Lewis Capaldi, the talented Scottish singer, took the stage as the headline act at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, June 24, but faced an unexpected challenge when his voice faltered during his performance of “Someone You Loved.”
In a sincere moment, the 26-year-old artist addressed the crowd, captured on BBC concert footage, admitting, “I have to be honest with you all, my voice is starting to give up on me up here. But we’re going to push through and continue until the end.” Lewis Capaldi, dressed casually in a white shirt, expressed his apologies for the vocal mishap and requested the audience’s support, saying, “If it’s alright with you, I need all of you to sing along with me as loudly as possible.”
At the start of his set, Lewis Capaldi began singing his 2019 hit single as usual, but as he reached the chorus, he had to pause due to his vocal strain. However, the packed crowd at the Worthy Farm stage promptly came to his aid, collectively belting out the lyrics in his place.
Early the following Sunday, June 25, social media users shared their admiration for the touching moment. One Twitter user wrote, “I’m not crying, you are. The crowd was brilliant, and Lewis was too. Despite his struggle, he still took the stage, showing true courage.” Another person shared, “In a beautiful display of solidarity, thousands of voices lifted Lewis Capaldi up as his Tourette’s overwhelmed him and he needed a break. It was like a religious experience hearing them sing. Even if you’re not a fan of the song, it’s hard not to be moved.”
Lewis Capaldi, who received a Brit Award for “Someone You Loved” in February 2020, revealed in September 2022 that he had been diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. During an Instagram Live session, the heartfelt crooner disclosed, “Apparently, I’ve always had it. So, I do the shoulder twitch quite a lot, and underneath every TikTok video, people ask, ‘Why is he twitching?’ It’s okay to be curious. I understand.”
The artist also shared, “It’s still new to me, and I haven’t learned much about it yet—I’m still educating myself. I’ve had Botox injections in my shoulder to reduce the twitching. It worked for a while, but the challenging part is that it happens whenever I’m excited, stressed, or happy. It occurs frequently.”
Lewis Capaldi, who has been open about his mental health struggles, recently canceled his concert series leading up to Glastonbury. In a statement on Instagram on June 5, he explained, “I need to take some time to rest and recover, to be at my best and ready for Glastonbury and the other incredible shows ahead, so that I can continue doing what I love for a long time. I’m fortunate to have amazing people around me who provide the help and support I need, and I’m truly grateful.”
During his Glastonbury appearance, Lewis Capaldi announced his plans to extend his touring hiatus beyond the British festival. “So, you probably won’t see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even longer,” he mentioned. “But when I do return and see you all again, I hope you’ll still be eager to watch me perform.”
