EXIT organisers say this year’s 25th anniversary is set to be the last edition to take place in Serbia, citing “undemocratic pressures”.

Uncertainty around the festival’s future surfaced earlier this year after the festival team warned of “mounting pressure and threats aimed at silencing our right to free expression” after publicly aligning itself with anti-corruption student protesters in the country.

The mass demonstrations erupted in November 2024 after 16 people were killed when a roof collapsed at a newly renovated train station in Novi Sad, home of EXIT since 2001.

Now, a spokesperson for the festival, which was launched in 2000 as part of a student movement across Serbia, tells IQ that “prior threats of political pressure and the risk of public funding cuts have materialised as reality”.

“Since we publicly stood with the students of Serbia in their fight for a freer and more just society, we have been subjected to immense financial and political pressures aimed at stripping us of our fundamental rights to freedom of thought and expression,” says a statement published on its social media channels.

The festival says subsidies have been withdrawn from the Serbian government, Ministry of Tourism and Youth, various Provincial Secretariats, Novi Sad city departments, and state-owned sponsors, including the main sponsor of the Dance Arena which had supported EXIT since 2002.

“If this is truly the last EXIT at the Fortress, let it be unforgettable. Let it be our strongest yet”

“Despite being completely cut off from public funding at all levels of government, and with some sponsors forced to withdraw under state pressure, we refuse to be silenced,” continues the statement. “That is why we had to make the hardest decision in our history. This year’s anniversary edition will be the last to take place in our home country, under these circumstances.”

The 2025 event will be held at the Petrovaradin Fortress between 10-13 July with acts including DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, The Prodigy, Amelie Lens, Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter, Tiësto and Nina Kraviz.

With the goal of turning this year’s festival into a “global statement for freedom and unity”, organisers have asked for support from artists and their teams, whether via a “powerful headlining set, a surprise appearance, a video message to our audience, or helping spread the word”.

A crowdfunding campaign to support the future of the organisation and festival is also said to be in the works.

“Our team is more determined than ever to make this edition the most emotional and unforgettable yet,” adds the festival. “With this, we’re not just defending EXIT, we’re defending the fundamental right to freedom of speech for all cultural voices.

“If this is truly the last EXIT at the Fortress, let it be unforgettable. Let it be our strongest yet.”

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Slam Dunk Festival founder Ben Ray has teased further expansion could be on the cards for the brand after it wrapped up its inaugural European tour.

The UK’s biggest independent rock festival debuted in May/June at 2,000-capacity clubs in Belgium (Trix, Antwerp), the Netherlands (Tivola Ronda, Utrecht) and Switzerland (Komplex 457, Zurich).

It also returned to France at Lyon’s 5,000-cap L’Amphithéâtre 3000 and Italy at Milan’s 10,000-cap Carroponte, where the near week-long run concluded on 2 June.

“But it’s been really good seeing the brand expand into Europe and seeing what we’ve seen in the UK happen in different European cities,” Ray tells IQ. “Even the smaller ones still felt like Slam Dunk events in spirit and the fact they featured a good and varied bill.”

The Used, Newfound Glory and Neck Deep were the top-billed acts for the majority of the rollout, with A Day To Remember headlining the larger festivals in France and Italy, as well as the flagship UK edition.

“You wouldn’t see some of those bands on tour together, but they all complemented each other,” says Ray. “The fans in Europe were into all of the bands, even though they were slightly different, and it worked well.”

“It feels like something is brewing in Europe for the brand”

Slam Dunk collaborated with local partners in each market: Live Nation Belgium, Jera Presents (Netherlands), Good News Productions (Switzerland), Opus Live (France) and Hub Music Factory (Italy).

“It feels like something is brewing in Europe for the brand,” says Ray. “All of our European promoter partners felt it was an outstanding success and agree that it will continue to build. The spirit of the event is definitely something that will continue to grow.

“We really think we’ve made a wave across Europe that will continue, possibly by moving to other countries or continuing to grow in the countries they’re already in, whether we move cities or remain where we are. We’re starting to plan for next year now and we should hopefully continue to see the growth of the brand across Europe.”

Ray admits the expansion has been a steep learning curve, but is confident Slam Dunk is on the right track.

