Promoter Jim King has saluted Zach Bryan as “one of the biggest successes in live music” after the country music superstar sold 130,000 tickets for his BST Hyde Park double-header.

AEG Presents’ European festival chief King says “every ticket will be sold” for this year’s 65,000-capacity concert series in London, which takes place across the next three weekends, kicking off with Olivia Rodrigo tomorrow (27 June), followed by Bryan’s two-night stand (28-29 June).

WME-represented Bryan’s ascent is all the more startling given his last London gig was at the 890-cap Islington Assembly Hall in April 2023.

“It’s not just one of the successes of Hyde Park, it’s one of the biggest successes in live music in the world, full stop,” says King, speaking to IQ. “The last time he played a show [in London] was to 1,000 people, and then the next time he comes into the market he sells out two Hyde Park. It’s not easy to sell out Hyde Park. Other venues are easier to sell than here – it’s a new experience for many fans.”

In September, the 29-year-old American singer-songwriter will become the first artist to perform at Michigan Stadium (cap. 107,601) – the largest stadium in the US. He also performed to 180,000 fans over three nights in Ireland at Dublin’s Phoenix Park between 20-22 June, staged by Aiken Promotions.

“I know Zach’s a much, much bigger and broader artist than country music, but he’s identified as originating from that genre,” says King. “So if you look at two things: the huge explosion of demand and growth in that particular genre of music, and him coming out of that and being even bigger than the genre, and then selling two Hyde Parks – I think it’s one of the biggest stories in the world of music this year.”

“I think the growth of country is going to double and double again in the next 24 months”

Oklahoma-raised Bryan is following in the footsteps of fellow mainstream breakout Morgan Wallen by topping the bill at BST. Wallen became the first country music artist to headline the event when he performed to to a sold out, 50,000-strong audience on 4 July 2024.

AEG co-promotes Europe’s biggest country music festival Country to Country, which launched in 2013, and King singles out the role of that event in the genre’s rise.

“We’ve seen the growth of the success of that event, so it was obvious the market was growing,” he says. “But there are so many other metrics you can look at – Spotify streams, radio plays, all of those data points. Pop music is very much dominated, in my view, by these amazing singer-songwriters coming out of Nashville, so I think the growth of country we’ve seen in the last 24 months is going to double and double again in the next 24 months.”

This year’s BST lineup is completed by Noah Kahan (4 July), Sabrina Carpenter (5-6 July), Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts (11 July), Stevie Wonder (12 July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July), who will be playing their farewell show.

“We set a pretty high bar every year,” says King. “Our aim is to book the best nine headliners and the best nine support bills that we can and sell every ticket and give fans the best possible day out they can have with artists that they love.

“Every ticket will be sold out. We have a handful of tickets left on Neil Young, and they will go in the next two weeks. So nine sold out shows, 550,000 tickets.”

“There’s a wealth of unbelievable, talented artists out there at the moment and they are connecting so deeply”

Four of 2025’s headliners are under the age of 30, highlighting the new generation of talent graduating to live music’s top table following a barren period.

“There’s a wealth of unbelievable, talented artists out there at the moment,” says King. “Lana Del Rey, Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, the list just goes on and on and on. They’re connecting so deeply that, the more music they put out, their audience keeps growing and growing. So when it then reaches into the live format, their ability to convert those fans into live music tickets is not a shock. It shows the passion and connection between those artists and their fans.”

Earlier this month, AEG debuted LIDO Festival in London’s Victoria Park, starring the likes of Massive Attack, Jamie xx, Charli XCX and London Grammar. With All Points East due to return to the site in August with acts such as Barry Can’t Swim, Raye, Chase & Status and The Maccabees, LIDO’s inception brings the promoter’s number of festivals in the capital to three. King explains how they are all able to coexist.

“We try not to sell the same tickets,” he says. “They each have their own identity and that is very important. Otherwise, it’s just a stage in a park – and that’s certainly not what we stand for, and I don’t think it’s a route to success. So each of those shows has its own window in terms of the calendar.

“They also have partnerships, where LIDO obviously fits very well in the We Love Green and Primavera-routing for artists, BST in Hyde Park has many other festivals take place around it, and we twin our Rock en Seine festival in Paris with All Points East. So they’re presented with a different narrative, what they stand for and what their ethos is. But ultimately, it’s about booking great artists and we live and die on that at the end of the day.

