2025 festivals: Rock en Seine scores Chappell Roan exclusive
Rock en Seine has secured Chappell Roan’s one and only performance in France in 2025.
The US star will headline the opening night of the Paris event, slated for 20–24 August at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud.
She joins a rich lineage of Rock en Seine headliners which includes Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish and Arctic Monkeys.
Also set to perform on the opening day of the festival are London Grammar, Suki Waterhouse and Luvcat – currently the only other acts announced for the 20th edition.
Rock en Seine is promoted by AEG Presents, which acquired the 40,000-capacity festival in 2017 in partnership with media investment group LNEI.
In 2022, Rock en Seine GM Matthieu Ducos and AEG European festivals boss Jim King previewed a new era for the festival, which they said has “the potential to be one of the world’s leading city-based festivals”.
Elsewhere, Czech Republic’s Rock For People is also gearing up for its 30th anniversary edition, adding a fresh slate of acts to the bill.
Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter has been named as the final headliner for the event, joining Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot and Linkin Park.
Rock For People have also announced that the landmark edition will be extended to a fifth full day
Organisers have also announced that the landmark edition will be extended to a fifth full day headlined by Guns N’ Roses, with support from Rival Sons and more.
Four-day festival ticket holders have the opportunity to purchase Sunday’s programme at a discounted price.
An additional 40 acts have also been announced including Biffy Clyro, Kneecap, AWOLNATION, Marc Rebillet, Sigrid, New Jersey, Lorna Shore, Battlesnake, Refused, Eagles Of Death Metal, Circa Waves, The Ghost Inside, Deafheaven, Kim Dracula, RØRY, Imminence, Mallrat, DVNE, Bad Nerves, Imminence, DVNE, Sylosis, Lake Malice, The Haunt and Urn.
Previously announced acts include Fontaines D.C., IDLES, In Flames, Motionless In White, Poppy, Skillet and Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell.
Rock For People founder Michal Thomes says that 90% of the full-festival tickets are sold out already, six months before the event.
“The bar for the festival is once again being raised and we are seeing a huge demand for tickets that we have never seen before,” he adds.
Last year, booker David Nguyễn told IQ how the festival triumphed over the ‘headliner drought’ to produce the record-breaking 2024 edition.
Rock for People 2025 takes place 11–15th June 2025 at Park 360, Hradec Králové, Czechia.
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What makes a major festival headliner?
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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Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan set for UK fests
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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Primavera Sound Barcelona unveils 2025 lineup
Primavera Sound Barcelona has unveiled its “all-embracing, eclectic and unparalleled” 2025 lineup, headlined by Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
Hailed by organisers as “the three most important artists of the moment”, the trio are among the first 147 names to be confirmed for the festival’s 23rd edition, which features acts such as FKA Twigs, Haim, LCD Soundsystem, Anohni and the Johnsons, Beabadoobee, Wet Leg and Zaho de Sagazan.
Returning to Parc Del Fòrum from 5-7 June, the gender-balanced bill also includes the likes of Idles, Jamie xx, Beach House Stereolab, Sturgill Simpson, Paul Kalkbrenner, Alan Sparhawk, Caribou, Amaia, DJ Koze, Kim Deal, Armand Van Helden, Turnstile, TV On The Radio, Cat Power, Floating Points, Denzel Curry and Fontaines D.C.
Full festival tickets go on sale on 29 October, cost €295 (€265.50 for Revolut clients), with VIP tickets available for €495 (€445.50).
Primavera co-director Alfonso Lanza, head of press and public relations Marta Pallerès and head of bookings Fra Soler gave an insight into the success of the event in a keynote interview at last month’s International Festival Forum (IFF) in London.
“There’s no secret,” said Soler. “We’re music lovers, we enjoy what we do, and we love to listen to music. So, I think that enables us to get some of the artists before they break through on a global stage. We always take pleasure in discovering and meeting bands, and that’s helped us build lasting relationships with them.
“Some of the headliners played at Primavera before they became headliners for little money, and they appreciate the fact that we spotlighted them from the beginning. And the other thing is we try to avoid super big headliners and create a big gap between them and the rest of the lineup.”