“I’ve done a lot of festivals and one-off events over the years, but I’m not too experienced in touring, so it was an eye opening experience,” he says. “There were a few issues; it’s different in Europe to the UK and I’d be wrong to pretend that everything went absolutely perfectly. But we’ve learned a lot in terms of how we improve, operate and market the event.

“Ultimately, it’s about finding the right bands that will work across all the territories. It worked really well this year, because we had a lot of bands that were of similar size and I liked the fact that we rotated the bill in some countries. I’m sure every festival promoter will tell you the same: billing seems to be much more of an issue in the UK than it is anywhere else in the world. But thankfully, in Europe, lots of bands rotated places and everybody was happy to make it work and take the brand into Europe. Now, we’ve just got to work out what we’re doing next year.”

“If a new problem suddenly pops up that no one could foresee then fine, but it’s unacceptable if we have any problems on site that we’ve had in the past”

Slam Dunk’s 30,000-cap UK editions, which took place Hatfield Park on 24 May and Temple Newsam in Leeds on 25 May, also rebounded from a rain-hit 2024, reports Ray.

“Sales were great, we nearly sold out, and the bands and the public went away happy,” he says. “We don’t shy away from the fact that we have had issues in the past: the usual things about car park queues, getting in and out, and various onsite issues caused by selling a lot of tickets. But because we’ve had issues in the past, we have dealt with them all.

“I kept on saying to everybody involved that if there has been a problem in the past, we have to make sure that those problems don’t happen again. If a new problem suddenly pops up that no one could foresee then fine, but it is unacceptable if we have any problems on site that we’ve had in the past. There are processes in place to make sure we do not have a repeat of any previous problems, and it worked perfectly.”

IQ reported last week on how a fresh wave of headline-level acts are driving the European rock and metal circuit to its healthiest point in years, and Ray reflects on the genre’s current standing in the music world.

“Rock music has always been strong and it’s remained a constant, but I appreciate it sometimes isn’t in the mainstream as much,” he says. “It’s a good time; the only thing that’s been a problem is the fact that the cost of touring has gone up so much. US bands want to come over to UK and Europe, but the costs are so high at the moment that they can’t afford to come.

“A number of US rock festivals are also doing well and, even though they’re not on the same weekend or even the same continent, I feel like I’m competing with them a lot more for artists. There is a conflict where these bands have agreed they’ll only play three weekends a year, and those three weekends are unfortunately taken up with US festivals. So the cost of touring has that knock-on effect.”

“We were overcautious on some things because we didn’t want to go into our 20th anniversary year with any kind of negativity”

Slam Dunk’s 2025 UK lineup included A Day To Remember, Electric Callboy, You Me At Six, The Used, Alkaline Trio, Finch, Neck Deep, New Found Glory, Twin Atlantic and Less Than Jake.

“It’s all about communication. We have a great relationship with the fans – a lot better than most festivals – because we have a very high rate of returning customers. Some festivals have a big turnover of customers; they have new people coming every year and have to educate those customers in certain ways. We have a great advantage in that most [attendees] have been before and when we put out information, they tend to listen and trust us.”

Past Slam Dunk bills have included the likes of Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Sum 41 and NOFX. And the pop-punk, emo, metal, and alternative festival is approaching a significant milestone – the 20th anniversary of the first Slam Dunk UK in 2026.

“We want to make it special, of course,” says Ray. “We’re looking at different options, but it is about celebrating in style and we took that into consideration going into this year. We were overcautious on some things because we didn’t want to go into our 20th anniversary year with any kind of negativity. And luckily, we feel like we are set up to go into it with overwhelming positivity.”

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IFF brings together 1,000 leading agents and festival bookers each year in London. A mix of focused business meetings, networking sessions, conference programming and showcases see the event typically selling out far in advance.

We asked three longstanding attendees about what they get out of IFF and why it forms a key part in their festival booking calendar.

‍P-C Rae, The British Music Embassy
‍What do you get out of attending IFF from a business point of view?
Catching up with both friends and partners across Europe but in a more business-focused environment than, say, other showcase festivals.

‍What’s your favourite element of IFF personally?
The geographic footprint is very small so you can stack up a huge number of meetings in a very short space of time and the logistics are pretty painless. That everything is in the same area also means more chance encounters (which IMHO generally pan out to be the most valuable afterwards) but without the claustrophobia that can come with being stuck in one building all day.

