To celebrate the work of some of the international live music industry’s pioneers, IQ Magazine has launched a new series, The Architects, in which we celebrate the key players who laid the foundations for today’s vibrant global business.

In this second instalment, Herman Schueremans explains his part in putting Belgium on the live music map – and his pivotal role in constructing an ecosystem from the ground up that has made his country such an important hub for the European business. 

Living in a land bereft of live music was never going to work for teenage Herman Schueremans, but rather than bemoan the situation or relocate somewhere that international acts would visit, the determined young man made it his mission to change Belgium’s appeal.

Passionate about music, at the age of 14, Schueremans picked up a guitar and formed a band with friends. But when after a couple of years he found himself playing bass guitar, the writing was on the wall.

“My skills just were not good enough, and the next step was that at age 17, I became the band’s manager, so my dreams of being a rock star did not last long,” he says.

Determined to make his mark, Schueremans got in touch with the organisers of existing events to offer his help to bring in emerging musical talent.

“Before Werchter, there were a couple of festivals – one in Comblain-la-Tour, and there was also Bilzen, but it was always so badly organised: names were announced that were not coming and Hells Angels were doing the security, so I felt that things could be done better.

“I contacted Bilzen, but it was organised by a committee – the local priest, the local lawyer, and other people from the establishment – and they were not interested in my help.” However, inspired by a documentary he had seen on Woodstock, at the age of just 18, Schueremans organised his own festival in the town of Herent, just a few kilometres from his home in Leuven.

“Before Werchter, there were a couple of festivals but I felt that things could be done better”

“I booked a few local acts and sold about 800 tickets for the festival,” he recalls. His enthusiasm had also landed him a role as a writer for Dutch magazine Music Express, and a couple of weeks after his own event, he found himself attending another new festival just a few kilometres away in Werchter.

“It was organised by a guy called Hedwig De Meyer, and he managed to sell tickets to 800 or 900 people, so when I spoke to him, I suggested we work together on a festival rather than both trying to do separate events.”

Frustrated by the number of British and American acts who would simply drive through Belgium on their way to perform at concerts and festivals in Germany, Schueremans set about building the festival brand with De Meyer while also thinking outside of the box to establish a Belgian tour circuit for the acts he’d manage to persuade to visit his country.

“Of course, when you first go to London, you’re Mr. Nobody. So my first shows started with the likes of Kevin Coyne, Kevin Ayers, The Jess Roden Band, and then some Dutch acts like Kayan, Gruppo Sportivo, Jan Akkerman, and Dr. Feelgood,” explains Schueremans.

Determined to bring some of the exciting emerging acts to Belgium, Schueremans would book himself into youth hostels in London and wait on the doorsteps of agencies to try to secure meetings with the relevant people.

“At a certain point, I found myself at an agency called NEMS, where I met Ed Bicknell; he talked about his act Dire Straits, who I loved, and I ended up taking them for a week-long tour, where we did the whole Belgian circuit. That was the real start for me.”

Continue reading The Architects: Herman Schueremans in IQ 135.

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IQ 135, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s leading magazine, is available to read online now.

In the May 2025 issue, Hanna Ellington goes behind the scenes of Usher’s Past Present Future residency tour. She also teamed up with Gordon Masson to speak with some of the leading professionals involved in the continuing rise of country music.

In the latest instalment of The Architect series, Masson also sat down with Herman Schueremans to speak about his role in developing the market in his native Belgium and beyond.

Adam Woods turns his focus to India in our latest market report, exploring the subcontinent’s live music scene and its highly promising trajectory.

Meanwhile, Derek Robertson spoke with professionals in the live audio sector to discover some new technological series made in the space, while Eamonn Forde delved into the growth market of diaspora shows.

Nine months on from Legends’ blockbuster acquisition of ASM Global, Chris Bray tells IQ about the merger process and their hopes for the future.

For comments and columns, Electric Castle’s Oltea Zambori questions what’s next for sustainable live music, while OCESA’s Jorge Cambronero details how Shakira is making history across Latin America.

A selection of magazine content will appear online in the next four weeks but to ensure your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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After a barren few years for new headliners, the festival business suddenly finds itself with an embarrassment of riches to choose from.

The industry struggled to produce fresh superstar talent over a decade of discontent – a drought that was exacerbated by the global touring boom, as A-list acts increasingly skipped the festival circuit in favour of their own headline shows.

