Leeds Festival returns with a bill that is stacked with one of the widest varieties of acts you will see.

Words: Ben Whitehurst

As one of the UK’s longest-running and most genre-defining music festivals, Leeds Festival has never been afraid to evolve. What began as an offshoot of Reading in 1999 is now a cultural behemoth in its own right. With a capacity north of 75,000 and a history of launching legends, Leeds 2025 is set to once again shake the foundations of Bramham Park. And this year? It looks bolder, brasher and more genre-fluid than ever.

Headliner Heat: Big Guns Taking Over

Travis Scott is opens the weekend with what is billed as his only European festival appearance this year. Known for stage-diving chaos and searing visuals, the Houston-born rapper will unleash his Utopia-era madness on the history-rich Yorkshire soil. His 2025 set won’t just be a performance, it promises to be a headline statement where rap dominates the global stage, and Leeds will be firmly tuned in.

Hozier follows on Saturday, injecting soul, blues, and emotional weight into the line-up. With Unreal Unearth still resonating across playlists and concert halls, expect a poignant, captivating set that stands out for its spiritual depth and sweeping musicianship.

Sharing Saturday’s headline space is Chappell Roan, whose rise from cult pop queen to main stage star has been nothing short of meteoric. She’ll bring glitter, guts and gorgeous synth-pop to Leeds in what will be her UK festival headline debut – a true Femininomenon!

Closing Sunday are Sheffield metalcore legends Bring Me The Horizon, promising their final European festival performance for this cycle. Expect a parting shot packed with dystopian visuals, anthemic roars, and a crowd of thousands in synchronised chaos.

Other major names lighting up the Main Stage include Limp Bizkit, Enter Shikari, The Kooks, Bloc Party, Sea Girls, Conan Gray, Wallows, and Waterparks. If there was ever a festival where 2000s nostalgia meets future sounds, Leeds 2025 is it.

Ones to Watch: The Rising Class

Beneath the headliners lies a pulsating undercurrent of new-gen artists ready to erupt. Still Woozy, Bartees Strange, and The Dare bring fresh genre-splicing energy to the alternative circuit. From funky lo-fi beats to post-punk dancefloor chaos, these artists represent the collapse of musical boundaries.

Charlotte Plank, Jazzy, and Sammy Virji carry the torch for a new era of UK dance and garage, blending soulful hooks with punchy production. Lancey Foux, an underground fashion icon and grime innovator , is set to fire up a loyal fanbase, while Rudimental will surely deliver a euphoric live show to close out the dance tents.

Also on radar are Pale Waves, Nell Mescal, Matilda Mann, and Lambrini Girls. The latter, punk to their core, are bound to cause an unholy riot wherever they land.

Bramham’s Beat: Leeds as a Festival Institution

Leeds is more than just Reading’s northern twin. Since its birth in ’99, it’s developed its own voice and swagger. Initially a haven for rock and alternative acts, the festival has morphed with the times, welcoming grime, rap, pop, and electronic in a bid to mirror the UK’s ever-diversifying musical tastes.

It’s the place where Arctic Monkeys exploded from MySpace obscurity, where The Libertines famously fell apart and reformed, and where Kendrick Lamar solidified hip-hop’s claim to the UK main stage.

In many ways, Leeds is a cultural pulse-check. It tells us not just what we’re listening to, but where music is going. Whether it’s a late-night set in the BBC Introducing stage or a headliner reshaping their genre, Leeds is a testing ground for the future.

Check out the previous line-ups of the festival here. Look at Arctic Monkeys’ jump from 2005 obscurity to second billing in 2006!

Leeds 2025: Day-by-Day Vibe Check

Friday kicks off with fire. Travis Scott headlines with rage-ready energy, but he’s flanked by punk firebrands Amyl & The Sniffers, melodic rock from Wallows, and mosh-pit rap from D-Block Europe. Expect a blitz of noise, sweat and stadium-level showmanship.

Saturday swings between soft and sharp. Hozier offers a spiritual reset, Chappell Roan brings queer-pop perfection, and The Kooks and Bloc Party play nostalgia cards with millennial indie bangers.

Sunday is the heaviest of the lot. Bring Me The Horizon drop their dystopian sermon, Limp Bizkit transport us back to nu-metal’s heyday, and Enter Shikari will no doubt deliver one of the most politically charged and pyrotechnic sets of the weekend. If you survive that mosh, Conan Gray will soothe your soul with clean-cut pop perfection.

PERSONAL PICKS

As a massive indie head, this is where my personal festival trail will be leading me…these are sets I will not be missing.

Friday…

• Del Water Gap: Honest lyricism and dreamy indie-pop that hits right in the feels.
• Anthony Szmierek: Spoken word meets groovy beats – think The Streets for the next generation.
• Cliffords: Youthful energy and gritty Irish indie.
• The Dare: Pure chaos and synth-punk fun. This one’s for dancing till your shoes fall off.

Saturday…

• Wallows: Consistently cool and full of jangly alt-rock textures.
• The Royston Club: Fast becoming indie mainstays, their live set is tighter than ever.
• The Chats: High-voltage Aussie punk rock, raw and hilarious in equal measure.

Sunday…

• Royel Otis: Irresistible hooks and surfy guitar tones – perfect daytime vibes.
• Good Neighbours: One of the most exciting UK indie-pop duos right now.
• Wunderhorse: Dark, moody, poetic – a modern-day torchbearer for grunge and indie.
• Keo: Rising through the grassroots ranks fast, keep your ears open for anthems-in-waiting. Why Leeds 2025 Matters

There are festivals, and then there’s Leeds. Year after year, it balances nostalgia with the now, giving new artists a launchpad while paying homage to icons. Leeds doesn’t just curate music. It curates moments. And for those four wild days in August, it reminds us that the future of music isn’t coming, it’s already here.

Leeds 2025 isn’t just a weekend. It’s a reckoning. See you At The Barrier.

You can buy tickets for Leeds Festival 2025 here.

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