‍What would you say to someone considering attending IFF for the first time?
The most meeting focused conference of all. Whilst there are panels and showcasing, the distraction is limited and this is one to one b2b focussed activity.

‍”I often end up doing a great deal of business right then and there during the conference”

Skully Sullivan Kaplan, Agent, ATC Live‍
‍What do you get out of attending IFF from a business point of view?
Attending IFF is always a productive experience, and a great opportunity to connect with a diverse spread of people across our industry and the music ecosystem at large. I often end up doing a great deal of business right then and there during the conference, learning lots about the current state of play in many companies and parts of the world, while generally staying on top of the very latest and most relevant developments in the music universe.

What’s your favourite element of IFF personally?‍
I really enjoy getting some face time with so many friends and colleagues, while also making sure it’s time well spent for the artists I represent; securing opportunities, gathering intel, and of course the chance to present some of our most exciting artists in a live setting, to a broad spread of industry professionals. It’s always a very fun week. An intense and tiring one to be sure, but a very enjoyable one too!

‍What would you say to someone considering attending IFF for the first time?‍
I would say this is an invaluable resource, and one that will pay dividends. But you’ve got to come prepared, and ready to put in a serious amount of energy to get the most out of it. I’d suggest you stay super-organized and arrange your scheduled meetings in advance. However, you need to allow plenty of time for those impromptu and unplanned interactions to take place too…some of the best moments happen that way. Remember to check out the showcases, as so many brilliant new artists are on show; and if they can pull off a compelling performance in front of a room that’s seen it all, you can envision a promising future ahead for them.

‍”It is worth every penny”

Pavla Slívová, Head of Booking & Artist Liaisons, Colours of Ostrava‍
‍What do you get out of attending IFF from a business point of view?‍
I really get a lot of done! The enormous concentration of artist agents and festival promoters makes it very effective.

‍What’s your favourite element of IFF personally?‍
I love that you can bump into old friends and new faces especially during afternoon drinks and have very informal and friendly conversation.

‍What would you say to someone considering attending IFF for the first time?
Do it, it is worth every penny. However be organised and schedule as many meetings as you can.

For more information on IFF, click here.

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Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of events company Superfly Entertainment and co-creator of festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands has died at the age of 51.

Mayers’ death comes just days ahead of Bonnaroo 2025 (12–15 June) in Manchester, Tennessee, which will be headlined by Tyler, The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and Luke Combs.

The US festival pioneer co-founded Superfly Entertainment with Kerry Black, Rick Farman and Richard Goodstone in 1996, and collaborated with AC Entertainment’s Ashley Capps, agent Chip Hooper and manager Coran Capshaw to launch and sell out the Bonnaroo (cap. 70,000) in 2002.

Superfly also launched Vegoose festival in Las Vegas in 2005, with programming at multiple venues throughout the city. The first festival brought in approximately 37,000 visitors, and Mayers and his team ran the festival for three seasons before opting to shut it down.

In 2008, Superfly partnered with Another Planet to launch Outside Lands in San Francisco’s fabled Golden Gate Park in 2008, headlined by Radiohead, Tom Petty and Jack Johnson. Other headliners over the years included Muse, Neil Young, Phish, Metallica, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Nine Inch Nails, SZA, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter.

“In addition to the role he’s played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh”

This year’s festival – due to take place in August – will be headlined by Doja Cat, Tyler, The Creator and Hozier.

In 2017, Mayers partnered with Viacom and Comedy Central to produce a comedy festival dubbed Clusterfest, which included the likes of Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah.

After leaving Superfly, Mayers worked on Core City Detroit, a project which sought funds to invest in the inner city, creating a music campus with entertainment experiences for the public.

Mayers former partners at Superfly released a statement to Billboard yesterday, writing “We are heartbroken with the passing of Jonathan. He was a cherished part of Superfly’s story, woven into it’s history and legacy. In addition to the role he’s played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh. No one could light up a room like Jon.”

Another Planet Entertainment issued a statement describing Mayers as “a bright light, always pushing new and creative ideas in the entertainment space. Everyone in the Another Planet family will miss him dearly.”