Yet accusations of an over-reliance on heritage acts – ironically enough – are becoming a thing of the past. According to ROSTR, which analysed the 2024 lineups of 50 top European festivals, the artist with the most headline slots this year was Fred Again.. with seven, followed by Måneskin (6) and Dua Lipa, The Chainsmokers, Lana Del Rey, SZA, Sam Smith, Bring Me The Horizon and Pulp (5).

With the exception of Pulp, all of the above broke through in the 2010s or later, while the likes of Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Halsey and Hozier have also ascended to the top table in recent years.

Next year’s lineups have seen a continuation of the trend, with the likes of Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter ascending to headline status. Most startlingly of all, however, is the world’s fastest-rising artist Chappell Roan, who will top the bill at multiple major European festivals despite having just one album under her belt.

So what makes a festival headliner in this day and age? Primavera Sound’s head of bookings Fra Soler argues the criteria has not radically altered.

“There are two types of headliners: those with long careers… and those who have just exploded and are very hot at the moment”

“Festivals seek headliners who are successful, relevant and sell tickets,” he tells IQ. “It’s the same for 2024/25. At Primavera, since we are a tastemaking festival, we always like to present acts at the early stages of their careers and bet on potential headliners of the future. It has occurred several times that an act we booked in September has become a headliner by the time Primavera happens in June.”

Primavera Sound Barcelona has booked an all-female headline slate for 2025, featuring Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter.

“We have a very deep lineup, with more than 100 acts, and our idea has always been to tell different stories through our line-up,” says Soler. “In a way, our curation is also one of our headliners. That said, we also look for quality, relevance, success and freshness in a headliner.”

Moreover, Soler does not consider 26-year-old Roan’s meteoric rise to be indicative of a new phenomenon.

“There are two types of headliners: those with long careers who have achieved a status and maintained it, and those who have just exploded and are very hot at the moment,” he asserts. “For the latter, we hope they maintain their profile over the years and remain headliners for many years to come.

“It is true that we’ve been through some sort of headliner drought in recent years, so it’s great to have fresh and new headliners emerging.”

“When we see how fast acts like these can grow and deliver headliner-worthy shows, it gives us bright hope for the future”

Roan and Charli XCX will also star at Norway’s 22,000-cap Øya Festival alongside Queens of the Stone Age and Girl in Red.

“We have been lucky getting our first choices confirmed this year, all with very different criteria,” says the Oslo event’s founder, owner and booker Claes Olsen. “QOTSA had to cancel last year due to illness, so we’re very happy that Josh [Homme, frontman] is healthy again and ready to be back on the road next summer, while Girl in Red is our local headliner and we are proud of giving the Saturday headline slot to a domestic act.”

Olsen discloses: “On both Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, we made the offers early for slots lower down the bill, then they both grew and grew and the offer got bigger. When we got the confirmed and announced they were definitely solid main stage headliners for us.

“When we as an industry debates the lack of headliners, I must say that when we see how fast acts like these can grow and deliver headliner-worthy shows, it gives us bright hope for the future.”

Olsen concurs with Soler’s view that there have always been exceptions to the rule, with the size of the festival also playing a part.

“At Øya we kind of have to be creative and find a way to lift up new headliners,” he offers. “When we moved Kendrick Lamar up to headline level in 2013 that was also due to the artist growing quickly, and the same with Robyn in 2010; it all happened after we confirmed her and had to move her up.”

“While these names may seem like exceptions, they increasingly represent a trend that any festival must take into account”

Conversely, Virág Csiszár, head of international booking at Hungary’s Sziget, believes the quickfire ascents of Eilish, Roan and Fred Again.. are reflective of “significant changes” in the music industry.

Sziget 2025 will be headed by Roan, Charli XCX and Anyma, and Csiszár points to the emergence of TikTok and streaming platforms for enabling artists to quickly build large fanbases.

“While these names may seem like exceptions, they increasingly represent a trend that any festival must take into account,” she contends.

Moreover, Csiszár insists the public holds a significant say in determining Sziget’s lineup, with the distinct makeup of the festival’s audience also factored in.

