Police have launched a criminal investigation over performances by Bob Vylan and Kneecap at the weekend’s Glastonbury Festival.

Avon and Somerset Police has decided that “further enquiries are required” after video footage and audio from the groups’ slots on the festival’s West Holts stage on Saturday (28 June) was reviewed. A senior detective has been appointed to lead the probe.

“This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage,” says a police statement. “The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.

“We have received a large amount of contact in relation to these events from people across the world and recognise the strength of public feeling.There is absolutely no place in society for hate. Neighbourhood policing teams are speaking with people in their local communities and key stakeholders to make sure anyone who needs us knows that we are here for them.

“We hope the work we have carried out, and are continuing to carry out, reassures the public how seriously we are treating Saturday’s events. We politely ask the public refrain from continuing to report this matter to us because an investigation is already taking place.”

It has not been specified which parts of the artists’ sets are under investigation, but the BBC earlier said it should have cut its livestream of Bob Vylan’s performance after the duo’s frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chants of “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].”

UTA has dropped Bob Vylan in the wake of the incident, while their US visas have been revoked

Talent agency UTA has dropped the act in the wake of the incident, while the band members’ US visas have been revoked.

“The StateDept has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants,” wrote deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau on X. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”

Broadcast regulator Ofcom said the BBC “clearly has questions to answer” over its coverage, and the corporation said it would “look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air”.

Glastonbury organisers said they were “appalled” by Bob Vylan’s statements, adding: “Their chants very much crossed a line.”

The festival, which ran from 25-29 June, had earlier resisted calls to have Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap removed from the lineup after band member Mo Chara was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a London concert in 2024. He has been charged with a terror offence and has been bailed until August.

Kneecap appeared on the West Holts stage directly after Bob Vylan and responded to UK prime minister’s comments that it was not “appropriate” for them to perform at the event. The West Holts stage was fenced off after reaching capacity 45 minutes before the band’s slot.

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Off the back of his surprise Glastonbury return, Lewis Capaldi has announced a UK & Ireland arena run for September.

The Scottish singer, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, will return to the arena circuit after taking a two-year break from touring in 2023 to prioritise his mental and physical health.

Capaldi’s forthcoming 10-show run kicks off on 7 September at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena (cap. 13,600), continuing through Aberdeen’s P&J Live (15,000) and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (14,300).

He’ll then perform two nights at London’s The O2 (20,000), followed by a stop at Manchester’s Co-op Live (23,500). Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (15,800), Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena (10,000), and Cardiff’s Utilita Arena (7,500) are then on tap, with the trek closing at Dublin’s 3Arena (13,000).

“My name’s Lewis Capaldi and I’m f**king back, baby,” the singer affirmed.

Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar will bring the ongoing Grand National Tour to Mexico and South America later this year. The run will see Lamar perform five solo shows in soccer stadiums throughout the region.

The Grand National Tour has netted over $100m so far

Following the closure of the Lamar/SZA double-headliner bill — which has netted over $100m so far this year — in Stockholm this August, Lamar will begin his run at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (65,000) on 23 September.

He’ll continue through Bogotá’s Vive Claro (40,000), São Paulo’s Allianz Parque (55,000), Buenos Aires’ Estadio River Plate (84,567), before concluding at South America’s largest stadium, Santiago’s Estadio Monumental (85,018), on 7 October.

From there, Lamar will head down under to close the year with a show at Melbourne’s AAMI Park (30,500) and another at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium (42,500) in December.

Argentine hip-hop artists CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso will support all Latin American shows.

American hardcore band Turnstile have also revealed a UK & Europe tour this year, beginning 31 October at Dublin’s National Stadium (2,000).

The 14-show outing will see the band play through Glasgow, Manchester, and London before traversing Europe.

Hamburg, Amsterdam, Milan, Berlin, Paris, Munich, Dusseldorf, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Madrid are all on tap for the leg, which follows their headline North American trek kicking off in September. The Garden and High Vis will support.

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Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis has said “everyone is welcome” at the festival after UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he did not think it was “appropriate” for controversial rappers Kneecap to perform at the event.

