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TW Classic hails comeback with speedy sellout

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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2025 festivals: Olivia Rodrigo tops bills across Europe

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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2025 festivals: Roskilde, Rock Werchter, Jazzopen

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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Festivals 2025 latest: The return of The Maccabees

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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Schueremans’ Rock Werchter verdict: ‘Music unites’

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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Euro festival preview: Rock Werchter, Open’er & more

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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European festivals expand 2024 lineups

Rock en Seine, Rock Werchter, Primavera Porto, NorthSide, Bilbao BBK, Paaspop, Sweden Rock Festival, North Festival, Best Kept Secret and Release Athens are among the European festivals that are taking shape for 2024.

AEG Presents’ Rock en Seine has detailed its 20th-anniversary edition, which coincides with the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.

Fred again., LCD Soundsystem, Måneskin, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, The Offspring and The Smile are all set to headline the event, slated for 22–24 August at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud in France’s capital city.

Moonshine, The Hive Jungle, Olivia Dean, Soulwax, The Kills, Inhaler, Blonde Redhead, Róisin Murphy and Zaho De Sagazan are also on the bill for the 40,000-capacity event.

With Rock en Seine taking place just days before the start of the Summer Paralympic Games, the festival will curate a programme titled Cultural Olympiad, alongside four other major cultural festivals (Festival International de la BD d’Angoulême, Festival de Cannes, Festival d’Avignon, and Rencontres photographiques d’Arles).

Rock Werchter has added 11 new names to its 2024 lineup, which already includes headliners Foo Fighters, Dua Lipa and Måneskin

The Cultural Olympiad of Paris 2024 aims to foster dialogue between sports, culture, and Olympic and Paralympic values throughout the territory, according to a release.

Meanwhile, Rock Werchter has added 11 new names to its 2024 lineup, which already includes headliners Foo Fighters, Dua Lipa and Måneskin.

DEUS, Snow Patrol, Yungblud and Sum 41, The Last Dinner Party, Róisín Murphy, Nothing But Thieves, Avril Lavigne and Khruangbin, Michael Kiwanuka and Royal Blood will perform at Belgium’s biggest festival next year.

The Live Nation Belgium-promoted event will return to Festivalpark, Werchter, between 4–7 July 2024.

Primavera Sound Porto has also unveiled the poster for its 2024 edition, a week after announcing the Barcelona instalment.

Lana del Rey and SZA top a female-dominated bill, as Primavera continues to pave the way for gender-balanced festival lineups

Lana del Rey and SZA top a female-dominated bill, as Primavera continues to pave the way for gender-balanced festival lineups.

Mitski, PJ Harvey, Kim Petras, Pulp, The National, Justice, Ethical Cain and This Is The Kit are also among the 48 names due to perform at the 11th edition, scheduled for 6–8 June 2024 at Parque da Cidade, Porto.

Elsewhere in Portugal, the organisers of North Festival announced that next year it will move from Alfândega do Porto to Parque de Serralves, taking place on the 24–26 May.

Keane are the first name announced for the 2024 edition, returning to the country on the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough debut album, Hopes and Fears, which includes ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ and ‘Everybody’s Changing’.

“Serralves, due to the quality of the infrastructure, large spaces and excellent location – a premium space in the heart of Invicta – is a natural choice for a festival that is also premium,” says Jorge Veloso, director of the promoter Vibes & Beats, “We feel that this is a change that will allow us to raise the quality of the experience offered to our audience.”

The organisers of North Festival announced that next year it will move from Alfândega do Porto to Parque de Serralves

In Denmark, NorthSide festival has unveiled the first 12 names for next year’s instalment, including Massive Attack, Troye Sivan, Unkendt Kunstner, Coi Leray and Kaytranada.

Kaizers Orchestra, Amyl & The Sniffers, Shame, Barselona, August Høyen, VETO, 070 Shake will also appear at the Down The Drain-promoted event, set for Eskelunden in Aarhus from 6–8 June 2024.

Live Nation’s Sweden Rock has added 18 names to the 2024 poster, after previously confirming Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Parkway Drive, Avantasia, Bruce Dickinson and Electric Callboy.

Joining those acts are Five Finger Death Punch, Rival Sons, Steel Panther, Graveyard, Beast In Black, Gloryhammer, Thy Art Is Murder and Ice Nine Kills.

Primal Fear, High On Fire, Richie Kotzen, Riverside, The Baboon Show, Mystic Prophecy, Dewolff, Vicious Rumors, Kebnekajse and Prins Svart will also appear at the Sölvesborg event between 5–8 June 2024.

Best Kept Secret is this year introducing New Generation tickets, offering those aged 21 or younger a 30% discount on a weekend ticket

Massive Attack are also set to headline Bilbao BBK, slated for 11–13 July 2024 in Kobetamendi, Bilbao, Spain.

