Could Bill Murray play Glastonbury?

He *is* in the country at the right time...

comedy Bill Murray has announced a UK date… intriguingly close to Glastonbury in both time and place.

The comedy icon has a side project called New Worlds, in which he appears with world-class cellist Jan Vogler and fellow classically-trained musicians Vanessa Perez and Mira Wang. To their accompaniment, Murray sings and reads American classics, spanning the likes of Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway.

They have released an album and perform occasional live gigs – with shows now scheduled at the Bristol Beacon on June 24 and Birmingham Symphony Hall on June 25.

It has not escaped fans’ notice that this year’s Glastonbury Festival takes place from the 25th to the 29th.

Speculation was rife that the elusive Ghostbuster star might have been at the 2023 event as he was rumoured to be dating Kelis, the headliner of the West Holts Stage – but he was never actually spotted there.

While he is in the UK, Murray might also want to pay a visit to the North London pub and comedy venue that shares his name.

When Angel Comedy opened the Islington venue in 2018 after a crowdfunding campaign, they wanted to name it after the Groundhog Day star. However, pubs can only be named after living people with their blessing – and Murray never responded to correspondence.

The venue is therefore officially named after William Murray, First Earl of Dysart and official ‘whipping boy’ of the future Charles I - punished in his stead if the young prince misbehaved. However the bar contains a box with the instructions to break its glass if the real Bill Murray comes in, containing an agreement he can sign to have the bar officially named in his honour.

Here he is performing a New Worlds track:

Published: 18 Feb 2025