Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson has slammed Glastonbury festival for being too ''middle class''.

The frontman insists his band have no intention of playing the annual event at Worthy Farm, which Metallica will headline next Saturday night (28.06.14) as the first heavy metal band in the festival's history to do so.

According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, he said: ''In the days when Glasto was an alternative festival it was quite interesting. Now it's the most bourgeois thing on the planet. Anywhere Gwyneth Paltrow [the actress] goes and you can live in an air-conditioned yurt is not for me.''

Bruce, 55, is happy his band - also made up of Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Nicko McBrain and Janick Gers, played rock festival Sonisphere instead.

He said: ''We'll leave the middle classes to do Glastonbury and the rest of the great unwashed will decamp to Knebworth and drink lot of beer and have fun.''

Glastonbury Festival takes place in Pilton, Somerset from June 27 to June 29 and Metallica will join fellow headliners Arcade Fire and Kasabian.

Acts including Ed Sheeran, Jack White, Blonde and Lily Allen will also take to the stage.