“We heavily rely on visitor feedback, conducting various surveys and online questionnaires to monitor which artists generate the most interest each year and who our audience wants to see in the closing slot of the main stage,” says Csiszár. “We do not solely consider Hungarian market demands but also place significant emphasis on the favourites of international visitors when selecting performers.”

“It’s no longer about how long an artist has been in the game, it’s about how they connect with an audience”

Nicholas Greco, co-founder and managing partner of Australia’s Unitled Group, promoter of festivals such as Beyond The Valley, agrees the headliner model has shifted.

“With the speed at which social media propels artists into global stardom, audiences expect festivals to be forward-thinking and at the forefront of cultural trends,” he observes. “Festivals have become breeding grounds for the next wave of talent, which means we have to stay ahead of emerging global trends and new artists before they fully break.”

Greco continues: “It’s no longer about how long an artist has been in the game, it’s about how they connect with an audience. If an artist can create a genuine connection and the crowd can already see their superstar potential, they’ll follow. This is why acts like Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Fred Again.. headlined festivals early in their careers – they’ve managed to capture a moment in time and build a significant, engaged fanbase rapidly.”

Elsewhere in Belgium, Sam Fender is among the headliners for the next edition of Belgium’s Rock Werchter, which prompts organiser Herman Schueremans to share a point of personal pride.

“A lot of our headliners for either Rock Werchter, TW Classic or Werchter Boutique first played when they were an upcoming act and come back later as a headliner,” beams the Live Nation Belgium CEO. “They say it is like coming home for them. We keep building acts and the criteria stays the same – quality!”

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Rock Werchter founder and Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans says the festival has seen its fastest-ever ticket sales for next year’s edition.

With the Belgian festival turning 50 next year, Rock Werchter organisers have secured a blockbuster lineup headlined by Linkin Park, Green Day, Sam Fender and Olivia Rodrigo.

The anniversary event, slated for 3-6 July 2025 at Werchter Festival Park, will also feature performances from Deftones, Simple Minds, Raye, Noah Kahan, Fontaines DC, Girl in Red, Gracie Abrams and Maribou State.

The bill has been met with audience approval, with 89,000 tickets (combi and day) sold in 10 days and a further 11,500 sold last week after the 5 December lineup announcement.

“We are very pleased with the lineup as it is once more an eclectic mix of genres from artists at all levels – from top artists to mid-size and upcoming artists – all with the potential of a long-term career,” Schueremans tells IQ.

With strong sales across LN Belgium’s stable of events, the CEO believes that the secret to success in the festival world is evolution.

“An artist is only as good as his last show – that also applies to festival promotors and teams”

“There will be a continuation of the challenges we saw in previous years – rising costs and artists fees and there will be too many festivals,” he says. “So organisers need to renew the way festivals are experienced, from how audiences travel to how they recycle to their health and safety.

“An artist is only as good as his last show – that also applies to festival promotors and teams. Passion instead of routine – that’s what will determine whether a festival is successful or not.”

Another LN Belgium festival enjoying success is Rock Werchter’s sister event TW Classic, which sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale.

The one-day event saw 55,000 tickets priced at €133 snapped up, following the announcement of Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams as headliners.

Texas, Skunk Anansie, Lottery Winners and Portland are also set to perform at the festival, which takes place on 28 June 2025 at Werchter Festival Park, the weekend before Rock Werchter.

As Schueremans points out, the four top-billing artists for TW Classic 2025 all have a place within Rock Werchter’s legacy.

“Value for money is one of our key baselines”

Bryan Adams, Robbie Williams, Texas and Skunk Anansie performed on the same Rock Werchter bill 25 years ago, while Adams was featured on TW Classic’s first-ever line-up in 2002.

It’s not just the artists who will enjoy a homecoming at next year’s TW Classic but also the organisers, who cancelled the 2024 event after admitting they had failed to put together a top line-up for each of the day festivals.

“Our bar is high and we always aim for the best. Mediocrity is not an option,” they said in a statement at the time.

Werchter Boutique, another sister festival in the same location that takes place the weekend after Rock Werchter, was also called off this year and will return in 2025.

“The two headliners for Werchter Boutique 2024 decided not to tour, so we decided not to do it this year as we only want to deliver and present top-quality bills to our audiences,” explains Schueremans. “Value for money is one of our key baselines.”

