More about: Glastonbury Festival

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis has defended the festivals decision to employ US rapper Jay-Z as one of its headline acts.

Writing in the Independent, Eavis said that she was “delighted” to “have the greatest living hip-hop artist on at Glastonbury.”

Eavis rejected claims from critics who had said that Jay-Z was the first hip-hop artist to perform at the festival.

She also denied that he had been asked to perform so that the festival could reach a new audience.

“That is just not the case,” Eavis wrote. “It is much simpler than that: we respect Jay-Z as an amazing artist and so, obviously, we want to see him at the festival.”

Jay-Z will headline this year’s festival, which takes place from June 27th-29th, alongside The Verve and Kings of Leon.

Tickets for the festival are still available for fans who have pre-registered via the Glastonbury website.

More about: Glastonbury Festival