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Rock am Ring promoter Matt Schwarz has hailed the event as “the spearhead of the German festival landscape” after marking its 40th anniversary.

The 90,000-cap Nuremberg gathering and its 88,500-cap Nürburg twin Rock im Park, which celebrated its 30th birthday, both enjoyed sellout editions over the weekend, topped by Bring Me the Horizon, Korn, Slipknot, The Prodigy, Falling in Reverse, Biffy Clyro, Sleep Token, K.I.Z, Spiritbox, Rise Against and Kontra K.

Electric Callboy and Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys opened the festival with secret shows.

It was the first time the festivals had taken place under the combined PRK DreamHaus banner following last year’s merger of the CTS Eventim companies.

“We thank everyone who contributed to a peaceful and smooth festival”

“For 40 years, Rock am Ring has thrived on its unique community – and our visitors impressively demonstrated this again this year,” says Schwarz, promoter of Rock am Ring and Rock im Park and CEO of PRK DreamHaus and eventimpresents. “We thank everyone who contributed to a peaceful and smooth festival. This year’s production shows that Rock am Ring remains the spearhead of the German festival landscape.”

Rock am Ring teamed up with Germany’s largest media brand, BILD, to provide extensive editorial and digital coverage of the anniversary weekend, including a free livestream of the main stage. According to organisers, the video of the livestream attracted up to 90,000 simultaneous viewers over the weekend and was viewed more than 26 million times.

The festival also confirmed Linkin Park its first headliner for 2026 via a spectacular light and pyrotechnic show. Advance tickets for the 5-7 June 2026 festival go on sale at noon CEST tomorrow (10 June), priced €179. Linkin Park have also been announced as headliners for next year’s Rock in Rio Lisbon in Portugal.

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Over the past 12 months, the live music industry has taken meaningful steps towards greater sustainability. But are we moving fast enough? And are we sharing what we’ve learned? As ambitious as it sounds, every festival could serve as a blueprint for climate-conscious action. The focus is shifting from experimentation to implementation.

One area with immediate potential is digital transformation. Transitioning to digital tools for ticketing, registration, and communication eliminates paper waste and simplifies operations whilst enhancing the audience experience. This is a relatively low-cost change that can yield high returns.

On-site waste management is a major challenge. A practical step is introducing clearly marked bins for recycling, compost, and landfill. These systems don’t need to be complex but consistent and visible.

Food and catering choices are another high-impact area. More festivals are exploring sustainable options, but it’s not without its obstacles. Electric Castle (EC) has worked to expand its partnerships with vendors offering plant-based and locally sourced meals. Adoption hasn’t always been smooth, with higher costs and lack of experience in the Romanian market slowing progress. Yet, there’s a growing momentum. Start small, build partnerships, and support vendors as they transition.

Transportation remains one of the most difficult pieces to solve. Encouraging attendees to use public transport, carpooling, or shuttle services can reduce emissions, but success often hinges on available infrastructure. EC has aimed to shift more than 60,000 attendees to greener transport methods while growing its own electric vehicle fleet to 60%. But challenges remain. In a country like Romania, limited rail and electric charging networks raise doubts about the viability of fully electrified transport systems, so tailored region-specific strategies are essential.

“Culture change doesn’t happen overnight. But festivals can act as catalysts”

Energy consumption is another area where incremental changes matter. EC has expanded its use of LED lighting and increased reliance on grid power by at least 10% year over year. A pilot project in 2024 powered part of the campsite with 100% renewable energy. These small-scale experiments offer valuable insights and can help other festivals chart a path toward greener infrastructure.

Festivals also bear responsibility for the land they occupy. Post-event restoration efforts, like replanting grass or planting trees, go a long way to maintaining a healthy site. EC has restored over 15 hectares of grassland annually and planted more than 7,500 trees around the campsite in just two years. These aren’t grand gestures – they’re commitments.

No sustainability initiative succeeds in isolation. Engaging audiences and suppliers is vital. Culture change doesn’t happen overnight. But festivals can act as catalysts.

The broader message? Sustainability isn’t about grand one-off achievements but consistent, scalable, practical steps, and a mindset that embraces progress over perfection.

