Cliff Notes – Lewis Capaldi reveals he was ‘convulsing’ backstage in lead up to Glastonbury performance
- Lewis Capaldi experienced severe panic attacks, including convulsions backstage before his 2023 Glastonbury performance, marking a significant turning point in his life.
- He describes his breakdown at Glastonbury as a release, allowing him to seek help and reshape his life through therapy and medication.
- Capaldi’s return to Glastonbury in 2025 was both symbolic and triumphant, as he aimed to complete what he could not finish two years prior, resulting in a sold-out tour and a new single.
Lewis Capaldi reveals he was ‘convulsing’ backstage in lead up to Glastonbury performance
Lewis Capaldi has revealed he was ‘convulsing’ backstage at a show just weeks prior to his 2023 Glastonbury performance (Picture: Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Lewis Capaldi has opened up about his harrowing experience at Glastonbury 2023 when he had a panic attack so bad he ‘convulsed’ backstage.
He also described his surprise 2025 Glastonbury set as a ‘mental win’ after what he now sees as the most important turning point of his life.
The 28-year-old Scottish singer left fans emotional last month when he returned to Worthy Farm for a surprise set, two years after a now-infamous onstage breakdown at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival prompted him to take a prolonged hiatus from music.
Appearing on This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Capaldi reflected on how dark things had become before that 2023 performance, revealing that he had suffered an even more severe episode just weeks earlier.
‘A few weeks prior to that show we were playing in Chicago, and I had a very similar episode—probably even worse,’ he said.
‘I couldn’t come back and finish a song. I was backstage convulsing and having this crazy panic attack. Way worse than what happened at Glastonbury.’
Lewis Capaldi famously couldn’t finish his 2023 Glastonbury set (Picture: This Past Weekend)
He now calls it the ‘best thing that’s ever happened to him’ (Picture: This Past Weekend)
The singer, who has been open about his Tourette’s diagnosis and anxiety struggles, said the highly visible nature of the Glastonbury breakdown became a strange kind of release.
‘At Glastonbury, when I came off stage, it was weird. I had this feeling of “Everything’s alright now. I can actually go and get help and fix myself for the next two years.” In a weird way, it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’
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Capaldi admitted he had long struggled with setting boundaries, driven by the fear that opportunities would vanish if he slowed down.
‘I was really bad for not saying no to things. I felt like, “All this amazing stuff’s coming at me now and I have to catch it all, or it’s going to pass me by.”‘
The emotional and physical toll forced him to cancel tours, including one planned for Australia, and seek proper care.
‘Someone upstairs was like, “This has to happen now, otherwise…” I don’t want to think about where I’d be if I’d continued,’ he said.
Capaldi made a triumphant return to Glastonbury in 2025 (Picture: Julie Edwards/Future Image/Cover)
Since stepping away, Capaldi has radically reshaped his life. He’s undergone extensive therapy, learned to better manage his Tourette’s, reduced his alcohol intake, improved his physical health, and switched from antidepressants to antipsychotic medication that he says finally made a difference.
‘It was really scary when they offered it. Antipsychotic? I’m like, “I’m not psychotic.” But it’s changed my life. My anxiety levels are so low these days. I don’t feel the stress,’ he shared.
Weekly therapy has also been a cornerstone of his recovery: ‘That’s really maybe the biggest thing that’s switched everything around.’
Capaldi’s return to Glastonbury was both symbolic and healing: ‘I really wanted to come back and do Glastonbury as a mental win—to finish the thing that I couldn’t finish before,’ he said.
honestly didn’t expect this at all… genuinely had no idea what to expect after taking a break for so long so be seeing this tour sell out faster than any tour i’ve ever played is the most incredible surreal feeling ❤️ thank you to every single one of you who got a ticket and… pic.twitter.com/XuxW2SnuYo
— Lewis Capaldi (@LewisCapaldi) July 10, 2025
Ahead of the festival, he also released a new track titled Survive, which chronicles his difficult two-year journey. The raw, emotional single quickly topped the charts and struck a deep chord with fans.
And now, the comeback is fully underway as Capaldi’s return to touring has been met with overwhelming demand – his 17-date UK and Ireland tour sold out within seconds, with additional shows added in response to fan frenzy. He described it as his fastest-selling tour ever.
For Capaldi, it’s a new chapter: ‘I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise,’ he admitted.