“The effect a gender-balanced lineup has had for us is reflected in our audience demographics”
Pallerès went on to discuss launching the first gender-balanced lineup in 2019.
“No festival of our size had done that before, and it was quite noticeable because we made headlines for it absolutely everywhere that year,” she said. “The effect a gender-balanced lineup has had for us is reflected in our audience demographics, which features a large number of female attendees.”
The promoters also explained the decision to cancel all of the brand’s South American festivals in 2024
“I would rather refer to this as us skipping a year instead of an outright cancellation,” said Soler. “This industry presents a lot of challenges in terms of the lineup you’re aiming for. So, there’s a so-called ‘headliner draft’ which affects every promoter, and when you go to a different territory, there’s a lot of adjustments that need to be made because every territory has a different preference on what they want to listen to.
“We realise it would be a bit damaging, but we always strive to deliver a festival experience that would be up to Primavera’s standards.”
Primavera Sound Porto – the brand’s Portuguese edition – is set for Parque da Cidade from 12-14 June 2025.
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Chappell Roan’s live team on her ‘exhilarating’ rise
Chappell Roan’s agents and promoters have spoken to IQ about managing the live campaign behind the world’s fastest-rising artist.
The 26-year-old pop star (real name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023 but its commercial breakthrough didn’t come till almost a year later.
In the UK, the record slid into the charts in April this year at number 68 before a 17-week ascent to No.1 at the start of August. In her native US, it only hit peak position on the Billboard 200 chart last month.
Despite the record’s slow burn, her live team had no doubts that the Missouri-born star would get the recognition she deserved.
“It was only a matter of time before the world caught up with Chappell,” says Wasserman Music’s Adele Slater and Anna Bewers, who represent the artist alongside their US colleagues Jackie Nalpant and Kiely Mosiman.
The combination of Roan’s ‘campy-pop’ theatrical shows and a savvy live strategy helped to bring the ‘sleeper hit’ album to life.
“It was only a matter of time before the world caught up with Chappell”
“She started the year supporting Olivia Rodrigo across the US and really connected with her audience,” the agents continue. “Then she went straight onto Coachella and then with each festival appearance throughout the US, she gained traction, upgrading all her headline US dates.”
“At Gov Ball, she emerged from a half-eaten apple in full Statue of Liberty drag as an homage to NYC, and then built up to the biggest audience ever seen on an afternoon slot at Lolla Chicago. The exposure gained from these festival appearances, and the growing loyal, global fan base showed what a force of nature she is.”
These live shows were matched by her performance in the charts, with multiple singles from …Midwest Princess skidding into the top 10.
With the world finally paying attention to Roan, the promoters of her already-underway second headline tour The Midwest Princess Tour were faced with the task of satiating ballooning demand.
“I’ve worked with a lot of overseas artists from the start of their careers but I don’t think I’ve worked on an artist who has blown up like Chappell Roan,” Luke Temple, promoter at SJM Concerts, tells IQ.
“I first heard her music back in 2020. Some of the singles released that year get some of the biggest reactions at the live shows. With her 2023 …Midwest Princess album and multiple singles being in the top 10 for the past four months this year, it shows what an unconventional campaign this has been….very much driven by people being exposed to her songs and falling in love with them. It’s great to see.”
“I’ve worked with a lot of overseas artists from the start of their careers but I don’t think I’ve worked on an artist who has blown up like Chappell Roan”
Having promoted Roan since her very first UK show, Temple is well-versed in adapting to her ever-growing fanbase.
“Our first show on-sale with Chappell was at Colours (300 capacity) in June 2023 and this was quickly upgraded to The Garage (600 Cap),” he remembers. “Fifteen months later we’ve shifted 14,000 tickets [to the Brixton Academy shows] in a heartbeat. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that sort of increase in demand.”
Temple is referring to the star’s three sold-out nights at the 4,921-capacity Brixton Academy in London – a major upgrade from the single show at the 5,300-capacity Hammersmith Apollo that was initially scheduled.