King concludes: “We’re very fortunate. We have a great booking team that tries to book the most relevant artists, no matter what age or genre, so I think that’s the key. We want to make sure that every show we do stands for something, has its own narrative and is relevant.”

• Jim King will star in the keynote interview at the 2025 International Festival Forum (IFF) in London. For more information on the event click here.

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Festival lineups from around the world continue to fill out their 2025 bills as the European festival season steps up a gear this weekend.

Portugal’s Nos Alive has replaced fallen headliners Kings of Leon with Muse, following a “freak accident” that resulted in the band cancelling their June/July dates. Muse will close the 10-12 July festival alongside Nine Inch Nails, with Olivia Rodrigo, Anyma, Sam Fender, Justice, and Noah Kahan also leading the event.

Poland’s Open’er Festival has added Gigi Perez, BigXThaPlug, Jan-Rapping, Kuban, IGO, Hubert., Antony Szmierek, BSK, Postman and the Real Fake Band, Cinnamon Gum and Yana to the Alter Art-backed event. It returns to Gdynia’s Kosakowo Airport from 2-5 July, bringing Linkin Park, Muse, Future, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, and Gracie Abrams as headliners.

Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival has unveiled the first wave of its 2025 lineup, led by Franz Ferdinand, Beth Gibbons, Jacob Collier, Rich Brian, Yoga Lin, Panther Chan, and Black Emperor. It will return to Central Harbourfront Event Space from 5-7 December.

Malta’s Isle of MTV, a free festival in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority, is set to return to the island’s Il-Fosos Square on 15 July, anchored by Brazilian star ALOK and Måneskin frontman Damiano David. Over its 16 editions, the event has featured the likes of Lady Gaga, Raye, OneRepublic, Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, and Alesso.

“It is with great pride that we welcome Isle of MTV Malta back to our shores, an event that not only exemplifies Malta’s vibrant summer ambiance but also serves as a premier platform for showcasing some of the world’s most exceptional musical talent,” says Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority.

“The enduring partnership enhances Malta’s reputation as a distinguished destination for world-class entertainment”

“The enduring partnership between the Malta Tourism Authority and MTV underscores the convergence of two esteemed brands that have successfully cultivated a shared vision over the years, enhancing Malta’s reputation as a distinguished destination for world-class entertainment.”

Brazil’s The Town, a spin-off of the famed Rock in Rio, has completed its 2025 lineup. The five-day festival, set for 6-7 & 12-14 September at São Paulo’s Interlagos Race Track, will feature over 500 artists and be led by Travis Scott, Green Day, Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, plus new addition Burna Boy.

France’s Rock en Seine has added 39 new names to its 20-24 August event, including Fat Dog, King Hannah, I Hate Models, Noname, Greentea Peng, Sofia Isella, Still Woozy, and many more. This year’s event, led by Chappell Roan, Queens of the Stone Age, A$AP Rocky, Anyma, Justice, Jamie xx, Vampire Weekend, Jorja Smith, and Fontaines D.C., will be held at the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud at the edge of Paris.

Spain’s Primavera Sound is extending its electronic music offering with the new CUPRA Pulse stage, transforming part of the Barcelona festival into a club with the likes of LSDXOXO, DJ Playero, Crystallmess, La Chat, DJ Caio Prince, aya, Eera and Big Ang, along with DJ sets by Fcukers, Confidence Man, Lolahol, and Frost Children.

The 4-8 June festival, led by Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter, is also launching Primavera’s Nobody is Normal protocol against sexual assault and harassment within the community. The Parc del Fòrum site will feature two information stands and roaming staff trained to provide aid and combat hate speech.

“Both on stage and in front of it, Primavera Sound Barcelona works tirelessly to be a proudly plural, diverse and heterogeneous festival,” organisers say.

SM Entertainment’s UK iteration of its ‘K-pop stadium spectacular’ has moved to The O2 Arena

All This Orchestral will return to London’s BST Hyde Park series on 10 July this year, led by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The third edition of the day, the event aims to “bring classical music back for all” and will also feature Ben Palmer as conductor and Myleene Klass as host.

