Jim King, Kamran Haq, and RCA express excitement towards upcoming Charli XCX and Sleep Token concerts, praising the promising turnout.
Weekend Showdown: Festival Headliners Tear the Roof Off
Get ready to groove and rock this weekend as some of the music industry's freshest faces take center stage for their first time as festival headliners! Peep the list below, pop some corn, and prepare to witness the future of live music:
🌟 Charli XCX - Lido, London
No limits for Charli XCX when she headlines Lido Festival in London's Victoria Park. The sold-out show promises a mesmerizing spectacle that cements her status as a must-see performer.
Tip from the boss: "Her sold-out headline show at Lido shows that everyone is now coming to see her," says Jim King, CEO of European festivals for AEG Presents. "It only gets bigger for Charli from here."
🎸 Sleep Token - Download, Derbyshire
The emo-goth rock outfit Sleep Token is set to rock at Download Festival, a moment that booking and promoter Kamran Haq calls "special." With an impressive tour and album release coming up, this is their time to shine.
Download's new vibe: "We've diversified the line-up to include a wider range of acts in the rock spectrum," Haq explains. "That has attracted a younger audience that might not have previously considered Download."
The Music Week Roundup
Curious to learn more about the creative forces behind the lineup change at some of your favorite festivals such as Lido, All Points East, BST Hyde Park, Forwards Festival, and Download? The new issue of Music Week is filled with insightful interviews with industry insiders, including Jim King and Kamran Haq. Don't miss out – subscribe and read online here.
Want to know more about the music industry and festival trends? Here's a lowdown on who's making waves as first-time festival headliners and electronic music's impact on these lineup changes:
First-Time Festival Headliners- Lido Festival 2025: {FAIRYLIGHTS/SUPERGRASS} headline, marking their first time leading a major London event.- All Points East: Recent "first-timers" have included The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Tame Impala during their inaugural years.- BST Hyde Park: Miley Cyrus and Sam Fender have headlined in recent editions, depending on the definition of "first-time."- Forwards Festival: The lineup is a mix of indie, pop, and electronic acts, so there may not be any true "first-time" headliners in 2025.- Download Festival: Bring Me The Horizon has headlined earlier years when they first led the fest, but 2025's headliners may not be "first-timers" by current standards.
Electronic Music's Influence- Jamie xx: A prominent figure in the UK electronic scene, his headline booking at Lido Festival signals a strong electronic music curation trend for new festivals.- Nia Archives: As an upcoming star in jungle and electronic music, her sets with Jamie xx are a testament to the festival's investment in younger, genre-defining electronic talent.- Skrillex, Romy, Shy FX, Arca: These artists make frequent appearances in lineups like Lido and Forwards, signifying a strong influence of cutting-edge electronic and dance music on festival programming.- Massive Attack: The trip-hop veterans' legacy shapes the crossover appeal of festivals like Lido and Forwards.
- As a prominent figure in electronic music, Jamie xx's headline booking at Lido Festival showcases a strong electronic music curation trend for new festivals, much like the crossover appeal of Lido Festival, which is also influenced by veteran trip-hop artists like Massive Attack.
- At Download Festival, the emo-goth rock outfit Sleep Token is poised to steal the show, while the Impact of electronic music on festival programming can be seen in the diverse lineups of festivals such as Lido, Forwards, and All Points East, featuring artists like Skrillex, Nia Archives, Romy, and Shy FX, who are embracing and promoting younger, genre-defining electronic talent.
