Lewis Capaldi has described his emotional Glastonbury 2023 performance — where he visibly struggled with symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome on stage — as “probably the best thing that’s ever happened” to him.
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
The 28-year-old singer opened up during an interview on the This Past Weekend podcast with Theo Von, explaining that the widely shared Glastonbury moment marked a turning point in both his mental health journey and career.
“Glastonbury 2023 was, for sure, really important — maybe the most important day in my life,”Lewis said.
“Someone upstairs was like ‘this has to happen now otherwise…’ I dread to think where I’d be now if I’d continued.”
After that performance — where fans famously supported him by singing his lyrics when he struggled to continue — Lewis decided to take a long break from performing to focus on his health.
Panic Attack in Chicago Was “Even Worse”
Lewis revealed that just weeks before the Glastonbury incident, he had a much more severe experience while performing in Chicago.
“I was backstage convulsing and having this crazy panic attack and mental episode,” he recalled.
“Way worse than what happened at Glastonbury.”
Despite the severity, it was only after the public breakdown on one of the UK’s biggest stages that Capaldi realized he needed serious help.
The Power of Stepping Back
Capaldi said the Glastonbury episode was a wake-up call:
“When I came off stage it was weird, I had this (feeling) — ‘everything’s alright now, I can actually go and get help.’”
“In a weird way, it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise.”
He cancelled planned shows, including a tour in Australia, to focus on his health — a decision he now says was life-saving.
Triumphant Return to Glastonbury 2025
Fast forward to this year, Capaldi made an unannounced appearance at Glastonbury 2025, performing a secret set that symbolized personal victory.
“I really wanted to come back and do Glastonbury as like a mental win – finish the thing I couldn’t finish before.”
Life-Changing Medication and Therapy
Lewis shared that he now attends weekly therapy sessions and is taking antipsychotic medicationthat has drastically improved his mental health and anxiety.
“It was really scary when they offered it. I was like, ‘Antipsychotic? I’m not psychotic.’ But it’s changed my life. Anxiety levels are so low these days. I don’t feel the stress.”
A Message of Hope
Capaldi’s story is now resonating even more deeply with fans who see him not just as a brilliant songwriter and singer, but as a figure of honesty and resilience in the face of invisible battles.
He concluded that stepping back, as difficult as it was, may have saved his life — and Glastonbury 2023, though heartbreaking at the time, ended up being a breakthrough moment he will always be grateful for.