Iceland Airwaves has added another 20 names to its lineup, including Ari Árelíus, Bricknasty, Creature of Habit, Getdown Services, Joey Valance & Brae, Panic Shack, and PUNCHBAG. The conference and festival return to venues across Reykjavík from 6-8 November.

British Rapper Nines is launching a two-day festival, Crop Circle World, at Dreamland Margate from 6-7 September. Nines and Skrapz will headline the British music and culture event, supported by Berna, Larry June, Songer, Clavish, Chip, Tiggs da Author, Kenny Allstar, and many more.

In other news, SM Entertainment’s first UK iteration of its ‘K-pop stadium spectacular‘ SMTown Live, set for 28 June, has been moved from Allianz Stadium Twickenham (cap. 82,000) to the O2 Arena (20,000) at the promoter’s request.

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AEG Presents has strengthened its commitment to the K-pop market by forming a strategic partnership with South Korean label and content company KQ Entertainment.

The move builds upon recent developments from the multinational promoting firm, which last year announced it would join forces with Korean AI metaverse firm Galaxy Corporation to further technological advancements in the touring and entertainment spaces, specifically around K-pop shows.

With this formal partnership, AEG will now lead producing and promoting breakout K-pop boy band ATEEZ’s worldwide tours. The eight-member group recently concluded the European leg of their Towards The Light: Will To Power trek, selling 180,000 tickets to sold-out crowds across the continent.

The AEG-promoted venture included milestones such as becoming the first K-pop artist to headline Paris’s La Défense Arena (cap. 40,000), and inaugural K-pop shows in cities like Lyon, Milan, and Zurich.

“We are always very keen to open up new arena markets for K-pop and we felt the perfect time to do this was on ATEEZ’s biggest-ever tour of Europe, and introduce Zurich and Milan which have both been resounding sold-out successes,” Simon Jones, AEG Presents’ SVP of international touring, said to IQ following the Swiss gig.

“The appetite for the genre shows no signs of slowing up.”

The recent tour’s North American leg sold 200,000 tickets and included sell-out shows at New York City’s Citi Field (41,800), two BMO Stadium (22,000) shows in Los Angeles, and Arlington’s Globe Life Field (40,300). ATEEZ will wrap up the tour with two Seoul shows at KSPO Dome (15,000) this weekend, 22-23 March.

Another AEG-supported K-pop project has reportedly stalled

AEG and KQ’s previous collaborations also include bringing the Billboard chart-topping band to Coachella last year as the first K-pop boy group to perform at the Goldenvoice festival, an AEG subsidiary. ATEEZ was also recently crowned K-Pop Artist of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

This latest venture with KQ further cements AEG’s efforts in the K-pop realm. In 2022, AEG partnered with K-pop touring and marketing firm Powerhouse, which has worked with some of K-pop’s biggest stars such as BTS and Blackpink.

The two firms had been working in tandem since 2010 when they produced what’s remembered as “the first blast of K-pop in the US”.

AEG also promoted BLACKPINK’s 2022-23 Born Pink world tour, which became the most-attended concert tour by a K-pop girl group with 1.8 million attendees. The group headlined the AEG-backed BST Hyde Park in London in 2023, the first K-pop group to do so, with Stray Kids joining the headliner pool last summer.

Blackpink is due back out this year, with the Live Nation-promoted stadium tour stopping in Seoul, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, and Tokyo.

But, another AEG-supported project, the 20,000-capacity, K-pop-specialised CJ LiveCity Arena in Goyang City, Seoul, has reportedly stalled.

Originally slated to open this year, the Goyang city government ended its agreement with CJ LiveCity — a subsidiary of media conglomerate CJ ENM — last year after the company halted construction in the spring of 2023 due to funding issues.

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Legendary singer Stevie Wonder has announced a five-date UK tour titled Love, Light & Song, which includes arena shows and festival appearances.

The tour will see the 74-year-old American-Ghanaian headline BST Hyde Park for a third time on Saturday 12 July with yet-to-be-announced support acts.

Wonder joins previously announced headliners Olivia Rodrigo (27 June), Zach Bryan (28 & 29 June), Noah Kahan (4 July), Sabrina Carpenter (5 & 6 July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July) at the AEG Presents-promoted festival. Hugh Jackman was originally scheduled to perform on 6 July but cancelled his show due to “an unforeseen conflict in my schedule”.

