Toby Jones says Alan Bates turned down offer to open Glastonbury 2024: “He can’t be bought”

Actor Toby Jones has stated that Alan Bates turned down the offer to open Glastonbury 2024.

News that the former subpostmaster leading the fight against the Post Office was offered the chance to open this year’s Worthy Farm festival was revealed by the actor who played him in the hit ITV series Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

The drama is based on the ongoing true story, where numerous subpostmasters faced accusations of theft, fraud and false accounting, with the actual root of the issue being caused by a defective IT system.

According to Jones, the offer was presented to Bates, but he promptly declined the offer as he had no intention of becoming a celebrity.

“He is someone in the culture who just doesn’t seem to be subject to the same forces that we all are. He can’t be bought,” the actor told the audience at the Hay Festival (via The Telegraph). “He was asked to open Glastonbury. ‘No, thank you.’ He’s asked to do these things and he doesn’t want to do any of that. He says, ‘I’ve got work to do,’ which is to get that stuff done.”

He continued, also making a nod towards how Bates turned down an OBE too. “He’s a hero and he doesn’t want any honours until he’s finished the job.

Toby Jones attends the Los Angeles Premiere of LucasFilms’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’. CREDIT: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

“And these values that I’m not going to say I grew up with, but I sort of remember being lectured about – about duty and about following things through – these are very, very unfashionable things that maybe stand in stark contrast with what we’ve been living with in government for some time.”

Historic figures have famously opened Glastonbury in the past, including Sir David Attenborough and former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The iconic Worthy Farm festival will run between June 26 and June 30 this year, and organisers shared its official 2024 line-up for Glastonbury in April. In the initial announcement, it was confirmed that Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA would be headlining the iconic Pyramid Stage this summer, with Shania Twain set to perform in the legends slot on the Sunday.

In the time since the organisers have begun counting down the weeks to this year’s edition by gradually announcing the artists playing at other stages around the site. This kicked off with news of new artists set to headline the Acoustic Stage, followed by details on those who have joined the Field Of Avalon line-up, Left Field, Woodsies, The Glade, Silver Hayes, The Park, The Common, Block9 and more.