There are clear indicators of progress. According to A Greener Future’s 2024 report, 75% of festivals have banned single-use plastic serveware, up from 54% in 2022. Electric Castle reflects this shift, having implemented a complete ban across its vendor network. The key is setting clear expectations and supporting vendors through the transition.

“As festivals continue to test and adapt, the most valuable outcomes may not be the solutions themselves but willingness to keep trying”

The use of renewable energy and hybrid systems is also growing. More festivals are tapping into grid power, reducing their reliance on diesel generators. EC’s strategy of increasing grid use by 10% annually while piloting renewable-powered zones demonstrates how gradual scaling can create measurable impact.

However, emissions tied to audience travel and food supply chains continue to rise. In many regions, especially where infrastructure is lacking, promoting sustainable transport can feel like an uphill battle. In Romania, the absence of widespread public transit means that solutions must be flexible and local.

Progress isn’t always linear. Sustainable food options, for instance, may be embraced by audiences faster than by vendors or supply chains. But by sharing not just success stories but obstacles and lessons, festivals can create a roadmap for improvement.

Looking ahead, sustained progress will require open dialogue, shared learning, and commitment to transparency. As festivals continue to test and adapt, the most valuable outcomes may not be the solutions themselves but willingness to keep trying.

Let’s build a future where sustainability is not an added feature – but a foundation.

Oltea Zambori is sustainability & special projects manager for Romania’s Electric Castle festival

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Southbank Centre’s head of contemporary music Jane Beese has lauded “extraordinary” Meltdown 2025 curator Little Simz on the eve of the festival’s 30th edition.

Little Simz’ Meltdown is set for the London venue from 12-22 June, with the WME-represented rapper scheduled to close the event with a one-off performance with Chineke! Orchestra.

“I’ve been an admirer of hers for a long time,” Beese tells IQ. “She’s one of the most extraordinary musicians and creatives around at the moment, and we wanted to celebrate that.”

Launched in 1993, Meltdown is the longest-running artist-curated festival in the world. Simz has handpicked this year’s lineup, which also features Ghetts, Jon Batiste, Lola Young, Sasha Keable, The Streets, Yukimi, Bina and Mahalia, Tiwa Savage, BadBadNotGood, James Blake, Nubya Garcia, Mega, Jon Poppii and Kara Jackson.

Concerts will be held across three venues within the complex: Royal Festival Hall (cap. 2,740), Queen Elizabeth Hall (916) and Purcell Room (300). A free cultural programme will also take place across both weekends of the festival.

“It has been – as it always is – a brilliant and interesting journey,” says Beese. “With Simz this year, it’s been incredibly easy to lean into some of the areas where we have shared values around the next generation and bringing young people into the festival.

“Our priorities are making sure we have a really good range of artists across the three venues, but also that we’re able to make it work from a budgetary point of view and present a lot of free stuff, workshops and sound systems. All these things have to balance themselves out on a pragmatic level and I think we’ve achieved that.”

“There are always two moments: the moment when you announce the curator and the moment when you announce the programme”

For Beese, who returned for a second stint at the Southbank last year following spells as head of music for London’s Roundhouse and director of music at Manchester International Festival, it marks her first time at the Meltdown helm in a decade.

“It’s great to be back,” she says. “The artistic director, Mark [Ball], was my first boss when I went to Manchester, and it’s [Meltdown’s] 30th edition. It’s not the 30th year because we lost a couple through Covid, and we also lost a year in 2008 because the Royal Festival Hall was being refurbished.

“We changed the format at some point. It used to run over a longer period of time, but not on consecutive days, so it’s more compact now. It runs over 11 days across the site and I think that really works, because you can illuminate all of the free stuff in the public programme in a different way.”

She elaborates: “We have a big public programme at the Southbank – about 40% of what we do is free – and we have a creative engagement team that works with schools and communities. That isn’t always something a curator would automatically lean into, but with Simz it was almost the first conversation we had.”

Previous curators have included Christine and the Queens, Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers, Robert Smith, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Anohni, Massive Attack, Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith and David Bowie, while Beese’s debut Meltdown in 2001 was overseen by Robert Wyatt.

“In many ways, the process of the curator is still the same and yet different,” she says. “It’s still a back and forth of suggestions and ideas, but because of the different curators it always has different flavour to it and a different emphasis.

