As litter pickers collect the last solemn tents and forgotten cool boxes, the 2025 festival season has come to a close. Abandoned sunglasses, which witnessed the celebrations of past acts’ return, also enjoyed rising stars proving their worth on the big stages. 2025 was another exceptional year for festival music.
Olivia Rodrigo had the crowd watching like moths drawn to a flame, marvelling at her set and inviting music legend Robert Smith on stage. The rising sun sang with the old moon, duetting the Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ as Rodrigo’s soft vocals entwined with Smith’s deep, gothic ambience. She continued to win over Glastonbury by proclaiming her love for Colin the Caterpillar and the pub.
Drake made it a hat-trick run of nights at Wireless Festival; he took on the role of headlining host, bringing surprise guests to rap fans, including Dave, Central Cee, 21 Savage, and the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Pop diva Chappel Roan performed to a sea of pink cowgirl hats at Reading and Leeds this year, dazzling the crowd with her gothic fairytale-themed set. She rocked a 90,000-strong crowd and performed her hits ‘Hot To Go’ and ‘Pink Pony Club’.
A not-so-secret set from Britpop group Pulp brought everyone back to the grit, cheek, and rebellious spirit of the ’90s for 60 minutes. Fashionable frontman Jarvis Cocker pointed to the sky while Red Arrows passed overhead during a pulsating ‘Common People’ rendition. He said: ‘Those songs were played here 30 years and four days ago, they were played for the first time,’ and ‘You could say they were born at Glastonbury.’
Festival stages are built for music, but they also double as megaphones for the masses, where the world’s political issues are amplified through their microphones. This summer, Bob Vylan and Kneecap found themselves in the firing line after their sets sparked uproar that reached far beyond the fields. The BBC refused to televise Kneecap’s set despite backlash from fans, saying it posed a “high risk” of political content and potential violations of guidelines. Punk duo, Bob Vylan led chants, “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF” with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemning it as ‘Appalling hate speech.’
Despite festival controversy, Forwards Festival kept moving, featuring a standout set from Nia Archives, who stepped in to replace Grammy-winning artist Doechi, who cancelled just days before the festival. Her set was highly anticipated, but the jungle drum-and-bass lovers of Bristol welcomed Nia Archives with open arms, as she went on to headline the cultured city.
Archives continued her festival triumph by playing at Boomtown, alongside punk pioneers Sex Pistols and 4am Kru. For five days, the site transforms into a pilgrimage for festival disciples who explore themed districts like Old Town and Botanica, immersing themselves in a world of sound where music exists for everyone
From unexpected duets to impressive comebacks, 2025 is a year to remember; start mowing the fields for 2026.
Image Credit – @forwardsbristol (Forwards Festival Instagram)