Taking place on 12 July 2025, Werchter Boutique has so far confirmed Imagine Dragons for a headline set, with support from Declan McKenna. Ticket sales are currently up to 50,000 and with the final lineup announcement set for 11 December, the event is expected to sell out before Christmas.

“Our audiences are treated well as kings and queens and enjoy it and come back”

Both one-day festivals have been reduced from 60,000 capacity to 55,000 to “give the fans more comfort on the site and help the flow of cars, bicycles and public transport,” adds Schueremans.

Other Live Nation Belgium festivals Graspop Metal Meeting (est. 1996) and Dour (est. 1989) are also selling well, while Pukkelpop’s lineup will be announced in February.

Inclement weather at this year’s Graspop hasn’t put a dampener on demand for 2025, as the four-day metal festival in Dessel saw 40,000 tickets fly off the shelf within the first 48 hours of going on sale.

“It’s a top start, as in 2024,” comments Schueremans. “Graspop has a loyal and dedicated audience.”

Commenting on the promoter’s success across the board, Schueremans says: “Our audience likes going to our festivals as they get value for money, are treated well as kings and queens and enjoy it and come back. Not only artists want to stay forever young but also music lovers. Music unites.”

Read the IQ feature on Schueremans’ 50 years in the business here.

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Belgium’s TW Classic sold out in 90 minutes following the announcement of Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams as headliners.

Williams will top the festival’s lineup for the first time since 2015 as part of his highly anticipated Robbie Williams Live 2025 outing.

The billing was met with high demand when around 60,000 tickets priced at €133 flew off the shelves in 90 minutes last Friday (15 November).

It marked a spectacular comeback for Rock Werchter’s sister event which was called off last year along with Werchter Boutique.

At the time, organisers said they had failed to put together a top line-up for each of the day festivals. “Our bar is high and we always aim for the best. Mediocrity is not an option,” they added.

Last Friday, around 60,000 tickets priced at €133 flew off the shelves within an hour and a half

Established in 2022 as a “tribute to the early days of Rock Werchter,” the festival has previously featured artists such as Bruce Springsteen, P!nk, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Florence + The Machine, Placebo, The Kid Laroi, The Smile and more.

The Live Nation Belgium-promoted event will return on Saturday 28 June 2025 to Festivalpark in Werchter, which is also home to Rock Werchter and Werchter Boutique.

Werchter Boutique is also set to make a comeback on Saturday 12 July 2025, with a headline set by Imagine Dragons and support from Declan McKenna among others.

Meanwhile, the lineup for the 50th edition of Rock Werchter (3–6 July) is shaping up, with Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day, Linkin Park and Sam Fender topping the bill.

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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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The 2025 festival calendar is starting to take shape with a number of major events releasing their lineups.

Northern Europe’s largest festival, Denmark’s Roskilde, has unveiled the first wave of artists for its 53rd edition next summer, including headliner Stormzy.

Arca, Fontaines D.C., Magdalena Bay, Beth Gibbons, Electric Callboy, Jessica Pratt, Geordie Greep, Sanam, Esy Tadesse, MØ and Faye Webster are also among the first 28 acts to be confirmed for the 28 June to 5 July event.

“At Roskilde Festival, we aim to lay the groundwork for a brighter future by inspiring hope and action for new generations,” says CEO Signe Lopdrup. “We combine big utopian visions with tangible, everyday solutions that point towards new paths. Art plays a crucial role as a catalyst for change, and in 2025, participants at Roskilde Festival will experience an engaging and progressive lineup across music, performances, art installations, and activism.”

For the first time, two-day tickets are being introduced, allowing participants to choose any two of the festival’s final four days for DKK 2,070 (€278). Full festival tickets are priced DKK2,520.

Belgium’s Rock Werchter (3-6 July), meanwhile, has confirmed Sam Fender as its second headliner. The British singer-songwriter, who first performed on the festival’s discovery stage Slope in 2018, will close the main stage on 5 July, joining Green Day (4 July) at the top of the bill.

Following a record year, Germany’s Jazzopen (2-13 July) is expanding its 7,500-cap main stage lineup to seven days. The Stuttgart festival will host the likes of Kylie Minogue, Raye, Jacob Collier, Jean-Michel Jarre and Lionel Richie, while Joe Bonamassa will play at the Blues Night on 10 July..