“There are always two moments: the moment when you announce the curator and the moment when you announce the programme. People have endless opinions about what’s good and what’s not, but we’ve had really good feedback on this one.”

“Being able to think that you’re not only peering into a curator’s record collection, but into their interests is really interesting”

According to Beese, who also worked with London-born Simz during her time at Roundhouse, being able to showcase “a really broad range of work” is a key component of any successful Meltdown.

“It often comes from a musical starting point, but we encourage artists to look at work across genres as well,” she says. “So with David Byrne [2015], we had quite a lot of performance and dance pieces. With Patti Smith [2005], we had poetry and spoken word. And when David Bowie was here [2002], he had an organisation called Bowieart, which was about supporting younger generation visual artists, and we created a gallery space in the Festival Hall foyer.

“With James Lavelle [2014], we had an archive exhibition of stuff from his label. Being able to think that you’re seeing slightly behind the curtain – and that you’re not only peering into a curator’s record collection, but into their interests – is really interesting. It’s always the optimism of a programmer to find an audience that will be curious about something that is not usually on their playlist.”

Beese reveals that while the chance to resume working on Meltdown was a driving force in her decision to return to the Southbank Centre, it was not the only motivating factor.

“Next year is the 75th anniversary of the Royal Festival Hall, so it’s 75 years since [national exhibition and fair] the Festival of Britain, and we have lots of exciting plans for that,” she says, keeping her cards close to her chest. “And we’ve got some quite exciting Meltdown plans for next year as part of the wider anniversary, which we will reveal in the next couple of months.”

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The economic impact of Primavera Sound festival on the city of Barcelona was over €300 million, organisers said, following the conclusion of this year’s 23rd edition.

Co-director Alfonso Lanza told a press conference the festival drew a record-breaking number of attendees across its main festival, city-based shows, and closing party. He hailed the 2025 edition as a triumph for independent live music, with tickets selling out five months in advance and 71,000 people attending each day at Parc del Fòrum.

The event’s free opening day and closing electronic party each pulled in 30,000 visitors, while complementary concert series Primavera a la Ciutat drew 20,000.

“This year was almost perfect,” said Lanza. “We’re very happy – and from next week, we’ll already start looking at how to make it even better.”

This year’s line-up spanned 311 performances, including 224 at the Parc del Fòrum and others across city venues for Primavera a la Ciutat, which ran for a week throughout the festival.

Head of press Marta Pallares said 65% of attendees came from abroad, representing 136 countries. While the UK and US topped the list, 80,000 local residents also attended at least one part of the programme.

“Every year we try to improve. We’re always learning from the past”

Primavera Pro, the festival’s industry conference, welcomed 3,200 professionals, around half of whom were international.

Pallares highlighted the strength of the line-up as a driver of this year’s success. “Thursday, Friday and Saturday all had the same number of attendees – each day was equally valuable to attendees,” she said. Charli XCX, who played a smaller stage in 2024, returned to close one of the main stages with Troye Sivan, while Sabrina Carpenter’s Friday night performance and Chappell Roan’s Saturday show closed the circle that began to be drawn at the 2019 edition, the first in the history of Primavera Sound to have a gender-balanced line-up.

Now in its 20th year at Parc del Fòrum, Lanza says the festival has continually refined its format. This year’s event featured a new layout to improve crowd flow and comfort, including relocating the Amazon Music stage away from the main zone. “Every year we try to improve,” said Lanza. “We’re always learning from the past.”

In addition to operational changes, organisers emphasised their commitment to inclusion and diversity. Pallares said the programming was balanced across 40% male, 40% female, and 20% mixed or non-binary artists. “Since 2019 we’ve gone beyond just gender parity to include queer voices too,” she said. The average age of attendees was 29 – a sign, she noted, of continued rejuvenation.

Following Barcelona, the Primavera team heads to Porto from 12-15 June for the 12th edition of its Portuguese sister event. The 2026 edition in Barcelona has already been confirmed for 4-6 June.

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Independent UK promoter Futuresound has hailed a record event season at Temple Newsam in Leeds, Yorkshire.