“Normally when rescheduling dates and moving venues you expect fans to be unhappy but I think from the moment she played in the UK, Chappell has built a strong connection with her fans,” says Temple.
“The fans are on the journey with her and from reading her socials, when these dates rescheduled, they understood why they moved and the shows went smoothly with very limited refunds. However, satisfying the huge demand is clearly going to be a challenge going forward.”
“Chappell’s meteoric rise this summer has been nothing short of exhilarating”
DF Concerts’ Ellen McEleney had a similar experience when booking Roan’s only Scotland show, which ended up at O2 Academy Glasgow.
“Chappell’s meteoric rise this summer has been nothing short of exhilarating,” she tells IQ. “The original Scottish show was due to be in a 600-cap room, but due to the incredible demand, we upgraded it twice. Ultimately we settled on O2 Academy Glasgow (2,500), ensuring more fans could be accommodated. I had tried to see if we had the possibility of adding more dates in Scotland, but scheduling constraints limited us to a single show. It’s safe to say this was the hottest ticket in Scotland for 2024.”
McEleney says that closely monitoring fan reactions and social media trends allowed the DF team to be proactive and secure venue upgrades well in advance to meet the overwhelming demand for her shows.
Even with upgraded concerts across the board, demand for Roan’s highly anticipated shows has far outstripped the supply. As a result, a batch of tickets to her US concerts ended up in the hands of scalpers – but not for long.
The singer and her team cancelled “all the scalper tickets we could” before returning them to the market for fans to purchase.
“Due to the lack of regulations in the US, artists have very little control over ensuring tickets on the primary platform go to actual fans at the prices approved by artists and their team,” her US team at Wasserman Music explained.
“Secondary brokers who purchase for high-demand shows make large profits by exploiting fans on secondary ticketing sites but unfortunately that practice is largely not illegal. Ideally, we would have more control in the first place but until then we do feel cancelling obviously fraudulent purchases and re-selling them to actual fans with the help of a request system is the best path forward.”
“Every show is themed to create an all-embracing and devoted community into Chappell’s world, where everyone is welcome”
As McEleney points out: “A rapid rise like this brings challenges such as managing high demand and addressing issues like secondary market touts, which Chappell herself has always been incredibly vocal about protecting her fans from.”
Indeed, Chappell’s close relationship with her fans has gone from strength to strength as the star has gained traction.
“Witnessing Chappell’s intimate interactions with her fans during meet-and-greets and the excitement surrounding her exclusive merchandise, and of course, seeing 2,500 people performing the H-O-T-T-O-G-O dance, was one of the best moments of my career to date,” adds McEleney. “It’s been a privilege to be a part of her journey and we cannot wait to have her back to Scotland.”
Wasserman Music’s Slater and Bewers concludes: “From the start she has been conscious about making the shows as inclusive as possible, including gender-neutral bathrooms and accessibility for all, we want to ensure all fans feel safe and respected at every show. She creates a platform for local drag queens to open, and every show is themed to create an all-embracing and devoted community into Chappell’s world, where everyone is welcome.”
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Chappell Roan cancels Paris, Amsterdam concerts
Chappell Roan has cancelled her upcoming headline dates in France and the Netherlands at short notice, citing “scheduling conflicts”.
The American singer-songwriter was set to perform at Le Bataclan in Paris on 3 September and Melkweg Amsterdam on 4 September as part of the European leg of her Midwest Princess Tour.
Roan’s concert in Berlin, Germany, which was originally slated for Columbiahalle on 31 August, will now take place at the city’s Velodrom on 23 September. Additional tickets go on sale tomorrow (30 August).
“Due to scheduling conflicts, I have had to make the extremely hard decision to cancel my Paris and Amsterdam shows,” she writes on social media. “I have rescheduled my Berlin show to 23 September. I am so sorry and very disappointed. I promise I will be back. I’m heartbroken. Thank you for understanding.”