The Love, Light & Song tour is due to make four other stops in the UK including Co-op Live Manchester (5 July) and Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (7 July).

“Since the very beginning of Lytham Festival I have said my absolute dream gig to promote would be Stevie Wonder”

The Motown icon will also perform at Cuffe & Taylor’s new 35,000-capacity concert series Blackweir Live in Cardiff, Wales, on Wednesday 9 July, and at the promoter’s long-running Lytham Festival on 3 July.

Lytham Festival co-founder Peter Taylor said: “What an announcement. Since the very beginning of Lytham Festival I have said my absolute dream gig to promote would be Stevie Wonder so this is going to be a very special night.”

News of Wonder’s UK leg follows last year’s surprise announcement of the Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart US tour, named after Wonder’s 2024 single by the same name, the release of which marked his first new song in four years.

The Superstition singer is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having produced a slew of hits across his career and garnered 25 Grammy Awards. He has also been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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Breakthrough US superstars Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan will both play headline slots at major UK festivals next year.

CAA-booked Carpenter will top the bill at AEG Presents’ BST Hyde Park in London on 5 July, supported by Clairo and Beabadoobee, while Wasserman Music client Roan is one of the headliners for Festival Republic’s Reading & Leeds, alongside Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier.

Carpenter joins fellow Americans Olivia Rodrigo (27 June), Zach Bryan (28-29 June) and Noah Kahan (4 July) on the BST lineup, which also features Hugh Jackman (6 July) and the farewell performance of Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July).

Running from 21-24 August, Reading & Leeds will also feature the likes of AJ Tracey, Becky Hill, Sammy Viriji, Trippie Redd, Amyl and The Sniffers, Conan Gray, The Kooks, The Dare, Bloc Party, Enter Shikari, Wallows, Sea Girls, Mannequin Pussy, Soft Play, Lambrini Girls and DJ EZ, who are among the first 40 acts to be announced for the twin festivals.

“We’re witnessing an exciting wave of inspiring voices breaking through in pop culture, and this lineup captures that energy perfectly”

“Right now, we’re witnessing an exciting wave of inspiring voices breaking through in pop culture, and this lineup captures that energy perfectly,” says Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn. “This is one of the youngest average ages for headliners in years, and that’s very exciting in itself. We are delighted to welcome Chappell Roan’s debut, an inspiring new pop star poised to define a generation, sitting alongside one of our favourite modern songwriters, Hozier.

“We are also proud to welcome back Bring Me The Horizon, a band who have grown with us over the years to become the UK’s biggest alternative act. Add to that the massive European exclusive appearance of Travis Scott and an unrivalled selection of dance music’s biggest names, and you’ve got something truly special. It will be a genuine privilege to witness these moments, from iconic headliners to extraordinary emerging artists.”

In addition, Carpenter, 25, and Roan, 26, will both headline Primavera Sound Barcelona, with Roan also performing at other European events including Sziget in Hungary and Oya in Norway.

Glastonbury’s payments to charitable causes and campaigns in 2024 will have exceeded £5.9m by the end of the year

Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival has revealed its payments to charitable causes and campaigns in 2024 will have exceeded £5.9 million (€7.1m) by the end of the year.

Donations included £2 million to the NHS Somerset Charity and further donations totalling £126,000 to support NHS hospitals in Bristol and nursing staff across the UK. Another £1.6m was given as payments for services such as stewarding.

The festival has also continued to support its joint charity partners – Oxfam, WaterAid and Greenpeace – and made donations to Oxfam, War Child, UNHCR and other charities.

Its Emergency Fundraiser Crowdfunder appeal, which supported people in conflict, – raised £639,000, which was matched by the festival, bringing the total to more than £1.27m to fund the work of the British Red Cross, Oxfam and War Child.

Last month, Rod Stewart became the first artist confirmed for the 2025 festival, which takes place at Worthy Farm, Somerset, from 25-29 June.

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Olivia Rodrigo will headline a handful of major European festivals next year, leading the latest announcements for 2025 festival lineups.

The Filipina-American singer will headline London’s BST Hyde Park on Friday, 27 June, her biggest UK show to date. The Last Dinner Party and girl in red will support, with more acts to be announced.

