Definitely not a complete unknown: Hollywood star rumoured to be playing a ‘secret’ set at Glastonbury

Timothee Chalamet
(Image credit: Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)

Glastonbury is just weeks away and already there is a rumour that a genuine Hollywood A-lister will grace the festival with a ‘surprise’ appearance this year.

That person is Timothée Chalamet. Apparently the actor is set to appear at the festival, but not on the Pyramid stage. No, according to The Sun, the star of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown will perform a “brief set” with the Dylan tribute band Not Completely Unknown on the Acoustic Stage.

The rumour has been given life by the fact that the act is billed as ‘Not Completely Unknown: A Celebration Of the Songs of Bob Dylan and Special Guests’. That’s guests in the plural, not singular. And by the wording of that sentence it does rather sound as if the ‘Special Guests’ – whoever they are – are the ones who will be celebrated (along with Dylan) rather than the ones who will be doing the celebrating.

“I’m very into this theory,” one fan wrote on TikTok after a user suggested that Chalamet could be the mystery ‘special guests’. “I thought the same when I saw the Acoustic Stage lineup! imagine!”, said another.

Timothée Chalamet: Outlaw Blues/Three Angels (Live) - SNL - YouTube Timothée Chalamet: Outlaw Blues/Three Angels (Live) - SNL - YouTube
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It should also be pointed out that Chalamet is due to start filming the next Dune sequel in June. But of course, his director may allow him off the leash to jet over to the UK and hotfoot down to Worthy Farm for the day.

Anyhoo, nothing has been confirmed, nor denied, at this stage. But one thing is for certain – Not Completely Unknown’s Saturday night appearance is now certain to be packed out. They will be well chuffed.

Whether Chalamet turns up to join them remains to be seen. The actor made a live appearance on Saturday Night Live back in January, playing three more obscure tracks from the Dylan back catalogue – Outlaw Blues from Bringing It All Back Home, Three Angels from the 1970 New Morning album and Tomorrow Is A Long Time. Accompanying him that night was UK producer James Blake on piano.

Will Simpson
News and features writer

Will Simpson is a freelance music expert whose work has appeared in Classic Rock, Classic Pop, Guitarist and Total Guitar magazine. He is the author of 'Freedom Through Football: Inside Britain's Most Intrepid Sports Club' and his second book 'An American Cricket Odyssey' is due out in 2025

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