The 26-year-old’s UK & Ireland shows in September will still go ahead as planned
The 26-year-old’s UK and Ireland shows will still go ahead as planned. The run takes in Manchester Academy (13 September), O2 Academy Glasgow (15 September), Dublin’s Olympia Theatre (17 September) and three nights at O2 Academy Brixton (19-21 September).
She will also star at All Things Go, an independent US festival renowned for its female-dominated lineups, in Forest Hills, New York (28 September) and Columbia, Maryland (29 September). She will also appear at Austin City Limits festival in October.
Roan is represented on the live scene by Wasserman Music agents Jackie Nalpant, Kiely Mosiman, Adele Slater and Anna Bewers.
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LGBTIQ+ List 2024: Paul Lomas, WME
The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.
The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.
To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.
Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Luke Mulligan (he/him), director at Circa 41.
The series continues with Paul Lomas (he/him), booking agent at WME.
Paul Lomas is a booking Agent at WME, having previously worked at X-ray Touring, Festival Republic and Eventim Apollo. He currently lives in Hackney with his boyfriend and their three-year-old dog named Melon. He’s lived in London for the best part of 16 years after coming to university in 2008 to study media and cultural studies. He enjoys live music and festivals, dining out, travelling, and dog walks on the weekend.
Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far.
Watching clients I work with take huge steps in their careers. One of my acts Somebody’s Child went from playing Omeara in Feb 2023 to selling out their biggest headline show to date at Heaven in April. Seeing that growth from 300 to 1,100 people in the space of 14 months was really amazing for me and I’m very excited for the next album and what’s to come. I work on Cigarettes After Sex alongside my boss Josh Javor and to watch their rapid rise over the last 18 months has been incredible. Three sold out nights at Eventim Apollo last year and now two nights at The O2 later this year. They are a great band that I love working with.
“Diversity and inclusion are becoming a massive part of working life in general and it’s great to see it being taken seriously”
What’s your most pressing challenge in the agency business right now?
I wouldn’t say it’s pressing but I think managing expectations for new artists is important. As much as we’d all love to get every festival slot and a big tour support for our developing acts in the first year, it’s not as easy as that, so I think it’s important to be honest from the get-go with any new artist you start working with on what is possible in the early stages and not make too many promises. There are certain things you should work towards rather than rush into right away. Also not taking on too many artists too quickly. It’s easy to get caught up in a buzz act that everyone is after and want to sign everything, but if you end up with too many at the same level you end up competing with yourself.
Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
I think as an industry, the live world is doing pretty well. This IQ Pride List is a great example! Diversity and inclusion are becoming a massive part of working life in general and it’s great to see it being taken seriously. At WME, we have dedicated colleagues who work on inclusion and advocacy and have inclusion programmes you can sign up for where there are organised events and conversations on an ongoing basis. It would be great to see more companies do this.
“It’s important to support anything that has to do with mental health or homelessness due to issues with coming out and not being accepted by family and friends”
Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
Chappell Roan! Her album has been on heavy rotation since it came out last year and I’ve watched loads of videos of her playing on talk shows, live sessions and her Tiny Desk performance – she’s just amazing and so much fun.
Shout out your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Maddie Arnold at Live Nation (who was on this list in 2021!). We met at university in 2008 and have been best friends ever since. It’s great to have such a close friend doing the same thing as you and it’s a pleasure to watch her do so well and I have no doubt that she’ll be one of the top promoters in the country in no time!
Shout out any LGBTIQ+ cause(s) you support.
MindOut and akt are great causes that stand out to me that are helping people in need. It’s important to support anything that has to do with mental health or homelessness due to issues with coming out and not being accepted by family and friends.
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All Things Go detail inaugural New York edition
All Things Go, an independent US festival renowned for its female-dominated lineups, has shared details of a second 2024 event.
The Washington DC-based festival will also take place in New York City this autumn, with headliners Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe, Chappell Roan, MUNA, Ethel Cain and Julien Baker.
The inaugural event will take place at the 13,000-capacity Forest Hills Stadium on 28 and 29 September – the same weekend as its DC counterpart.