The Prodigy, Massive Attack, Jungle, Overmono, Ezra Collective, Floating Points live, Underworld, Noname, JPEGMAFIA, Jordan Rakei, Death From Above 1979 and Parcels are also on the lineup for the Last Tour-promoted event.

In the Netherlands, the 2024 lineups for Paaspop and Best Kept Secret are taking shape.

The former has announced acts including Editors, Tom Grennan, Tiësto, Die Antwoord, August Burns Red for the 29–31 March event in Schijndel, North Brabant.

Best Kept Secret has announced the first 63 names for its 10th edition. Disclosure, Justice and PJ Harvey, among others, will come to the Beekse Bergen during the weekend of 7–9 June 2024.

Promoters Friendly Fire is this year introducing New Generation tickets, offering those aged 21 or younger a 30% discount on a weekend ticket.

Elsewhere, Greece’s Release Athens has secured 2024 concerts with Pulp, Massive Attack, The Smile, Judas Priest and Bruce Dickinson at Water Plaza across June and July.

 


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Dua Lipa confirms first live shows since 2022

Dua Lipa has announced her first live shows since 2022, with two European festival slots confirmed for next summer.

The multi Grammy and BRIT Award-winning singer will headline Belgium’s Rock Werchter on Saturday 6 July, and is the first artist to be confirmed for Portugal’s NOS Alive, where she will star on the main stage on Friday July 12.

The 28-year-old, who released her new single Houdini at the end of last week as the lead track from her forthcoming third album, generated $89,302,575 from her 71-date Future Nostalgia Tour last year. Future Nostalgia was ranked the 18th highest-grossing tour of 2022, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Lipa has also been strongly tipped to headline next year’s Glastonbury festival

Lipa joins Foo Fighters on the bill at Rock Werchter 2024, which will take place at the Festivalpark in Werchter from 4-7 July. Tickets go on sale on 1 December.

Tickets for NOS Alive, meanwhile, which runs from 11-13 July at Passeio Marítimo de Algés, near Lisbon, are already on sale. Single-day tickets cost €84.53, with a two-day pass costing €169.06 and three-day passes available at €203.30.

Lipa has also been strongly tipped to headline next year’s Glastonbury festival, although co-organiser recently dismissed rumours that Lipa, Coldplay and Madonna were all booked to play the 2024 event as “untrue”.

 


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2024 lineups stack up: Lolla, Roskilde and more

Next year’s festival lineups are already beginning to take shape, with artist announcements from events including Lollapalooza, Roskilde, Download, Rock Werchter, Latitude, Nova Rock, Innings Festival, Welcome to Rockville and Hellfest.

Lollapalooza this week confirmed the lineups for its Chile, Argentina and Brazil editions, scheduled for next March.

Headliners include Blink-182, SZA, Paramore (Brazil only), Feid (Chile/Argentina only), Sam Smith, Arcade Fire and Limp Bizkit.

Hozier, The Offspring, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Diplo, Above & Beyond, Dom Dolla, Phoenix, ZHU, Rina Sawayama, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Omar Apollo are also on the lineups.

The Chile and Argentina editions take place on 15-17 March at Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos and at Hippodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, respectively. Lollapalooza Brazil takes place 22-24 March at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo.

Lolla South America headliners include Blink-182, SZA, Paramore, Feid, Sam Smith, Arcade Fire and Limp Bizkit

Lollapalooza in South America is produced by Perry Farrell, C3 Presents, Lotus Producciones (Chile), DF Entertainment (Argentina), and Rock World (Brazil).

The 2024 edition of Lollapalooza Brazil is the first to be managed by C3 Presents and Rock World (the company behind Rock in Rio) – both of which are majority-owned by Live Nation – it was announced in April.

Prior to that, Lolla Brazil was produced and promoted by South America’s leading live entertainment company T4F (Time For Fun) for 10 years.

Across the Atlantic, Denmark’s Roskilde festival has revealed 17 of 180 acts for next year’s instalment.

Foo Fighters, PJ Harvey, Kali Uchis, Blondshell, Romy and Gilli are among the acts set for the event, taking place between 29 June and 6 July 2024.

“I don’t mind admitting, this year for 2024 we approached 21 different headliners for Download… it’s been probably the hardest year”

Foo Fighters will also be headlining Belgium’s Rock Werchter, scheduled for 4–7 July at Festivalpark in Werchter.

Meanwhile, Download has announced more than 80 acts for its 21st edition, the follow-up to its fastest-selling edition in the event’s history.

Britain’s biggest heavy metal festival will be headlined by Queens Of The Stone Age, Avenged Sevenfold and Fall Out Boy in 2024.

Slipknot legend Corey Taylor, Pantera, Machine Head, The Offspring, Sum 41 and Royal Blood.

