats and got to know each other. To be honest half of the magic of this place is generally having chats with everyone, so this was just as lovely a couple of hours for me. She asked me for some glitter, so I pressed on a bit of Peaches and Cream Mermaze with my grubby hands and realised how much lovelier it looked on her than me. I love when that happens and you find something that was made for someone. After we found Roisin, Martin and Wayne and heard about their afternoon, it was time to make the most important journey of my entire Glastonbury experience: a walk to the Park stage to see Haim.

When the line up was announced earlier this year, I loved so many of the acts and knew I was in for a super special time, but couldn't help but feel gutted to not see Haim on there. It made no sense! They were booked for Primavera, an album was coming, it's a fallow year next year so it would be a while until they could do it again, why weren't they here? Later, when a Margate Haim show was announced and so close to the weekend, I started to get butterflies. They're in the area, they must be coming? Before we knew it, the secret set rumours started to circulate, and it seemed like my actual dreams had come true: I was going to see my favourite girls in the world under the sunset skies of the farm. Confirming the rumours themselves half way into Saturday, it was happening. They were a secret set on the Park Stage!

I find it really difficult to put into words how much I love Haim. Their music is brilliant and I listen to them most days, but for me it's all a bit deeper than that. I love the whole vibe of their relationship as sisters. I love that they look so effortlessly cool without any makeup on and a capsule wardrobe. They're the polar opposite of me in bright colours and covered in glitter and I take huge inspiration from it. I love how kind they are to their fans, and how they do things that other people don't do like a tiny Q&A I went to at a theatre in Stoke Newey the other week. Two years ago I had an especially difficult year. Someone in my family was unwell and our lives turned upside down. I listened to Women In Music Part III every single morning and it was truly my saving grace. I'll never be able to repay them for holding my hand in the trenches. Now it was time to pay my respects and I was determined to do it at the barrier.

Something I credit Haim for is bringing special friends into my life, and one of them is Susanne. She loves Haim as much as I do and has taken a chance on me where lots of others haven't, accepting my pitches and allowing me to write a few emotional pieces about music for Stylist. Me, her and her lovely boyfriend Ryan all met up to see them at Primavera and made instant besties under the Barcelona stars, and we joined forces again to see our girls at the front. We watched the end of Gary Newman's set from stage left, and navigated a sea of people to find our way to the front in time for Haim.

Of all the people you need to see live, it's these girls. Danielle Haim is truly a force to be reckoned with. They all are - Este, Alana, they're all just unreal. But I want to name check Danielle here because she's the quietest one of the three and I need you to know that what she doesn't say in interviews she communicates ten fold on the stage. By all means, please find on YouTube one of my favourite montages of all time: 'Danielle Haim trying to talk in interviews.' She doesn't get a word in edgeways, and that's why we love all three of them. Danielle is our listener, Alana our comedian and Este our enormously hearted universal big sister. Singing their songs at the barrier, watching Este plunge into the crowd at the end and hearing the magic of the unbelievable I Quit album is just a memory that I will not only treasure but will think to whenever I need to feel inspired. I love them so much and they made my Glastonbury.

Side note: I think it was Jade that got me into them. She said in an interview once that she was most excited to see Haim at some festival she was going to, and loving Jade so much I wanted to check them out. How special to see them both on the same day.

Having pottered to some of the glittery pink gay bars in the vicinity, we found our way to The Other Stage, I got yet more Mexican food for dinner, and we found a spot near the back of the crowd for the rave of our dreams. It was time for Brat summer.

Charli XCX shouldn't really be my bag. I don't like dance music all that much. I love an early night. There's nothing effortless about me whatsoever. But this girl has well and truly captured my heart in a big, big way. I just think she's brilliant. Unlocking a little part of me I didn't really know was in there, I raved away to the beat of the Brat setlist and chanted every word to Club Classics, my fave song of hers. Me, Susanne and Ryan had a ball (I had no signal to find Lucy which was a shame). Everyone went a bit feral and a new little version of me was confirmed: having seen her at Coachella, Primavera and now Glastonbury, I think I *too* am now so Julia. It was a difficult decision because Doechii, the Scissor Sisters and Charli all clashed, something of a Glastonbury hate crime. But all in all I know I made a good decision and can't wait to watch Doechii on the couch this week.

Traipsing around Arcadia and some of the clubby parts under the fairy lights, I loved soaking in the tents, lights and bright colours even though it isn't my scene. I wandered for a little while taking it all in and then saw in the small hours doing my favourite thing... chewing the ear off Sali and her friends. Sali lives far away from me so we basically make do with WhatsApp until we can sit together and laugh all night. Having a wine and chatting through the day was just as much fun as living it the first time.

Here's the Saturday celeb spot tally: my breakfast time bestie Matthew Horne, Paloma Faith, Holly Willoughby and Paul Mescal's brother. Naturally I contemplated explaining to him that I am destined to be married into the family, however given the aforementioned sweat situation, I made sure he caught no sight of me under any circumstance whatsoever.

That's all for a making friends and memories Saturday. One more day of magic ahead of me (and probably a much slower one given I've had 5 hours of sleep).

More tomorrow! I'm off to baby wipe and Sun Shimmer for my last day on the farm.