Accordion Ryan’s talent is playing your favourite songs in a way you’ve never heard them before – something he showcased on national television when he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent.
Now he brings his pop-adaptation skills to Glastonbury Festival’s Theatre & Circus fields ahead of a run of shows at Edinburgh Fringe in August.
We spoke with him about making his Glastonbury debut.
Q&A with Accordion Ryan
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m Accordion Ryan, and I’m a musical comedian / cabaret artist! I’m originally from the USA, growing up in New Jersey and spending my early adult life in Chicago. But the last number of years, I’ve been living in various different cities in Europe, the last few of which I’ve spent in Vienna, Austria. Although I’ve been on tour for most of 2025, so at this point I hardly know where I live!
I have an upbeat, high-energy act in which I sing and play your favorite pop songs on the accordion, all while running and dancing around! I also have a few of my own songs, with clever, witty texts that straddle the line between humor and sincerity.
How did you get into live performance?
It’s funny, because I never got into this thinking that I would be performing professionally! Back 9-10 years ago, I had a university German professor that would teach students to play the accordion. I took him up on the offer and learned the very basics of the instrument from him, playing some German folk tunes in his office. Soon after, I bought my own accordion on Craigslist and started learning pop songs on the instrument.
A few years later in 2018, after a tough break-up, I had some extra time on my hands and went to my first open mics in Chicago, soon after playing my first gigs. And when I moved to Europe for a master’s program, I played on the streets everywhere I went. In 2022, I did my show for the first time at the Edinburgh Fringe, and I’d say that’s the first time I realized I could pursue this a bit more seriously! Since then, my accordion has taken me all over the world to places I never thought I’d go!
What’s it like to be performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival?
It’s really exciting! To be honest, I’ve never been to a festival like Glastonbury, let alone played at one, so I can hardly believe it! And as I said before, I really never thought I’d do anything like this when I played my first open mics 7 years ago in Chicago!
What can you tell us about your plans for the shows?
It’s going to be a fun, rowdy time where folks are encouraged to sing along! I’m going to play a mixture of bangers that you’d probably never expect to hear on an accordion!
How do you approach performing at a festival like this?
Since it’s my first time performing at a festival like this, I’m still figuring that out! I’d say most of the prep work is sorting the logistics of getting there and figuring out what to pack! But as far as my show goes, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing for years, because that’s what got me here! After all, the folks at Theatre & Circus saw what I do and liked it enough to book me. So I just have to treat it like all my other shows and trust that the crowds will have a great time as well!
Will you be checking out any other acts across the weekend?
Yes for sure! I just got the listing for set times, so I’m trying to figure out what I can make it to that doesn’t clash with my own! As far as the bigger names go, I really want to see Alanis Morisette! And aside from that, I want to get to some of the other acts over in Theatre & Circus. I’d love to shout out my pals over at Insane Magic, who I’ve known for a few years from the Edinburgh Fringe – definitely want to check them out!
But I also know it’s a massive festival, so I’m trying not to plan too much! I’ll be sure to spend some time just walking around and being open to checking out some artists I’ve never heard of! And also taking some downtime to just chill in the Healing Field or another more relaxed areas!
Accordion Ryan performs in the Theatre & Circus fields at Glastonbury Festival 2025
He also plays this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival or find him on Instagram
