Queer icon and acting legend Sir Ian McKellen delivered a show-stopping surprise at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, and fans are still buzzing. The 86-year-old star, best known as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Magneto in X-Men, stunned festival goers by appearing onstage with queer pop royalty, the Scissor Sisters, during their Saturday night headline set at the Woodsies stage.
In a moment that sent chills through the crowd, McKellen performed his spoken-word monologue from the band’s 2010 single “Invisible Light.” The track, from the Scissor Sisters’ Night Work album, has long been a queer anthem and seeing McKellen bring it to life live was pure magic. An Instagram Reel shared by both the Scissor Sisters and BBC Radio 2 shows the emotional aftermath.
Backstage, McKellen is visibly moved, wiping away tears as thousands of voices chant his name, Sir Ian McKellen, to the beat of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. This year’s Glastonbury overflowed with queer talent, from Doechii and Charli XCX to Olivia Rodrigo and Kai Tempest. But it was Sir Ian, apparently, who stole the show.