Holly Humberstone, Samia, Del Water Gap, Soccer Mommy, Coco & Clair Clair, Mannequin Pussy, Indigo DeSouza, Towa Bird and Annie DiRusso will also perform at the NY debut.
The inaugural event will take place at the 13,000-capacity Forest Hills Stadium on 28 and 29 September
Meanwhile, the All Things Go flagship festival (cap. 40,000) will return to DC’s Merriweather Post Pavilion for a 10th edition, which is sold out for a third consecutive year.
Maren Morris, Remi Wolf, Laufey, Bleachers, Hozier and Conan Gray are on the bill, alongside many of the same acts as the NY edition.
All Things Go started as a blog and blossomed into a one-day festival in 2014. In 2018, singers Maggie Rogers and LPX curated an all-female ATG, solidifying the festival’s commitment to diversity.
Organisers recently spoke to IQ about how curating a diverse event has paid off, saying: “The people want it! We’ve sold out three years in a row, very fast, with a mostly female lineup. At the very least, [festivals should] book 50% female or non-binary acts — there is so much talent out there across genres. Once [festivals] prioritise inclusion [their] community will be stronger because you platform voices that usually don’t get the stage.”
All Things Go has previously hosted the likes of Billie Eilish, boygenius, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Mitski, HAIM, Charli XCX, Lizzy McAlpine, Carly Rae Jepsen and Tove Lo.
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‘The people want it’: All Things Go on diversifying lineups
Independent, female-driven US festival All Things Go is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary this September, with its organisers highlighting how curating a diverse event has paid off.
Speaking with IQ, co-founders Will Suter and Stephen Vallimarescu and brand partnerships and advocacy manager Carlie Webbert discuss the evolution of the DC-based festival. Launching in 2014 as the one-day All Things Go Fall Classic, organisers began curating female-led programming to highlight festivals’ gender imbalance in 2018, with that year’s edition curated by singers Maggie Rogers and LPX.
Since then, the festival has boasted a majority of female and non-binary performers, with the 28-29 September event to be led by Laufey, Bleachers, Hozier, Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe, Conan Gray, and Chappell Roan. It marks the third consecutive sellout for the indie event, with 40,000 fans to attend across two days. Last year, the late-summer event expanded from one day, with the 2023 edition headlined by Lana Del Rey, Maggie Rogers, boygenius, and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Gender-balanced festival lineups are rare, with 90% of headline performers being male across 50 European festivals, according to a study by IQ and ROSTR. Across complete lineups, only 35% of artists were female and 1% were non-binary. Attendees have lovingly received the event, dubbing it “Gay-Chella,” “All Things Gay,” and “Lesbopalooza”.
“Once you prioritise inclusion, your community will be stronger because you platform voices that usually don’t get the stage,” Webbert says.
Thirty-six artists will perform across multiple stages at ATG’s Maryland amphitheatre base, its biggest edition yet, including Maren Morris, Remi Wolf, Ethel Cain, and Julien Baker. Alongside the music programming, organisers will continue their one-night panel series, the Creator Summit, bringing together leaders in music, media, activism, and technology.
Here, the All Things Go organisers answer 10 questions in celebration of its 10th anniversary.
“Music is a powerful vessel for creating change”
This year marks your 10th anniversary. How are you planning to celebrate the accomplishment this year, and what are you proud to have accomplished over the past 10 years?
Will Suter: We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary with our biggest lineup to date! We’ll have 36 artists performing over the two days at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in addition to a few surprises along the way. We’re proud to have created a robust community of music fans who circle ATG on their calendar every year and keep coming back — in addition to the new festival fans who might be experiencing the event for the first time.
This year’s edition takes place roughly one month before the presidential election in the capital. What plans do you have to intertwine social activism within the two-day schedule?
Carlie Webbert: Music is a powerful vessel for creating change. For the past few years, we’ve worked with advocacy organisations to ensure we do our part in platforming important causes. Last year we worked with Spotify EQUAL and The Ally Coalition to create a physical activism village on site with six non-profit organisations that were set up for fans to interact with. This year we’ll be working with Propeller, Calling All Crows, Headcount, Peta, Reverb, and more to drive awareness for those organisations along with raising funds. Ultimately, the advocacy arm of the festival will continue to grow and given how engaged the fans at ATG are, we are excited to see the impact that comes from it.