Rodrigo joins previously announced headliners Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July), Zach Bryan (28-29 June), Hugh Jackman (6 July), and Noah Kahan (4 July) for the AEG Presents-backed concert series. From London, she’s due in Manchester to make up two postponed Co-op Live dates on her Live Nation-promoted tour, the biggest of any artist born this century.

The singer-songwriter will close Belgium’s Rock Werchter on Sunday, 6 July, making history as the festival’s first headliner born in the 21st century. She joins Green Day and Sam Fender as headliners, with a fourth to be announced, for the Live Nation event’s 50th anniversary.

The 21-year-old will then close the first night of Portugal’s NOS Alive on 10 July, the first major confirmation for the Everything Is New-organised event, set for 10-12 July.

Italy’s I-Days also revealed a headlining show from Rodrigo on Tuesday, 15 July as part of its concert series. She joins Dua Lipa (7 June) and Justin Timberlake (2 June) for the Milan-based independent series, set to run next between June and July.

The pop star recently closed her record-breaking Guts World Tour, selling 1.4 million tickets across 95 shows, but is set to hit South America next spring with a string of headlining performances across Lollapalooza Argentina, Brazil, and Chile; Colombia’s Festival Estéreo Picnic; and Mexico’s Pa’l Norte Festival.

“We’re looking forward to recapturing the independent nature of the event”

Finland’s Provinssi Festival added In Flames, Bambi Thug, RODEO, BESS, Ege Zulu, Lähiöbotox, and Olavi Uusivirta to its three-day lineup, set for 26-28 June in Seinäjoki, west Finland. They join Electric Callboy, Flogging Molly, Lorna Shore, and Lähiöbotox for the Fullsteam Agency-owned festival, which set an attendance record during its 45th edition this year.

Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival added Iggy Pop to its 2025 lineup, joining previously confirmed Fontaines D.C., JPEGMafia, and Blondshell. After being curtailed by severe weather this year, the three-day independent festival will return from 10-12 July.

Greece’s Release Athens recently unveiled that Fontaines D.C. and Boy Harsher will join IDLES, Dream Theater, and Gojira for the 18-23 July festival.

Last week, the UK’s Field Day confirmed its first batch of performers, led by Peggy Gou, Jungle, Folamour, Skream, and Benga. The Superstruct-owned event recently revealed its ‘new era’ with a new London location, separating from the AEG Presents-backed All Points East series it joined in 2021.

“We’re looking forward to recapturing the independent nature of the event,” said Field Day co-founder Marcus Weedon. The 2025 date is set for Saturday, 24 May.

London jazz, funk and soul day festival Cross The Tracks will directly follow on Sunday, 25 May, with Michael Kiwanuka set to top the bill of the Brockwell Park event. The British singer-songwriter will be joined by Jordan Rakei, Nala Sinephro, Cymande, and Sinead Harnett for the event.

UK events like All Points East, Slam Dunk, and Neighbourhood Weekender have added names to their lineups

London’s All Points East series has announced Barry Can’t Swim as a headliner on Friday, 22 August, supported by Confidence Man, Shygirl, Marlon Hoffstadt, DJ HEARTSTRING, and others.

The Maccabees are set to reunite to headline the Victoria Park-based event on Sunday, 24 August, their first show in eight years. The British indie rock group will be supported by Bombay Bicycle Club, Dry Cleaning, The Cribs, Nilufer Yanya, The Murder Capital, Divorce, and Prima Queen.

Last week, the UK’s biggest independent rock festival Slam Dunk rounded out its 2025 lineup. The two-day travelling festival, set to land in Hatfield and Leeds, will be led by A Day To Remember, Neck Deep, Electric Callboy, Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, and The Used.

The UK’s Neighbourhood Weekender, which went on hiatus in 2024, will return on 24-25 June next year, organisers confirmed this week. The Warrington-based event, whose lineup was topped by Pulp, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, and The Kooks in 2023, is set to make an announcement later this week.

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Tony winner and Oscar-nominated actor Hugh Jackman is the latest headliner to be confirmed for BST Hyde Park’s 2025 lineup.

The 56-year-old Australian will return to the UK stage for the first time in five years with his new live show, which will feature him performing songs from musicals including The Boy From Oz, The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables and The Music Man.

Jackman, who previously toured UK arenas in 2019, will play the London concert series on Sunday 6 July, accompanied by a live orchestra. Tickets go on general sale on 6 November.

