Dua Lipa's rise to fame as Glastonbury headliner
Dua Lipa will hit one of the high points of her career this weekend when she becomes Glastonbury 2024's first headliner.
The popstar is only 28, but she can add the huge achievement to an already long list of pinch-me moments during her incredible rise to fame.
However, it seems like her stardom might not be such a surprise to Lipa herself, who told Time back in 2017 of her ambitions: "I'd like to take over the world... If I could." The Don't Start Now singer is well on her way to that goal - here's how her success has looked so far.
Early days
Lipa was born in London to Kosovan and Albanian parents, who moved the family back to Kosovo in 2006.
She returned to London alone at 15 to study for her A-levels and live with a family friend, recently telling Elle: "I said to my parents, I don’t know how you let me do that. But I knew that I didn’t have the same opportunities that I would have in Kosovo. I was so determined.
"I think my parents saw parts of themselves in me, and that allowed for them to be so open-hearted and generous with that trust."
It was a trust that paid off, as Lipa began working as a model for Topshop, landed a job singing in an X Factor advert for the 2013 series, and in the same year signed her first contract.
Pop hits
Lipa began releasing music in 2015 and has an incredible catalogue of hits to her name from the last nine years that gives her plenty of choice for what to include in her Glastonbury set.
Early singles include Be the One and Blow Your Mind, and she had her first number one with New Rules in 2017.
She clocked up another number one single the following year with Calvin Harris collaboration One Kiss, and although 2019's Don't Start Now only reached number two, it ended up being the longest stay in the top 10 for a British female artist.
More recently, Lipa has had hits with Levitating, Dance the Night and Houdini.
Movie success
Like any self-respecting star, Lipa hasn't just confined her career to one area - she cemented her status as a triple threat after adding movie credits to her singing and dancing skills.
In 2023, Lipa appeared as mermaid Barbie in Greta Gerwig's smash hit film Barbie, and was also behind the movie's signature song Dance the Night which was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including song of the year.
Lipa went on to feature in 2024 spy action comedy Argylle, alongside Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Her varied portfolio earned her a place in the Sunday Times Rich List this year, where her estimated net worth was £90 million.
Glastonbury headliner
Huge stars including Sir Elton John and Mick Jagger are champions of Lipa, and now she is joining them in a huge career bucket list item by performing at Glastonbury.
Lipa is the Friday night headliner for 2024 and is sure to set the tone for the festival's weekend with her upbeat hits.
"I’ve got to figure out a way to make 150,000 people feel like they’re in a small little nightclub,” she told the BBC.
"That’s the goal, and if there’s one place to do it, it’s got to be Glasto."
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