Around 75,000 fans attended the organiser’s biggest-ever iterations of festivals Slam Dunk and Live at Leeds In The Park, and a one-off hometown concert by Kaiser Chiefs.

Slam Dunk, the one-day pop-punk, emo, metal and ska-themed festival, celebrated its 19th year, having grown from a single city-centre stage in Leeds to two full festival sites across one weekend with Slam Dunk North at Temple Newsam and Slam Dunk South at Hatfield Park in Hertfordshire.

The former took place on 25 May, attracting 30,000 fans for performances from the likes of  A Day To Remember, Alkaline Trio, Less Than Jake, New Found Glory, Neck Deep, Hot Milk and Split Chain.

The fourth edition of Live At Leeds In The Park, meanwhile, drew 18,000 fans to a newly expanded site that included two main stages.

Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, Yard Act and Natasha Beddingfield were among the acts to perform at the one-day family-friendly festival on 24 May.

“We’re an independent Leeds business and the city and its surroundings have always been at the heart of everything we do”

Futuresound closed out May with a one-off hometown concert with Kaiser Chiefs to celebrate 20 years of their seminal debut album Employment.

Promoted in conjunction with SJM concerts, the band played the album in its entirety with an all-star supporting lineup of Razorlight, The Cribs, We Are Scientists, The Coral, HotWax and Ellur.

“We couldn’t be more proud to have welcomed 75,000 people to Temple Newsam over the past few weeks; showcasing the very best music, comedy, food, outdoor space and atmosphere that Leeds has to offer,” says Andy Smith, head of live, Futuresound Group.

“We’re an independent Leeds business and the city and its surroundings have always been at the heart of everything we do,” he adds. “We’re hugely grateful to Temple Newsam and Leeds City Council for their trust and support as well as our promotion, production, artist liaison, bar, security and catering teams for everything they do to make events like this happen.

“We want these shows to be a statement that independent operators will always have a crucial part to play in creating incredible live music experiences and moments in the regions they work in, live in and know best. This was a truly special event season at Temple Newsam and we can’t wait to build on this success.”

Futuresound also promotes outdoor events including Live at Kirkstall Abbey, Live at York Museum Gardens and Live at Ludlow Castle, as well as hundreds of gigs annually in Leeds and the Yorkshire region.

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Portugal’s Rock in Rio Lisbon has stolen a march on the competition by announcing Linkin Park as its first headliner for 2026.

The US rockers, who have previously graced the event’s main stage in 2008, 2012 and 2014, will top the bill on 21 June next year. Tickets went on sale today, priced €89 for general admission and €157 for a weekend pass.

The biennial festival’s 11th edition will take place in Parque Tejo from 20-21 & 27-28 June 2026.

“We are very pleased to announce Linkin Park as the first major headliner for Rock in Rio Lisboa 2026,” says Rock in Rio EVP Roberta Medina. “The band has an emotional and historic connection with the festival — having performed at several editions. They are one of the biggest bands in the world, with tremendous relevance in music history.

“Choosing Rock in Rio Lisboa to be part of their world tour on this return to the stage reinforces the scale and prestige of our festival.”

Linkin Park also headlined last weekend’s 2025 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show in Munich and are set to play stadiums across Europe this summer.

This announcement marks the start of a strategic journey that goes far beyond music

The band’s confirmation as Rock in Rio Lisbon headliners coincides with the launch of the Road to Rock in Rio project, billed as a “national and international communication journey” featuring experiences and activations across various cities in Portugal and Europe.

To enhance audience comfort, the festival site is also being expanded by 25%, with organisers strengthening its premium hospitality and services offering by creating distinctive areas within the venue, to be managed by partners and tour operators.

According to a study by Nova SBE, Rock in Rio Lisbon 2024 generated an economic impact equivalent to €120 million for the Portuguese economy, representing €11.8m in tax revenue.

“This announcement marks the start of a strategic journey that goes far beyond music,” says Medina. “Rock in Rio Lisboa takes place only every two years and has become an unmissable destination on the international circuit of major events — a true hub of culture, sustainability and innovation that projects Portugal onto the world stage as a creative, inspiring and emotionally significant country.

“We are a global project with Portuguese DNA and we want to be, increasingly, a lever to position the city and the country as a cultural and emotional destination.”

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