He joins previously announced BST 2025 headliners Zach Bryan (28-29 June) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July), who will be playing their farewell show, with more announcements expected soon.

Jackman will also perform a 24-night US residency at Radio City Music Hall in New York

The AEG-promoted event was topped by SZA, Kings of Leon, Morgan Wallen, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Stevie Nicks, Kylie Minogue and Stray Kids this summer.

Jackman will also perform a 24-night US residency at Radio City Music Hall in New York, running from January to October next year.

The X-Men star began his career in musical theatre, starting with his role as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast in Australia. He went on to appear in the West End’s Oklahoma! and Broadway’s The Boy from Oz.

Returning to musical theatre in the 2012 film Les Miserables and 2017’s The Greatest Showman, before heading back to Broadway in 2021 for a revival of The Music Man, which ran until last year.

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The Maccabees are reuniting for their first show in eight years after being confirmed as the first headliners of All Points East 2025.

The British indie rockers, who went their separate ways following a sold out three-night stand at Alexandra Palace in 2017, will perform at the AEG Presents event in London’s Victoria Park on 24 August.

“In the intervening years we’ve been to All Points East a lot, separately,” explains guitarist Felix White. “It’s become a bit of a landmark festival for us, always checking who’s on the line-up. I’d go and have a great time throughout the day, but there was always this pinch of regret watching headliners that we could’ve done it ourselves one day too.

“I thought that moment had passed, and it was something I was prepared to come to terms with that I was always going to miss. I think we’re all kind of shocked and excited that we get to do it together again.”

The gig will also coincide with the 10th anniversary of the band’s final record together, 2015’s UK #1 album Marks To Prove It.

In addition, AEG’s BST Hyde Park has started to flesh out its bill. After confirming Jeff Lynne’s ELO last week, it has revealed country music singer Zach Bryan will grace the London concert series on 28 June in what will be his first UK festival headlining slot. Bryan will follow in the footsteps of fellow American Morgan Wallen, who became the first country act to top the bill on the Great Oak Stage this year.

The end of October has also brought a slew of other European festival lineup announcements for next summer.

The UK’s Latitude returns to Henham Park, Suffolk, from 24-27 July, headlined by Sting, Snow Patrol and Fatboy Slim.

“We’ve always aimed to deliver a festival experience that blends artistic exploration and cultural enrichment”

“We’ve always aimed to deliver a festival experience that blends artistic exploration and cultural enrichment, and this year’s lineup reflects that perfectly,” says festival director Melvin Benn.

Rock Oyster will also take place from 24-27 July in the grounds of Dinham House on the banks of the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, featuring headliners Ministry of Sound Classical, Rag’n’Bone Man and UB40 ft Ali Campbell.

Belgium’s Rock Werchter (3-6 July) has unveiled Green Day as its first headline act, with the US band set to appear on the main stage on 4 July.

Primavera Sound (5-7 June), which revealed the first 147 names for 2025 last week – topped by Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter – has added Central Cee as its latest headliner. The Barcelona festival is partnering with financial app Revolut to offer all its customers a 10% discount on the price of full festival tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona, as well as for Primavera Sound Porto and all Primavera Tours in Spain.

Elsewhere, Snowbombing, will take over the village of Mayrhofen in Austria from 7-12 April. Acts will include the likes of The Prodigy, Arman Van Helden, Nia Archives, Hedex, MC Eksman, Hybrid Minds and Ewan McVicar, while in Greece, Release Athens has announced Idles (18 June), Gojira (19 July) and Dream Theater (23 July) so far.

In the US, Goldenvoice’s Cruel World festival (17 May) in Pasadena, California, will be headlined by New Order and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, backed by a supporting bill including The Go-Go’s, Devo, OMD, Death Cult, Garbage and Madness.

And in the UAE, Stormzy will close the final night of three-day music and sports festival Emirates Dubai 7s on 1 December 2024, preceded by Sugababes on 30 November.

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Jeff Lynne’s ELO have been announced as the first headliner of BST Hyde Park 2025 in what will be the rock legends’ last ever show.

The band’s “final goodbye” will take place on the UK site’s Great Oak Stage on Sunday 13 July. Tickets go on sale this Friday (25 October).

