Glastonbury 2015: Stephen Hawking, Dolly Parton, The Wombles and more surprising acts

While it seems like an unlikely name to be added to the Glastonbury 2015 roster, it has officially been confirmed the world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking will make a special guest appearance at the legendary music festival.

Hawking is set to feature in the Kidz Field, the more family orientated section of the event, but what he will be doing at the festival exactly is still unknown.

The 73-year-old, whose early life was recently depicted in Oscar-winning movie The Theory Of Everything is shy when it comes to entertainment-based appearances. In early March, he took part in a Comic Relief sketch alongside David Walliams and Catherine Tate and has previously voiced himself as a character on The Simpsons. He also featured in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation back in 1993.

This is not the first time that Glastonbury has offered up some surprisingly, and somewhat unusual, guests to what used to be an exclusively rock festival. In light of Hawking's involvement, IBTimes UK takes a look at all of the more unconventional choices the event has added to its line-up over the years.

Kanye West – 2015

While the hip hop star may not be considered that much of a controversial act now, West would have been an unlikely choice 10 years ago when it came to potential Glastonbury headliners due to this style of music. But the energy he puts into his productions certainly fits the bill

The Dalai Lama - 2015

It was announced in January that the Dalai Lama will give a talk at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival. News that the religious figure will be present came from his own website, as it revealed his schedule included making a speech "in Glastonbury, Somerset on June 28."

Dynamo - 2015

Another act officially joining Hawking in 2015 is magician Dynamo. While he has performed magic undercover at the festival for the past couple of years, the 32-year-old will be taking to the stage this time round to put on a spectacle in the Kidz Big Top.

Lionel Richie – 2015

Like West, Lionel Richie may not seem a bizarre choice of act nowadays, what with Glastonbury's ever-changing tastes, but his smooth, soulful singing would have been very out of place among the mosh pits and rock fans who used to scatter the vast audiences in previous years.

Dolly Parton - 2014

Even as Glastonbury expanded the kinds of music that it focused on, country music was still fairly unknown when it came to the well-known festival. So when the Jolene singer was said to be headlining with some of her southern hits, it initially shocked festival-lovers.

The Rolling Stones - 2013

Stylistically, The Rolling Stones are the perfect band to play Glastonbury but it was not the fact that they were headlining that was surprising, rather the realisation that this was the legendary rock act's first time at the festival.

The Wombles - 2011

Wimbledon to Somerset must have been a long way for a Womble to travel but none the less, they made the journey in 2011 to play the Avalon Stage at the iconic music show. The furry band performed the song Remember You're A Womble to an enthusiastic crowd on the Avalon Stage.

Rolf Harris - 2010

Despite having made numerous appearances at past Glastonbury shows, Rolf Harris, complete with wobble board and didgeridoo opening the 2010 show on the main Pyramid stage, was a surprisingly addition to the line-up.

Jay Z - 2008

When Jay Z was confirmed as a headliner for the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, the real shift in the kind of music that the event tended to play happened. What had previously been almost exclusively a soft rock and pop festival opened itself up to become a venue for hip hop artists too.