Franz Ferdinand hailed for ‘genius’ cameo during Glastonbury performance

The indie band teased fans by bringing out the ‘original Capaldi’

Former Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi made a surprise appearance at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, appearing on stage with Scottish indie act Franz Ferdinand.

The “Dark of the Matinee” stars played the Other Stage on Friday afternoon when they brought out their fellow Scotsman, perhaps best known for playing the foul-mouthed government spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in political comedy The Thick of It.

Capaldi, 67, joined the band for a rendition of their 2004 hit “Take Me Out” while sporting a pair of sunglasses and an eye-catching red shirt.

Cheekily, the band’s frontman, Alex Kapranos, teased fans by talking about a “fellow Glaswegian” of “Italian heritage”. He then introduced the actor as “the original Capaldi”, playing off Lewis Capaldi’s surprise return to Glastonbury on the Pyramid Stage.

Peter Capaldi appears live on stage with Franz Ferdinand at Glastonbury (BBC)

Peter Capaldi more than held his own during the song, singing several lines to the ecstatic crowd.

Fans watching from home were also thoroughly impressed by the actor’s surprise appearance, calling it “hilarious”.

“Franz Ferdinand teasing Lewis Capaldi but then bringing out "the original Capaldi", Peter Capaldi, to sing ‘Take Me Out’. Genius,” said one fan.

“Did any one have Peter Capaldi to join Franz Ferdinand at Glastonbury on their bingo card?” another viewer asked.

“Franz Ferdinand absolutely killed it at Glastonbury. Bringing out Peter Capaldi was a great touch,” remarked a third fan.

Even the Radio Times were moved, with their X/Twitter account writing: “We're not crying at Peter Capaldi joining Franz Ferdinand on stage at Glastonbury, you're crying!”

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Peter Capaldi on stage with Franz Ferdinand at Glastonbury (BBC)

Earlier this year, Franz Ferdinand released The Human Fear, their sixth studio album and the first in seven years, marking the end of the longest break between full-length albums in their career.

The band became world-renowned artists in the 2000s thanks to their deliriously hooky songs, including hit singles “Maitnee” and “Do You Want To.” Their debut self-titled record peaked at number three in the UK album charts.

Meanwhile, Capaldi, whose credits also include World War Z (2013) and The Suicide Squad (2021), played the Doctor in the hit BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who for three series and four specials between 2013 and 2017, replacing Matt Smith in the role.