The cost of two-day general admission passes started at just under $200. With the cost of living and live music rising, how could you keep ticket prices down and why is it important to your team to keep the event affordable for different budgets?
Stephen Vallimarescu: Despite costs increasing substantially over the past few years, we strive to keep ticket prices as accessible as possible — and often lower than industry averages. As an independent music festival with a thriving community, we are constantly polling fans to understand what we can do to ensure a better fan experience, which includes affordable pricing and payment plans that start around $35.
All Things Go has openly called attention to putting women and non-binary individuals on the stage, but how is the organisation supporting and engaging those groups working in roles behind the scenes?
CW: Two of our longstanding partnerships are with Women in Music and Amplify Her Voice. These collaborations help us prioritise inclusion month after month. Women in Music supports us in organising the Creator Summit, a panel series held the night before our festival. This event highlights leading women in music, media, and technology. Through our partnership with Amplify Her Voice, we launched a program last year that provided hands-on backstage experiences to over 20 young women and at last year’s festival — an incredibly impactful opportunity for seeing first-hand what happens behind the scenes.
What’s the most memorable bit of feedback you’ve received in the 10 years of programming?
WS: In 10 years of programming, every year has brought new hurdles and new opportunities. We realised a few years into the festival that we need to really listen to and trust our fans. We take our post-festival fan survey very seriously and have launched a few iterations of an ATG fan club to really connect with those fans year-round. It’s ongoing feedback, year after year, on how we can improve our lineups in addition to the overall experience at the festival from the people who are buying the tickets.
“At the very least, ensure you book 50% female or non-binary acts — there is so much talent out there across genres”
Your planning process begins before the previous year’s edition takes place. Can you speak about keeping up with trends in your lineup curation process and how you are set to deliver your biggest offering yet?
WS: The planning process never really ends for the festival. We’re constantly discovering and listening to new music from emerging artists in addition to setting calendar milestones for established artists’ album releases, shows/tours and other festival appearances. The more we’re able to consume and monitor, the better — and it feels like there is more quality across music being released and live shows performed than ever before.
How would you describe the atmosphere of the festival to those who’ve never attended?
SV: The atmosphere at All Things Go is a reflection of our vibrant community, made up of both dedicated fans and boundary-pushing artists. It’s a unique and indescribable energy that covers the festival grounds. Most artists have commented on stage about the distinctiveness of All Things Go compared to other festivals. Our fans are united by a deep love for live music and a common ethos. We stand for something meaningful, and we strive to curate a festival experience that minimises scheduling conflicts and emphasises special moments that fans will remember forever.
In 2023, you hosted the first Creator Summit and brought together voices from the entertainment, music, political, and activism realms. Are there plans to continue this event, and can you highlight any major takeaways from last year?
CW: Yes! The Creator Summit is a significant part of our festival weekend, providing festival attendees with the ability to hear impactful voices from music, media and technology. The event provides a meaningful platform for engaging dialogue for our fans.
Your lineup has been female-driven since Maggie Rogers curated an all-female festival in 2018. Many festivals are still struggling to offer a diverse and balanced bill — what do you have to say to them?
CW: I would say, “Come on! The people want it!” We’ve sold out three years in a row, very fast, with a mostly female lineup. At the very least, ensure you book 50% female or non-binary acts — there is so much talent out there across genres. Once you prioritise inclusion your community will be stronger because you platform voices that usually don’t get the stage.
Describe how you’d like to see All Things Go evolve in the next 10 years.
SV: We aim to further support the next generation of artists and fans by championing their creativity not only through our annual festival but also through our expanding digital platforms. We’re allocating more and more resources to avenues such as newsletters, podcasts, and technology-driven initiatives. Our goal is to enable our community to connect and engage with each other seamlessly, regardless of where they live and beyond the festival weekend.
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