“We are going all in with this lineup,” says promoter Jürgen Schlensog. “The programme couldn’t be more colourful. We are looking forward to three generations on stage and in the audience.”

Also in Germany, MS Dockville, which will take place in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg on 15-16 August, will announce one act per day this week, with The Last Dinner Party the first to be unveiled, while Simple Minds (24 July) and Thirty Seconds to Mars (5 July) are the first artists announced for Italy’s Lucca Summer Festival.

Elsewhere, Deftones have announced their first UK performance since 2022, with their biggest UK show to date set for London’s Crystal Palace Park on 29 June, alongside special guests Weezer and High Vis. The park will also host a sold-out headline show from Rüfüs Du Sol on 5 July.

American folk-pop star Noah Kahan will also play his biggest UK concert yet when he headlines BST Hyde Park in London on 4 July.

South Wales’ In It Together (23-25 May) will be headlined by Kaiser Chiefs, Becky Hill and Ronan Keating. Also on the bill are acts including Myles Smith, James Morrison, Daniel Bedingfield, Peter Doherty, Bru-C, Josh Baker, SHY FX, Nova Twins, David Rodigan, Jason Donovan, Sugarhill Gang and Vengaboys, among others. Tickets are already 75% sold out, according to organiser Escape.

Mexico’s Tecate Pa’l Norte returns to Monterrey, Nuevo León, between 4-6 April, featuring Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day, Justin Timberlake, Charli XCX, 
Kings of Leon, Massive Attack, Seventeen, Fall Out Boy, Gesaffelstein, Black Keys, Caifanes, Benson Boone, Parcels, 
The Chainsmokers, and Garbage, among others.

And in the US, Las Vegas Festival Grounds will once again welcome When We Were Young on 18 October, topped by Panic! at the Disco and Blink-182. Other names include Weezer, Avril Lavigne, The Offspring, All Time Low, The Used, Knocked Loose and The Gaslight Anthem.

The second annual Montreux Jazz Festival Miami will run from February 28 to March 2, with headliners including Jon Batiste & Friends, Janelle Monáe and an Afro-Cuban La Descarga (improvised jam session) hosted by Batiste and Cimafunk, with Alfredo Rodriguez, Cimafunk & La Tribu, Pedrito Martinez, Robe L Ninho, Wampi, Yissy Garcia and Monsieur Periné.

The intimate 1,500-cap festival, which will be staged at The Hangar at Regatta Cove in Coconut Grove, also includes the return of the Legendary Montreux Jam Session each night of the festival, curated by Batiste and featuring his band Stay Human, as well as a series of masterclasses available to VIP ticket holders.

Fall Out Boy and The Killers will headline the seventh annual Innings Festival (21-22 February) at Arizona’s Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park. Bringing together 18 artists across two stages for no overlapping sets, thelineup includes Incubus, The Black Keys, Slightly Stoopid, The All-American Rejects, eck, Gary Clark Jr., Boyz II Men and Jack’s Mannequin, among others.

Plus, The Lumineers and Kacey Musgraves will headline the second Extra Innings Festival at the same venue on 28 February and 1 March. The 2025 lineup brings 20 artists to two stages for no overlapping sets from Kings of Leon, Megan Moroney, The Red Clay Strays, Maren Morris, Grace Potter, O.A.R., Wyatt Flores, Sam Barber, Trampled by Turtles and more.

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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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Rock Werchter founder Herman Schueremans is already turning his attention to the event’s 50th anniversary next year in the wake of a successful 2024 edition.

Belgium’s biggest music festival, which ran from 4-7 June, starred headliners Lenny Kravitz, Måneskin, Dua Lipa and Foo Fighters.

Acts such as Avril Lavigne, Jane’s Addiction, PJ Harvey, The Hives, Black Pumas, Sum 41, Yungblud, Tom Odell, Royal Blood, Pretenders, Idles and Snow Patrol also featured on the bill.

On-site improvements included a brand-new KluB C tent and an upgraded The Barn, with open fronts and new screens mounted on both tents. Tickets for the sold out 88,000-cap rock institution were priced at €309.

“Everything ran smoothly,” Schueremans tells IQ. “We are extremely proud of our team.”

The Live Nation Belgium CEO says extra precautions were put in place in advance of the event due to wet weather in the region over the past few weeks and months.

