5 Must-See Sets From Glastonbury 2016

The end of Coldplay’s seamless set at this year’s Glastonbury festival triggered the thirty-day countdown clock before all sets from all bands are cruelly taken down from BBC iPlayer, leaving the general public with a busy month if they are to catch all the action. But away from the glory of the Pyramid Stage, here’s five sets that demand your attention:

James Blake – West Holts Stage

With one of the most elegant sets of the entire weekend, James Blake managed to establish himself as a frontrunner of the ambient R&B movement. His melancholic set executed the art of minimalism perfectly, and gave him an unprecedented opportunity to debut tracks from his recent release ‘The Colour In Anything’. Versatility is an attribute which never strays too far from any memorable Glastonbury set, and this was exhibited excellently via a guest spot from hip-hop rising star Vince Staples.

For fans of: Jamie xx, Tom Odell

Grimes – Park Stage

Art-pop queen Claire Boucher (a.k.a. Grimes) had her work cut out to put together a set with enough quality to draw a crowd away from Coldplay, but she undoubtedly delivered. Her high-energy, danceable, synthpop was more than enough to rival the pop rock gods. Her set was littered with hard hitting drum machines and resonant basslines which were exquisitely complimented by Grimes’ distinctive nasal vocal performance.

For fans of: Charli XCX, New Order

Fatboy Slim – John Peel Stage

Multi-award winning bigbeat virtuoso Norman Cook brought an eclectic mix of techno and acid house to an overflowing John Peel Stage. The set included a varied list of samples from the likes of Jack Ü, Hannah Wants, and even Etta James. Many Glastonbury goers later declared in voxpop interviews that it was the surprise highlight of the weekend.

For fans of: The Chemical Brothers, Leftfield

Hinds – Park Stage

Madrid-based female four-piece brought their lo-fi garage pop sound to Worthy Farm this year which expressed an innocent and exuberant set. It was reminiscent of the kind of energy brought by bands such as Circa Waves and The Vaccines in recent years. Accessibility was also a major factor here and Hinds showed promising potential for a speedy stage ascension in years to come.

For fans of: Haim, The Strokes

Christine & The Queens – The Other Stage

French singer/songwriter by the name of Heloise Letissier brought her own brand of synth-pop to the Other Stage during which she delivered a set with an unparalleled stage presence and sheer vocal talent. No such connection with a crowd was displayed by anyone else across the weekend. Her wonderfully weird set included a flower-based anecdote and an unexpected Technotronic cover.

For fans of: Lana Del Rey, Chairlift

Glastonbury is consistently a musical highlight year-in year-out, and these are just five of many artists who prove exactly why. View all sets from across the weekend via BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer