Glastonbury 2027 favorite performs a classic Rolling Stones song for John Lewis’ Christmas ad

Rocking around the Christmas tree… The John Lewis 2026 Christmas advert has officially arrived, and the music is already set to get people talking just as much as Kristin Scott Thomas’ magical storyline. The track is performed by Sam Fender, who is tipped by many to headline Glastonbury in 2027, and it’s a cover of a classic by The Rolling Stones — with approval from Mick Jagger himself. The retailer’s new campaign carries the message “Don’t give up on giving” and follows a grandma named Gloria, who is struggling to decide what to buy her two grandchildren for Christmas.

At one point, it looks like she may give up altogether, slipping money into envelopes for them instead. But a wooden dog toy called Pickles, voiced by Paul Whitehouse, encourages her to leave the house and head to London in search of inspiration. She eventually lands on the idea of creating a “Gran Cave” at home, where she and her grandchildren, Maggie and Freddie, can be playful, dance together and enjoy music playing from the room’s vinyl record player.

John Lewis chose You Can’t Always Get What You Want for the campaign. The song was first released by The Rolling Stones in 1969 on their eighth studio album, Let It Bleed. Screen icon Kristin Scott Thomas stars in the advert as Gloria, the grandmother determined to find the perfect gift for her grandchildren.

Sam, 32, said it was a “privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band.” He also made the performance even more special by involving a choir of children from his old school. “In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band,” he said. Over the course of his career, Sam has won five Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards and the Mercury Prize.

Last year, his track Rein Me In with Olivia Dean went viral, was named Song of the Year at the Brit Awards, and became the longest-running chart-topping single in British music history. In 2018, he told Music Week about his ambitions, saying: “My ultimate ambition is to still be writing stuff that’s good when I’m 50. That’s the dream…” You Can’t Always Get What You Want was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Jagger shared his thoughts on the new version chosen for the John Lewis advert.

“I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it,” the 83-year-old rock legend said. John Lewis will sell physical copies of Sam’s cover on seven-inch vinyl and CD through its website.

It will also include his 2020 cover of Winter Song, which is being released physically for the first time. All profits from record sales will go to Action for Children, the charity supporting children and young people. Sam will also sell physical copies of his version of You Can’t Always Get What You Want on his own website, with proceeds from those sales going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

He joins a long list of artists who have lent their voices to the John Lewis Christmas campaign, including Alison Limerick and Labrinth last year, Andrea Bocelli in 2023, Lola Young five years ago, Elton John in 2018 for The Boy and the Piano, and Lily Allen with Somewhere Only We Know in 2013.