The Belfast trio are scheduled to perform on the West Holts stage on Saturday afternoon despite calls to have them removed from the lineup after band member Mo Chara was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a London concert in 2024.

Chara appeared in court last week charged with a terror offence and has been bailed until August.

Asked for her reaction to the PM’s comments, Eavis told the BBC: “We haven’t responded to that. At the moment, we’re just focusing on bringing the best festival to the people who want to come here. We’re incredibly lucky that so many people want to come to Glastonbury, it blows us away. We’ve got millions of people trying to get tickets.

“There have been a lot of very heated topics this year, but we remain just a platform for many, many artists from all over the world. And everyone is welcome here.”

Glastonbury 2025 runs from 25-29 June at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, headlined by The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo.

“I wanted to give them a platform to say what they’ve got to say. It is frustrating they don’t have that platform anymore”

Meanwhile, DF Concerts boss Geoff Ellis has shared his frustration at Kneecap being pulled from the bill of Scotland’s TRNSMT (11-13 July) due to police concerns about the safety of the event.

The group had been set to perform on the opening day of DF’s 50,000-cap Glasgow Green festival, but Police Scotland said it would “require a significant policing operation” to enable the performance to go ahead.

Speaking at this week’s Courier Business Conference in Dundee, Ellis said: “I love Kneecap. They are one of the most exciting bands to come out of Ireland and the UK in many years. To me, rock and roll is about challenging the establishment. It’s not about appeasing anyone, or not offending anyone. Rock and roll should be uncomfortable. It should get people angry.

“Sex Pistols sang about anarchy, abolishing the monarchy. And they were a band that scared people. I remember asking my mum when I was a kid to buy me Anarchy In The UK. It was exciting, it was naughty. It was something our parents were angry about.

“Kneecap are just the latest version of that. And thank God someone is actually standing up and creating controversy. You don’t have to agree with everything they say. I wanted to give them a platform to say what they’ve got to say. It is frustrating they don’t have that platform anymore.”

“It’s freedom of expression. It’s what artists should do”

Scotland’s first minister John Swinney had earlier backed calls for the hip-hop group to be dropped from the bill after footage emerged from a 2023 gig that appeared to show a band member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

“John Swinney got involved and said they shouldn’t be on the TRNSMT bill. Keir Starmer came out and said Kneecap shouldn’t be on the Glastonbury bill,” continued Ellis. “It’s freedom of expression. It’s what artists should do. I’m against [censorship]. And you do have to be careful to avoid giving an out and out platform to racism. But politicians [should] back away.”

Elsewhere, George Akins, MD of DHP Family, which is promoting Kneecap’s biggest headline show outside Ireland to date – at London’s 12,500-cap OVO Arena Wembley in September – recently shared his pride at the company’s longstanding relationship with the group. Organisers of Spain’s Bilbao BBK Live also spoke out in support when adding the band to their 2025 lineup.

“In times of conflict and censorship, music remains an essential loudspeaker and Bilbao BBK Live will always be a space for voices that provoke, question, and refuse to stay silent,” said a statement from the festival. “Kneecap’s appearance in Kobetamendi on July 11 is an act of cultural resistance, a celebration of freedom of expression and of those, like them, who aren’t afraid to speak out against injustice.”

Meanwhile, US rapper Azealia Banks has pulled out of UK festivals Boomtown and Maiden Voyage after claiming promoters were pressuring her to express support for Palestine. A spokesperson for Boomtown confirmed her withdrawal, but added: “For clarity, Boomtown does not and will never dictate the personal views and beliefs of performers.”

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Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis has hailed the festival as “the most joy filled city” in the UK after confirming details of two opening ceremonies to kick off its 2025 edition.

The legendary festival, which runs from 25-29 June at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, opened its gates to ticket-holders this morning, with the main music programme – headlined by The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo – to begin on Friday.

“Me and my dad [festival founder Michael Eavis] today just opened the gates, and it was so lovely,” Emily told BBC Radio 6 Music’s Nick Grimshaw, who broadcast his Breakfast Show live from the festival, kicking off the station’s 58 hours of live programming from site.

