Madonna, Dua Lipa and Coldplay will headline Glastonbury next year as two female artists top festival bill for first time ever

Madonna, Dua Lipa and Coldplay will headline Glastonbury next year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

After months of discussion, it has been agreed that they will all appear on the world-famous Pyramid Stage, with Madonna closing the music extravaganza on Sunday evening.

The British singing sensation Ms Lipa is the top act on Friday, Coldplay will play on Saturday. Organizers are said to be ‘excited’ about the line-up, which will mark the first time in Glastonbury’s history that two female artists will headline.

A festival insider said: ‘It’s the dream line-up, a brilliant mix of different music and different atmospheres. Then of course you have Madonna on the last night, which will be epic.’

For Ms Lipa, 28, pictured, it will be her first appearance as a headliner at the festival

It will be the first time Madonna, 65, has performed at the festival, which is being held at Worthy Farm, Somerset. For Ms. Lipa, 28, it will be her first headlining performance.

Earlier this year she was embroiled in controversy after failing to join Sir Elton John on the Glastonbury stage for their duet Cold Heart. Fans claimed there was a falling out between the two, although Ms Lipa insisted she worked in New York.

Coldplay has headlined four times before: in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016.

Glastonbury bosses have been accused of choosing too many male acts as headliners. Last year’s lineup was all male, with Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Sir Elton John taking the top spots.

Speaking last month, organizer Emily Eavis, daughter of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, revealed that a large team of American stars, believed to be Madonna, had contacted her and said she was free.

She said: ‘2024 is still kind of up in the air, and I thought it was starting to take shape, and then last week I just got a phone call, and this is what happens if you wait a little bit longer, because a lot of times we’re fully booked from July.

“This year we’re going to hold it a little longer and last week I got a call from a really big American artist saying this person is going to be back next year, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible.’ Thank God we had the chance.’

Coldplay have headlined four times before – in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016. Pictured: Coldplay’s Chris Martin

Addressing the lack of female headliners, Ms Eavis added: “I’ve always been very passionate about the gender balance (in festival line-ups) and I think our problem really was that I felt so had been outspoken about having a A year in which there was no woman, people got a little angry – or some people.

“And we had a female – she pulled out and we replaced them with Guns N’ Roses. But everyone knows it’s at the top of my list.

‘It’s difficult with female artists because there aren’t enough headliners. But we also create them. We put the bands and female artists on smaller stages and let them come through all the time. And who knows? Next year we might get two. And I can definitely say that the Legend is female.”

Glastonbury 2024 will be held from June 26 to 30