The Dalai Lama joined Patti Smith on stage at the Glastonbury festival this weekend.

During her Pyramid Stage set yesterday [June 28, 2015], Smith brought out the Dalai Lama so that festivalgoers could wish His Holiness a happy 80th birthday.

“We are grateful to him for all his love of humanity and making people aware of the importance of saving the planet,” Smith said, before reading a poem she had written for him.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis then bought the Dalai Lama onto the stage to huge cheers from the crowd. “I think it would be nice if Glastonbury wished the Dalai Lama a happy birthday,” said Smith, before leading the audience in a rendition of “Happy Birthday”.

The Dalai Lama then blew out a single candle on a birthday cake, before cutting it. “Thank you, thank you,” he said. “Dear brothers and sisters, I really appreciate so many people’s expression of warm feeling.” He then went on to joke about the age of Smith and her band. “These singers and musicians have white hair, but they look very youthful! That gives me encouragement, I should be more like you – more active!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XPO8B2QZ1g

Click here to read our review of Patti Smith performing Horses live in London

Rolling Stone reports that the Dalai Lama also participated in a panel where he called on the United States and Russia to scrap their nuclear weapons and demanded that nations begin to view the environment as a global issue.

In another appearance at the festival, the Dalai Lama delivered an impromptu speech to hundreds of festivalgoers gathered at the Stone Circle.

“In this very moment, in some parts of the world, like Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and some other places – they’re killing, human to human being. Unthinkable. And the worst thing [is that] conflict, killing each other, in the name of their faith.”

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