“We anticipated it already at the end end of May and started putting extra drainage on the festival site and the camping area. We ordered extra steel plates, extra sand and managed to present a top festival site to our audience.”

Fewer parking tickets were available as not all areas of the site were sufficiently dry, prompting organisers to put on extra public transport and additional space for bicycles. As a result, 20,000 bikes were parked per day – a new Rock Werchter record – while a total of 17,000 festivalgoers commuted to Werchter from Leuven and Aarschot railway stations.

“There will be some top talent available [next year] and we are holding options already”

The festival, which attracted 155,000 unique visitors over four days, passed off with no major emergencies, with the Red Cross recording 4,300 medical interventions – well down from previous years, while a mobility review that took place following significant traffic jams at the 2023 event also had the desired effect.

“Significantly fewer traffic disruptions occurred this year,” local mayor Jelle Wouters tells the Brussels Times.

Rock Werchter turns 50 in 2025, when it will return from 3-6 July, having been held every year since 1975 apart from the pandemic-hit 2020. And following complaints of a dearth of headliners affecting the wider European sector across the 2024 calendar, Schueremans says the early signs for next summer are positive.

“The top result of our 2024 Rock Werchter edition indicates we’ll be ready for our 50th edition in 2025,” he says. “There will be some top talent available and we are holding options already.”

Wrapping up, the promoter expresses pride that the overall Belgian festival scene continues to hold its own.

“Belgium has a lot of festivals. They all have their own profile and keep doing wonderfully well,” he says. “Rock Werchter, Graspop Metal Meeting and Pukkelpop sell out.

“Belgium and Belgians have a festival DNA. Smaller countries as Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland are successful in organising festivals that became cultural heritage and part of society. Music unites.”

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With the European festival season in full swing, IQ is previewing what the forthcoming weekend has in store…

Dutch festival Down The Rabbit Hole (5–7 July) will welcome a sold-out crowd for its 2024 edition, after selling all 45,000 tickets in less than 45 minutes of going on sale.

The Mojo-promoted event at De Groene Heuvels near Ewijk will feature performances from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Michael Kiwanuka, The National, Jungle, Raye, Jessie Ware and Khruangbin.

Meanwhile, hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria (5–7) as the only European edition in 2024.

The Live Nation Germany-promoted event, dubbed Rolling Loud Europe, will take over Racino in Ebreichsdorf, an open-air venue on the outskirts of Vienna.

Nicki Minaj, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott will headline the premiere, with support from acts including Ice Spice, Shirin David and Don Toliver.

In Belgium, Rock Werchter (4–7) is already underway at Festivalpark in Werchter. The Live Nation Belgium-promoted event is headlined by Foo Fighters, Dua Lipa, Lenny Kravitz and Måneskin. Day tickets have sold out for four of the five dates.

Bombay Bicycle Club, Snow Patrol, Yungblud and Sum 41, The Last Dinner Party, Nothing But Thieves, Avril Lavigne and Khruangbin, Michael Kiwanuka, Arlo Parks and Royal Blood will also perform at Belgium’s biggest festival over the coming days.

Hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria this weekend

Dua Lipa and Foo Fighters are also headlining Open’er (3–6) on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia, alongside Doja Cat.

Addition acts for the Alter Art-promoted event include Hozier, Charli XCX, Don Toliver, Måneskin, Disclosure, Ashnikko, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Air, Loyle Carner, Michael Kiwanuka, Floating Points, Kim Gordon, Tom Morello, Sampha and Slowdive.

Ruisrock (5–7), the second oldest rock festival in Europe, will once again take over the national park of Ruissalo in Turku, Finland this weekend.

The Chainsmokers, Hardwell, Disclosure, PMMP and Stormzy are top are top billing for the 2024 edition, which will host up to 35,000 people a day.

Elsewhere, electronic music festival Balaton Sound (3–6) is afoot on the beach in Zamárdi, Hungary.

Marshmello, Alison Wonderland, Adam Beyer, Amelie Lens and Timmy Trumpet are among the acts performing at the event, organised by the team behind Sziget in Budapest.

Other festivals taking place this weekend include Electric Love Festival (AU), Lovely Days Festival (AU), Lytham Festival (UK), Les Eurockéennes de Belfort (FR), Awakenings Summer Festival (NL), Love Supreme Jazz Festival (UK) and Comfort Festival (IT).

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