“It was a really joyous occasion,” added Eavis. “All that planning, all that speculation, all the opinions, all the debate, all the outrage, all the love, all the feelings that just are generated every day, all the press, all the noise and to be able to actually look everyone in the eye on those gates and bring everyone in… It’s all about these people having the best time over the next five days.”

She continued: “Last night, I could hear this cheer. It was probably about 23,000 people here last night, so all the volunteers, all the workers but there was a lot of cheering, and it was rippling through the valley and I just thought, ‘This is like, the most joy filled city in the whole of the United Kingdom for the next five days.’”

The two opening ceremonies will be held at 10pm tonight in the Pyramid Stage arena and the Green Fields. The Pyramid show, Dreamweaver’s Journey, is billed as “a breathtaking theatre and circus performance” designed to create a “visceral, immersive acoustic musical soundscape”.

“It’s not really about big names and all these headlines, it’s about celebrating the arts in all its forms”

“I don’t really want to spoil the surprise but it’s really magnificent and, to me, it’s what the festival really is all about,” said Eavis. “It’s not really about big names and all these headlines, it’s about celebrating the arts in all its forms and when you see a circus act like that in the Pyramid arena… those are the things that are staggering.”

Rod Stewart will take this year’s Sunday teatime Legends slot – his first performance at Worthy Farm since headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002. The lineup also includes Charli XCX, Loyle Carner, Biffy Clyro, Raye, The Prodigy, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young, Myles Smith, Amaarae, JADE, Shaboozey, Alanis Morissette, Busta Rhymes, Brandi Carlile, Ezra Collective, Amyl and the Sniffers, Jorja Smith, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, CMAT, Self Esteem, Wolf Alice, Scissor Sisters, Pa Salieu, TV On The Radio and Shed Seven, among many others.

Speculation has also ramped up over the identity of the act ‘Patchwork’ – announced for the Pyramid Stage on Saturday – with several other secret sets planned. The likes of Pulp, Lorde, Haim and Chappell Roan have been rumoured.

Hip-hop trio Kneecap, meanwhile, will play the event’s West Holts stage on Saturday afternoon despite UK prime minister Keir Starmer saying he did not think it was “appropriate” for the group’s set to go ahead. Kneecap member Mo Chara appeared in court last week charged with a terror offence.

The 2025 festival will be the last Glastonbury to take place for two years, as the event is set to take a break in 2026 to allow the ground to recover.

Eavis recently told the BBC’s Sidetracked podcast that the festival had sold “a few thousand less tickets” this year in an attempt to ease overcrowding, and will not use its full 210,000 capacity. More space has been created for the crowd at the Other Stage – the event’s second biggest arena – with the Shangri-La area also expanded.

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Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh from Irish band Kneecap has been charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig.

The rapper, who performs under the name Mo Chara, has been charged after an incident in November 2024 at the O2 Forum came to light online last month. Police also said they were investigating online videos which allegedly showed the group calling for the death of British MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is against the law to publicly express support for the groups.

Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Wednesday 18 June, which is just one week before the band’s planned performance at Glastonbury.

It has also emerged that the band has threatened to sue senior live music industry figures who have made representations to a number of festivals in recent weeks, including Glastonbury, in attempt to have the band removed from the lineup.

“This is a carnival of distraction”

In a statement posted on social media following the charge, Kneecap said: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.”

“This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.

“14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.”

A legal letter, according to the Daily Mail, accused those in the live industry behind the complaint of making “untrue and defamatory” claims.

“Your correspondence seeks to monopolise your status within the industry to impose direct and concerted pressure on Glastonbury, to restrict freedom of expression,” it said.

“Such a direct and coordinated approach seeks to create a chilling effect upon the wider music industry whereby those who hold opposing views, will seek to impose their own view on the wider industry.”

The letter went on to threaten further court action “for the damage you have inflicted on our client’s reputation”.

“However, before our clients formally seek to issue pre action correspondence, we write to offer you the opportunity to resolve these matters by way of an immediate and unequivocal apology,” it continued.

