Update: As per the Glastonbury site, U2 have been forced to cancel their headline slot. As a result, 16 North American shows have been cancelled too from Salt Lake City on June 3rd, through to New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium on July 19th. Manager Paul McGuinness says the band are working to reschedule these dates.

“I’m heartbroken. We really wanted to be there to do something really special – we even wrote a song especially for the Festival.” – Bono

Bono has had to undergo emergency spinal surgery in Munich after injuring himself during preparation for U2′s upcoming leg of their 360 Degree World tour – due to take in dates both in the US and Europe, including Glastonbury on Friday 25th June. The singer is expected to remain in Germany for a few days before heading home to recuperate, resulting in the band’s opening show in Salt Lake City on June 3rd being cancelled. It is not clear when they will return to live duty, throwing their slot at the UK festival into doubt. Manager Paul McGuinness has advised fans to check their official website for regular updates. In the meantime you can hear his full statement on the situation here.