“Jeff Lynne’s ELO are loved the world over,” says Jim King, CEO of European festivals at promoter AEG Presents. “The live shows are nothing short of extraordinary and a testament to the incredible catalogue of hits we’ve enjoyed for over 50 years. Hosting their final performance at BST Hyde Park is a true honour, especially 30 years after their first festival show in the same park. We’re excited to be part of this special moment in music history.”

The London concert series’ 2024 lineup was topped by SZA, Kings of Leon, Morgan Wallen, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Stevie Nicks, Kylie Minogue and Stray Kids over three weekends.

“My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014,” explains Jeff Lynne. “It seems like the perfect place to do our final show.”

Other 2025 lineup announcements include Spain’s Cruïlla, which has confirmed Thirty Seconds to Mars and Alanis Morissette for its 15-year celebration, which will be held at Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona from 9-12 July.

Sweden Rock Festival has unveiled its first 24 bands, including Slipknot, Sabaton, Scorpions and Korn

Set for Sölvesborg from 4-7 June, Sweden Rock Festival has unveiled its first 24 bands, including Slipknot, Sabaton, Scorpions, Korn, Dream Theater, King Diamond, Opeth, Kreator, Meshuggah, Running Wild and Black Country Communion.

Elsewhere, Roma Summer Fest, which runs at the Cavea at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in the Italian capital from June 5 to September 16, has started rolling out its 2025 schedule. Confirmed so far are Steven Wilson (8 June), six nights with Ludovico Einaudi, (12-18 June), Rufus du Sol (21 June), Sigur Rós accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra (12-13 September).

“They outline a varied programme designed for all genres,” says Fondazione Musica per Roma CEO Raffaele Ranucci.

In addition, Rock in Roma has revealed Fontaines D.C. (18 June), Finley (24 June), Sfera Ebbasta and Joe Bonamassa (both 19 July).

In the UK, Mighty Hoopla (31 May-1 June) will bring headliners Ciara and Kesha to London’s Brockwell Park. Other acts will include Loreen, Erika Jayne, Jojo, Mutya Buena, Daniel Bedingfield, Daphne and Celeste, Jamelia, The Artful Dodger, G Flip, Vengaboys, Lemar, Pixie Lott and Kate Nash & The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Richard Ashcroft is the first headliner confirmed for Nocturne Live (18-22 June) at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. He will be joined by Lightning Seeds and The Zutons on 19 June.

“Creating a festival with Morgan has been a dream come true, and some of the most fun I have ever had booking a show”

Meanwhile, Breakaway Music Festival is expanding to six new US markets in 2025: Atlanta, Dallas, Huntsville, Philadelphia, Phoenix and California, in a city to be confirmed. The brand already has a presence in Tampa, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Worcester and Charlotte.

Country music superstar Morgan Wallen is launching Sand in My Boots festival between 16-18 May, in collaboration with AEG and the Hangout Festival. Taking over the Hangout site on Gulf Shores, Alabama, it will be headlined by Wallen, Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn and Hardy and Wallen. The multi-genre bill also includes the likes of T-Pain, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Three 6 Mafia, Moneybagg Yo, The War on Drugs, 3 Doors Down, Future Islands and Real Estate.

“Creating a festival with Morgan has been a dream come true, and some of the most fun I have ever had booking a show,” says Stacy Vee, EVP of Goldenvoice and producer of Stagecoach. “I can’t wait for fans to come and experience one of the most eclectic and electric lineups and on-site experiences the world has ever seen.”

AEG Presents and Hangout Festival producer Reeves Price adds: “The opportunity to bring Morgan’s world to life on the beach in Gulf Shores is something very special. The fact that it coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Hangout Festival only makes it more special.”

Another US festival debutant is November Nights, which will launch at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on 16 November this year, featuring artists such as Weezer, Sublime, Third Eye Blind, Rubelution, The Head and The Heart, and the Violent Femmes.

Curated by Tyler, the Creator, Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival will be headlined by the rapper alongside Playboi Carti, Erykah Badu and André 3000 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on 16-17 November 2024. The festival’s 10th edition will also feature the likes of Raye, Kaytranada, Sexyy Red, Vince Staples, Omar Apollo, Faye Webster and Doechii.