Download boss Andy Copping told Planet Rock that his booking team had found it “really tough” locking in these artists compared to previous years.

Live Nation’s Innings Festival will next year spawn a second weekend, dubbed Extra Innings

“I don’t mind admitting, this year for 2024 we approached 21 different headliners for Download,” he said. “It’s been probably the hardest year – I’ve said that in previous years before when it’s been hard to put the bill together – but this year has been particularly hard.”

Elsewhere in Live Nation’s portfolio, Latitude (UK) has secured Duran Duran a headliner for the 2024 offering, taking place in Suffolk’s Henham Park between 25–28 July, and Innings Festival (US) will return for a sixth edition next February with headliners by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hozier.

The Arizona event will next year spawn a second weekend, dubbed Extra Innings, headlined by Chris Stapleton and Dave Matthews band.

The doubleheader weekends combine live music with Major League Baseball greats and interactive baseball-themed activations. Both take place from Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park during the Cactus League’s Spring Training.

Austria’s Nova Rock is also taking shape, with Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Måneskin and Bring Me The Horizon set to headline.

France’s Hellfest has confirmed Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Megadeath and more

The event – promoted by Nova Music Entertainment, a part of CTS Eventim’s Barracuda Musicrecently added a fourth day for 2024.

The 55,000-capacity festival will take place between 13 and 16 June 2024 at its longstanding home of Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf, Burgenland.

Billy Talent, Corey Taylor, Jane’s Addiction, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Machine Head, Avril Lavigne, Alice Cooper, Sum 41 and Baby Metal are among the other acts slated to play Nova Rock 2024.

Elsewhere in the rock and metal festival sphere, France’s Hellfest has confirmed Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Megadeath, Dropkick Murphys, Royal Blood and Bad Omens among others.

The 17th edition will take place 27–30 June 2024 in Clisson. Four-day passes for the festival are already sold out.

Many of the same artists at Hellfest will also appear at Welcome to Rockville 2024, produced by Danny Wimmer presents.

Foo Fighters, Mötley Crüe, Slipknot, Jelly Roll, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, Queens of the Stone Age, Judas Priest, Greta Van Fleet, Evanescence, Falling In Reverse, A Day To Remember, Breaking Benjamin and Bad Omens will perform at Daytona International Speedway in Florida on 9-12 May, 2024.

 


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Live Nation Belgium CEO: ‘Demand for festivals high as ever’

Rock Werchter founder and Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans says demand for festivals is “as high as ever” as he reports sellouts across the board.

“People want value for money and they get that at our festivals,” says Schueremans, who also has a hand in TW Classic, Werchter Boutique, Graspop Metal Meeting, Dour, Pukkelpop and Core.

Rock Werchter’s recent sell-out is a testament to this. The festival, which took place from 29 June-2 July, shifted 88,000 tickets including 67,000 combi passes (which sold out 16 May) and 20,500 day tickets.

Fans from 106 countries purchased tickets, with the top 10 including Belgium, The Netherlands, the UK, France, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, Ireland, the US and Italy.

But while this year’s edition – which was headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Stormzy and Red Hot Chili Peppers among others – sold out quicker than pre-Covid year 2019, ticket sales took a hit when Belgian artist Stromae dropped out of his Thursday headline slot due to health issues.

“Thursday day tickets sold out a day prior to the festival as it is a weekday and we lost headliner Stromae. The sales slowed down until we announced Mumford & Sons as the replacement, and then they picked up,” he explains.

Schueremans says that finding a strong replacement for Stromae was the biggest challenge with this year’s edition, which took place between 29 June to 2 July in Festivalpark.

Liam Gallagher, Muse, Oscar and the Wolf and Queens of the Stone Age were also part of the eight-strong all-male headlining bill.

“People want value for money and they get that at our festivals”

Reflecting on the success of this year’s edition, Schueremans says he’s particularly proud of the introduction of a new 22,000-capacity barn which is “better in all aspects than a lot of arenas”.

Despite the huge capacity, many acts performing in The Barn – including Warhaus, Charlotte de Witte, Iggy Pop, Ben Howard and Editors – were oversubscribed and improvements had to be made for crowd control.

“To reduce the pressure outside the tent, an entrance structure with staffed crash barriers and gates had to be installed,” says Schueremans. “That ensured entry into the tent was smoother and the crowding outside it was reduced. Also, a second outside screen with a PA was added.”

Elsewhere in Live Nation Belgium’s stable of festivals, TW Classic, Werchter Boutique and Graspop Metal Meeting have all taken place with sell-out crowds, with Schueremans describing the market as “very healthy”.

Alongside its festival season, Live Nation Belgium has concerts lined up with Queens of the Stone Age, The Weeknd, Christine and the Queens, Arlo Park and James Blake.

View Rock Werchter’s 2023 Aftermovie below…

 


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