This afternoon (22 May) the band announced a last minute special show at London’s 100 Club, taking place tonight, ahead of their headline slot at 25,000 capacity Wide Awake festival tomorrow.

The group, who are booked internationally by Primary Talent, parted company with their North American representatives International Artist Group (IAG) in between the two Coachella weekends after the shared a “fuck Israel, free Palestine” message onstage.

Following the Coachella controversy, the band were dropped from a slew of festivals in Germany and the UK. A number of headline shows were also cancelled by venues on ‘safety grounds’. The cancellations led to more than 100 artists, including Massive Attack, Paul Weller and Idles, signing a statement in support of the band.

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Dua Lipa’s longtime WME agent David Bradley has lifted the lid on the star’s “mind-blowing” ascension from UK grassroots music venues to extensive world tours, ahead of her summer stadium run.

The latest step in Lipa’s carefully considered climb is her global Radical Optimism Tour, which encompasses 77 dates in arenas and stadiums across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North America and Latin America.

“Dua’s touring strategy has been global from day one, but she’s never skipped steps,” Bradley tells IQ. “She put in the work and toured extensively in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia, long before New Rules made her a superstar. That’s why she’s doing the level of business she’s doing now – because she built a platform in these places and is incrementally growing them.”

The Radical Optimism Tour follows 2022’s 71-date Future Nostalgia run – the singer’s first arena tour – which generated $89,302,575 at the box office.

“It’s part of the wider strategy to leave a little bit on the table for the next time”

“The next logical step following a tour like that is to go and do multiples in arenas and higher grosses,” explains Bradley. “Once you’ve knocked those down, you’ll feel confident going into stadiums everywhere.”

The lightning-quick sell-outs for Lipa’s two dates at Wembley Stadium in June bodes well for future stadium runs. The first show at the 90,000-cap London stadium went on sale the week after the 29-year-old’s headline set at Glastonbury and sold out in just five minutes.

“Glastonbury was the best tour advert we could have possibly had,” says Bradley. “There was so much demand, I think we could have gone on to do three or possibly four Wembley Stadiums. But it’s also just thinking of the future as well. This is not going to be Dua’s last tour, so it’s part of the wider strategy to leave a little bit on the table for the next time.

“She is still a relatively new artist so we’re on that upward swing. We’re not quite at the point now of just wanting to take every possible ticket out of the market.”

“The real court of public opinion for touring artists is ticket sales”

Even so, the Radical Optimism Tour has sold well over half a million tickets so far, according to the WME agent, with the Latin America leg yet to go on sale.

“The real court of public opinion for touring artists is ticket sales,” he continues. “People can say what they want about streaming figures or album sales and all the rest of it but if you want a true representation of how popular an artist is, put a tour on sale and see how it goes. In this scenario, she has defied all expectations and continues to grows exponentially every year.”

With ticket prices currently under the microscope and the secondary market very much active, Bradley says the tour’s sell-out success is partially down to “very intentional” pricing.

“The Radical Optimism Tour is premium pop, not premium price,” he says. “The very best seats in the house at Wembley will be priced at £150, which, as far as stadium scaling goes, is very conservative, but we’ll also have seats in the building at £35-45.

“There’s a balance of not wanting to gouge the fans, wanting to sell out and also making sure that the people who have delivered the show are being compensated fairly.

“If a ticket is trading for £1,000 on Viagogo, that’s what it’s worth”

“Anything short of a sellout is often considered not to be a success and becomes a negative talking point so you want to avoid that as best you can. By the same token, you don’t want to be leaving a lot of money on the table because the secondary market will just hoover that up.

“If a ticket is trading for £1,000 on Viagogo, that’s what it’s worth. And if the primary seller – ie the artist and the promoter – is selling it for £100, that money is not going to anyone that’s delivered and produced the show – it’s going to a tout, which is outrageous. So the only way we can do that is often by increasing ticket prices. And sometimes people get that calculation wrong.”

With the Asia, Australia and New Zealand legs of the Radical Optimism Tour wrapped up, Lipa is due to kick off her European outing on 11 May at Movistar Arena in Spain.

