Paul McCartney divides fans after including Johnny Depp video during Glastonbury set

Veteran singer performed an epic set to close the penultimate day of the UK festival

Sir Paul McCartney invited Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen on stage to perform with him in the former Beatle's Glastonbury headline set on Saturday night. AP Photo

Sir Paul McCartney waves the Ukrainian flag. AP Photo

Festival goers watch Sir Paul McCartney perform at Glastonbury Festival. AP Photo

Olivia Rodrigo performs on the Other Stage. Reuters

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds play on the Pyramid Stage. Getty Images

An atmospheric moment from Roisin Murphy's set on the West Holts Stage. Getty Images

Yungblud. AP Photo

Skunk Anansie. Getty Images

Celeste. Getty Images

Billy Nomates on the Left Field stage. PA

Climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks on the Pyramid Stage. Reuters

A 'Glastonbury' sign is illuminated by sunset on day one of the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. Getty Images

A festivalgoer walks between the tents in one of the camping areas. The festival has returned for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. Getty Images

Festivalgoers watch a recorded message from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. EPA

More than 200,000 music fans will attend the festival. PA

Former Spice Girl Melanie C plays a DJ set in the William's Green tent. PA

Festivalgoer Ed proposes to his partner Chelsea as the sun begins to set on day one of the festival. Getty Images

A festival attendee is silhouetted as they stand on top of the stone circle at Worthy Farm. PA

Pete Doherty from the band 'The Libertines' performs. AP

Revellers walk past graffiti attributed to Banksy as they arrive at Worthy Farm. Reuters

A festivalgoer goes down a slide at the festival. AFP

Thousands of tents are set up across the fields. AFP

There may be some inclement weather to deal with at the weekend. AP

Ai-Da is heralded as the world's first ultra-realistic robot artist, and has been producing abstract paintings of this year's Glastonbury headliners. PA

Festivalgoers take part in a laughter-yoga workshop in the Healing Field. PA

A cardboard cut-out depicting Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the camping site. AFP

Festival founder Michael Eavis opening the gates on the first day. PA

Paul McCartney's hit-laden set at Glastonbury Festival hit a sour note after he played a clip of an old music video featuring controversial actor Johnny Depp.

As part of his performance on Saturday night, which had guest appearances by Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen, the former Beatles singer included footage of Depp while performing 2012's My Valentine.

The visuals, which show Depp and fellow actress Natalie Portman using sign language, are part of the song’s official music video.

The inclusion divided fans on social media, with critics decrying the move owing to the domestic abuse allegations surrounding Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard.

Their highly publicised defamation case ended earlier this month in the US, with both sides ordered to pay each other damages.

McCartney did not address the video on stage and has yet to comment on the divided reaction.

Despite the controversy, McCartney’s show fulfilled expectations.

Taking the Pyramid Stage to close the penultimate day of the festival, he played a mammoth 38-song set representing his celebrated six-decade career, and became the oldest solo headliner in the music event's history after he turned 80 this week.

Beatles fans were thrilled with a hefty selection of tracks from the Fab Four, including Hey Jude, Blackbird, Get Back and Can't Buy Me Love.

Hits from Wings were also presented with Live and Let Die, Let 'Em In and Let Me Roll It.

Special guests Springsteen and Grohl appeared in the final quarter of the show.

The former joined McCartney for a triumphant take of The Beatles I Wanna Be Your Man, while Grohl played the Wings classic Band on the Run.

All three rocked together along to The End, the Beatles track that closed the epic performance.

Paul McCartney waves the Ukrainian flag while performing on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival. AP

McCartney's set also featured the singer waving the Ukrainian flag in support of the country amid its war with Russia.

This comes a day after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the crowd via video link. He described the event as the “greatest concentration of freedom” and called for the world to “spread the truth” about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

That support was further underlined with the country's Eurovision entry, the Kalush Orchestra, also performing on Friday as part of the festival.

The event continues on Sunday with a final day of big performances led by the night's headliner, hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar.

Also on the programme are New Zealand pop star Lorde, soul singer Diana Ross and pioneering jazz artist Herbie Hancock.

Billie Eilish and Ukraine Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra rock Glastonbury Festival — in pictures

US singer Billie Eilish performs in the headline slot on the Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival. Getty Images

Multi-Grammy winner Eilish is the youngest solo act in history to top the bill on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. Getty Images

Eilish performed a crowd-pleasing set, which kicked off with hit 'Bury a Friend' and ended with 'Bad Guy' and 'Happier Than Ever'. Getty Images

Without directly referencing the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, a 1973 ruling giving women the constitutional right to abortion, Eilish said: 'Today is a really dark day for women in the US.' Getty Images

Eilish then dedicated 'Your Power', a song about abusing power, to the US Supreme Court ruling. Getty Images

The Glastonbury Festival is being held in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England. AP

The festival returned for its 50th anniversary this year, two years later than planned after Covid-19 scuppered the 2020 and 2021 events. AP

Crowds watch Billie Eilish perform on stage. AP

Other top headliners to come at the festival include Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar.

Billie Eilish on the Pyramid main stage. AP

The UK music weekender, which is among the biggest in the world, is set to welcome more than 200,000 guests over the coming five days. Getty Images

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses festivalgoers via a video link. AFP

'Glastonbury is the greatest concentration of freedom these days and I ask you to share this feeling with everyone whose freedom is under attack,' Zelenskyy told festivalgoers. AFP

Kalush Orchestra, Eurovision winners from Ukraine, performing their first UK gig at Shangri-La's Truth Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. EPA

The band, whose song 'Stefania' earned them the winner's title at the singing contest in Turin last month, spoke about their hopes of their country hosting next year's Eurovision competition. EPA

The European Broadcasting Union had said it cannot host the Eurovision in Ukraine, due to security issues. Winners of the contest traditionally host the competition the following year. EPA

Ukraine has condemned the European Broadcasting Union's decision to strip it of the right to host next year's Eurovision song contest on security grounds after Russia's invasion. EPA

The BBC said it was in talks with the EBU about hosting the event in the UK, with the country's Sam Ryder finishing runner-up to Kalush in Italy. EPA

If the UK does host the contest in 2023, it would be the ninth time it has done so — more than any other country. EPA

The crowd watching Kalush Orchestra. EPA

Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra on the Truth Stage. EPA

Glastonbury has not taken place since 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to live events across the world. EPA

MC Kilimmen from Kalush Orchestra on stage. EPA

Oleg Psyuk, the frontman of Kalush Orchestra, performs. EPA

Crowds wave the Ukrainian flag as they watching Kalush Orchestra perform. EPA

Bobby Gillespie, vocalist for Primal Scream, performs on the John Peel stage at Glastonbury Festival. EPA