Glastonbury defends Jay-Z booking

“I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong,” he told reporters on Sunday.

But Ms Eavis hit back at the “strangely hysterical press reports” and denied that the festival, traditionally a showcase for rock bands, was trying to capture a different audience.

“Jay-Z is far from the first hip-hop artist to perform at Glastonbury,” she wrote.

“Glastonbury has always managed to attract a diversity of acts, which is, I hope, part of its unique appeal.”

She cited previous performers De La Soul, Cyprus Hill and The Roots and added that feedback from Glastonbury fans was “overwhelmingly positive”.

Her views are echoed by hip-hop industry insiders, who have rejected Gallagher’s attack.

“These are the typical reactionary views of a pampered has-been,” said Andy Cowan, editor of Hip-Hop Connection magazine.

“Having had the grave misfortune of seeing Oasis play Glastonbury in 1995 - a lumpen, turgid mess of a set - Gallagher himself has set the bar very low, and I’ve no doubt Jay-Z will be a huge success this year.”

Glastonbury organisers took out an advert in Monday’s Guardian newspaper to encourage ticket sales.

The ad invites people to “take a five-day break at Worthy Farm and enjoy the most extraordinary festival anywhere in the world”.

The full line-up will be announced on 1 May.