“The show just gets better and better as it goes along,” says Bradley. “We’ve got a well road-tested team of dancers and musicians, and Dua is on phenomenal form – and that just comes with practice and time on the road. Dua will do a debrief after every show with the key people in the team on the creative side and implement changes along the way so by the time we get to Wembley Stadium, for instance, I think this will be a very well-oiled machine.”

Dua Lipa is represented by WME’s David Bradley, David Levy and Brett Murrihy in Australia, Asia, Europe and New Zealand. CAA’s Rob Light, Marlene Tsuchii and Carole Kinzel represent her in North America and South America.

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Neil Young has announced he will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival – just days after saying he had pulled out of the event.

The Canadian-American singer-songwriter, who previously headlined in 2009, wrote on his website earlier this week that he would not be performing at the 2025 festival, saying it appeared that Glastonbury – which is partnered with British public broadcaster the BBC – was “now under corporate control”.

“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in,” he said. “It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”

However, the 79-year-old has now done an about-turn and revealed he will top the Pyramid Stage bill at Worthy Farm with his band the Chrome Hearts.

“Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved,” he says in a website post today (3 January). “Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Happy to see you there!”

“Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury”

The news was confirmed by Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, who wrote on Instagram: “What a start to the year! Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way and that’s why we love him. We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June.”

Young becomes the second artist to be announced for the 25-29 June festival. He joins Rod Stewart, who will play the Sunday teatime legend slot, on the 2025 lineup, although it has not yet been confirmed which night Young will headline.

Glastonbury has also filed its latest financial accounts with the UK’s Companies House, showing its pre-tax profits more than doubled to £5.9 million (€7.1m) for the year up to March 2024 – up from £2.9m in the previous 12 months. It donated £5.2m to charitable causes in the same period.

A spokesperson for the festival told the BBC that “successful, dry Glastonburys in both 2023 and 2024” had helped to “rebuild the event’s vital financial reserves” following the Covid cancellations of 2020-21.

A report measuring the economic impact of Glastonbury revealed the 2023 event cost £62m to stage. The 210,000-cap gathering is due to take a fallow year in 2026 to allow the ground at Worthy Farm to recover.

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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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Will Smith is set to perform in France for the first time as one of the acts at next year’s Positiv Festival.

The actor and rapper will star at UNESCO World Heritage Site Théâtre Antique d’Orange (Roman Theatre of Orange) in Orange, Vaucluse, on 31 July 2025.

Meanwhile, Nile Rodgers has accidentally confirmed that he and Chic will be performing at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival in 2025.

During last week’s Rolling Stone Awards at London’s Roundhouse, the musician accepted the award for Music Icon and let slip that he was already preparing to get up to some havoc with Rod Stewart at the Worthy Farm site.

Stewart was recently confirmed for the Sunday teatime legend slot at next year’s Glastonbury – his first performance at Worthy Farm since headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002. It appears that Rodgers and Chic will play before him.

Elsewhere, Northern Europe’s largest festival, Denmark’s Roskilde, has confirmed 25 new acts for its next edition including Olivia Rodrigo, Deftones, Jamie xx, A. G. Cook, Anoushka Shankar, Saint Levant, Lambrini Girls, Body Void, Hitech, horsegiirL, and Landless.

Roskilde’s head of music, Thomas Sønderby Jepsen, says he is “immensely proud” that the festival will be Rodrigo’s only Scandinavian stop in 2025.

Acts previously confirmed for the 53rd edition, taking place from 28 June to 5 July, include Stormzy, Arca, Fontaines D.C., Magdalena Bay, Beth Gibbons, Electric Callboy, Jessica Pratt and Geordie Greep.

Roskilde’s head of music says he is “immensely proud” that the festival will be Rodrigo’s only Scandinavian stop in 2025

Dutch festival Down The Rabbit Hole has also announced a slate of acts including Massive Attack, Sam Fender, FKA Twigs, Beth Gibbons, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Tems, Amyl and the Sniffers and Ezra Collective.

The 12th edition of the MOJO-promoted festival will return to De Groene Heuvels near Ewijk between 4–6 July.