And Hong Kong’s Clockenflap (29 November-1 December 2024) has named Central Cee as its Saturday night headliner. Other additions include Banks, Wisp, Serrini, Carl Wong And The Hats On Band ft Jer Lau, The Black Skirts, Misi Ke, Hiperson, Ena Mori and Turtle Island. The join previously announced headliners Jack White and Air, as well as St Vincent, Jamie xx, Suede, Glass Animals, Mother Mother, Porter Robinson, Fat Dog, A-Trak, Sim0ne, Partiboi69 and Dave Clarke, among others.

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AEG’s European festivals CEO Jim King has spoken to IQ about BST Hyde Park’s most “diverse and exciting” lineup yet.

The 11th edition of the London concert series kicked off on 28 June with All Things Orchestral, and includes concerts with Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Nicks, Kylie, Kings of Leon, SZA, Morgan Wallen and Stray Kids.

Notably, Bocelli will be the event’s first classical headliner, while Stray Kids will follow in the footsteps of BLACKPINK who last year became the first-ever Korean band to headline a major UK music festival with their performance at BST.

“I think it’s really important that we’re stretching, musically, where we’ve been previously,” King tells IQ. “We’ve got a really great balance of shows and genres this year. We’ve also got strong female headliners, which we always strive to do. We’re very happy that Kylie, Shania, Stevie Nicks and SZA are on the bill.

“I think SZA is one of the most important contemporary artists around at the moment, certainly of her generation,” he continues. “We were really fortunate to be able to confirm her off the back of a long cycle. And we’re especially excited about Stevie Nicks. We’ve tried several times to book her and it’s never been the right moment so I thought we’d missed the chance.

“I think it’s really important that we’re stretching, musically, where we’ve been previously”

“She’s timeless and has never been more relevant,” says King. “When you look at the data of who buys her tickets, it’s a young audience. She’s got an unbelievably strong connection [with that audience] through the artists she’s inspired like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey.”

Though this year’s sales don’t quite match up to 2023’s record year, in which 550,000 tickets were sold, King says the diverse bill has paid off.

“We’re still going to have one of the most successful series ever, with 500,000 people coming to the park – which is incredible when you match that up against any event around the world,” he says. “And what we’re seeing is artists outperforming themselves because there’s something magical about artists headlining shows in Hyde Park in the centre of London in the summer.”

BST’s unique setup tends to be a big draw for both artists and fans but King says it’s not easy to source the calibre of acts that meet the event’s criteria.

“This show stands for getting the biggest artists doing special things or a combination of things they’ve never done before,” he says. “We’re trying to provide fans with unique experiences they don’t normally get to see, not just a tour date, so we set the bar pretty high. This is Kylie’s only show [in London], while SZA is just playing here and Glastonbury and then Stevie Nicks rarely plays.”

“There are certainly fewer stadium-level, Hyde Park-level artists who are touring in ’24”

Weighing in on the much-discussed ‘headliner drought,’ King says: “There are certainly fewer stadium-level, Hyde Park-level artists who are touring in ’24 but I can assure you the 2025 marketplace is already busier so it’s just a cycle.”

King hastens to add that London is the “most competitive music market in the world” and that comes with advantages and disadvantages.

“The artists benefit from that because it’s a wonderful market to play and fans to get to enjoy the great diverse range of those artists coming in, so that’s positive,” he says. “But the competition has [downsides] in terms of the supply chain and staffing.

“We’ve lost a lot of really skilled engineers, riggers and staging contractors, as well as casual staff who were working security or cleaning or running bars,” he says. “And it takes a while to get that level of skill back in.

“I always say that if the first member of staff a fan meets when they come to one of our shows can’t respond to a question like ‘Where’s the bar’ or ‘Where’s the toilet’ or “Can I have this drink’ we’ve already lost.”

“We should find a pathway through this challenging problem and protect important revenue sources”

Another, newer challenge, in the festival sector has been artists boycotting events whose sponsors have ties to Israel.

“We always review and fully audit people we work with,” he says. “And we operate in a society of free speech – we respect everyone’s views within that. We’re a facilitator of music events and I think that a neutral position in our role is important to provide a platform for people to create their art and operate their businesses.

“At that same time, this industry doesn’t get much governmental support so it needs to find solutions from within itself. We should be sitting down as an industry and reflecting on how we should find a pathway through this challenging problem and protect important revenue sources.”

BST Hyde Park continues this Thursday (4 July) with a headline performance from Morgan Wallen.

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