The 2024 edition sold all 45,000 tickets within 45 minutes of going on sale last December, setting a new record for the event.

In the summer, DTRH festival director Ide Koffeman spoke to IQ about the secret to the event’s success.

Portugal’s NOS Alive has confirmed Kings Of Leon as the latest headliner for its 10–12 July 2025 event – marking the band’s first performance in the country in 12 years.

Previously announced acts include headliner Olivia Rodrigo, as well as Artemas, Benson Boone, CMAT, Future Islands, Noah Kahan, St. Vincent, The Backseat Lovers, Amyl and The Sniffers, Girl In Red, Glass Animals, Mark Ambor and The Teskey Brothers.

AEG Presents’ Forever Now has confirmed its first wave of artists including Kraftwerk, Johnny Marr, The The and Billy Idol

Kings of Leon are the second headliner confirmed for TEG Europe‘s Come Together in Newcastle on 8 June, with special guests including Courteeners, and will also headline TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival 2025, slated for 2–6 July in Lancashire, UK.

Other headliners for the Cuffe & Taylor-promoted event include Alanis Morissette, Justin Timberlake and a double bill of Simple Minds and Texas.

Kings of Leon will also top the bill at Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival (22-24 August), alongside Queens of the Stone Age and Vampire Weekend.

Elsewhere in the UK, Latitude Festival has confirmed Maribou State, Elbow, Clean Bandit, Sigrid, and Public Service Broadcasting for its 2025 instalment.

They will perform at Suffolk’s Henham Park from 24–27 July, alongside previously announced headliners Sting, Snow Patrol, Fatboy Slim, and Basement Jaxx.

AEG Presents’ new UK festival Forever Now has confirmed its first wave of artists including Kraftwerk, Johnny Marr, The The, Death Cult, Billy Idol, The Cult (FKA Death Cult), The Jesus and Mary Chain, Happy Mondays, The Damned, Public Image Ltd and The Psychedelic Furs.

Dedicated to post-punk music, fashion and literature, the gathering will feature two music stages, as well as a third stage, The Echo Chamber, hosted by music journalist John Robb.

Another new UK event, Colchester Castle Summer Series, has lined up acts including Madness, Busted, Texas and James

The inaugural edition will launch on 22 June next year and will be the UK sister event of the US festival Cruel World.

Another new UK event, Chelmsford City Live, has announced Duran Duran as its third headliner.

The band will perform at Chelmsford City Racecourse on 5 July, with support from Nile Rodgers & CHIC, with whom they collaborated with on their UK number one single The Reflex.

They join previously announced acts Justin Timberlake and Olly Murs, who will headline the 30,000-capacity series on 4 July and 6 July respectively.

The 6 July concert will be Murs’s biggest-ever hometown show and will feature support sets from Blue, Lemar and DJ Mark Wright.

Yet another new UK event, Colchester Castle Summer Series, has lined up acts including Madness, Busted, Texas, James, Craig David’s TS5 and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell.

Superstruct Entertainment’s Y Not festival has added a raft of new acts including The Prodigy, Courteeners and Madness

The 10,000-capacity open-air series will launch at Lower Castle Park in 2025, becoming Colchester’s largest-ever music series.

Soundcrash, the promoter behind events like South Facing Festival and the Margate Summer Series, are spearheading the new event in partnership with Live Nation and Supermodified.

Superstruct Entertainment’s Y Not festival has added a raft of new acts to its 2025 offering, including The Prodigy, Courteeners, Madness, The Wombats, Primal Scream, The Last Dinner Party, Franz Ferdinand, Sigrid and Annie Mac.

The UK event will take place between 31st July and 3 August at Pikehall, Derbyshire.

France’s Garorock festival will play host to Black Eyed Peas, Biga Ranx, The Black Keys, The Last Dinner Party and J Balvin at next year’s event, set for 3–6 July in Marmande.

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Rod Stewart will play the Sunday teatime legend slot at next year’s Glastonbury – his first performance at Worthy Farm since headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002.

The singer is the first artist confirmed for the 2025 festival, which takes place from 25-29 June.

“I’m proud, ready and more than able to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June,” says the 79-year-old, who recently said he will be done with “large-scale world tours” when his current run of dates is complete.

The music legend has a number of shows locked in for 2025, including North American tours in February/March, Las Vegas residencies in March and May/June, a European tour in April/May and another North American tour in July/August.

The Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza concert, meanwhile, will return on 9 August with a headline set from The Script.

Also in the UK, Charli XCX is the first headliner revealed for Parklife, set for Manchester’s Heaton Park on 14-15 June. Also unveiled are Confidence Man, Interplanetary Criminal, DJ Heartstring, KI/KI, Girls Don’t Sync, Prospa, Chaos In The CBD, Antony Szmierek, Sim0ne, Bakey, Jodie Harsh and Gina Breeze, with the full programme to be announced in January.

Charli XCX is also curating her own festival, Party Girl, as part of AEG’s new Lido Festival at London’s Victoria Park on 14 June. Guest stars will include her Brat collaborators 070 Shake, A. G. Cook, Bladee, Kelly Lee Owens, The Dare and The Japanese House.

In addition, sustainability-led festival We Love Green will return to Paris, France, from 6-8 June with an exclusive French performance from Charli XCX, who will be joined by Magdalena Bay, Parcels, Horsegiirl, Spill Tab, Kavinsky and Air, among others.

Oslo’s Øya Festival (5-9 August) will star Chappell Roan, who will perform her first concert in Norway. The event has also announced Queens of the Stone Age, Girl in Red, Khruangbin, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, The Mary Wallopers, Kneecap, Anna of the North, Nilüfer Yanya, MJ Lenderman and the Wind, The Impossible Green and Anna Lille.

Pinkpop will be topped by Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Muse

Dutch institution Pinkpop (20-22 June) in Megaland, Landgraaf, will be topped by Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Muse. Also on the bill are the likes of Oscar and the Wolf, The Last Dinner Party, Korn, Biffy Clyro, Weezer, Bad Nerves, Girl in Red, Kaiser Chiefs, Confidence Man, Mika, Cypress Hill, Purple Disco Machine and The Warning.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Paaspop will host Faithless, Loreen, Son Mieux, UB40, Joost, Frenna & the Gang, Goldband and The Kooks, among others.

Pohoda (10-12 July) in Slovakia boasts Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stone Age and Fontaines D.C., alongside acts such as JPEGMAFIA, Deadletter, JME, Joey Valence & Brae, Blondshell, Bambie Thug, BSÍ, Barcelona Gipsy BalKan Orchestra and Maruja.

Back in the UK, Kasabian, Courteeners, Nothing But Thieves and Bloc Party head Truck Festival‘s 2025 edition at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, from 24-27 July. The Last Dinner Party, Blossoms, Franz Ferdinand, Wunderhorse, Reytons, Hard Life, CMAT, Sports Team and Natasha Bedingfield are also on the bill.

Tramlines (25-27 July) in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, will be headed by hometown favourites Pulp, who will also curate the opening day, Reytons and Kasabian. Other acts include Spiritualized, Franz Ferdinand, The Last Dinner Party, Baxter Dury, John Grant, Rizzle Kicks, Natasha Bedingfield, Jake Bugg, The Lathums, Sigrid and CMAT.

The team behind the UK’s oldest independent festival Towersey, which came to an end this year, are planning a new chapter with the launch of a boutique event Found Festival (22-24 August) at Claydon Estate, Buckingham. Billed as a place to discover “head-turners not headliners” the soon-to-be-released programme will comprise Americana, folk, country, roots, blues and world music.

Meanwhile, new one-day festival Rock the Castle (19 July) will showcase Welsh music at Cardiff Castle, featuring Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout, Punk Rock Factory, Casey, Dream State and Kill The Lights.

And Ireland’s All Together Now (31 July-3 August) returns to Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford for its sixth edition, with acts including Fontaines D.C., Bicep present Chroma, CMAT, Wet Leg, Michael Kiwanuka, Leftfield, John Grant and English Teacher.

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