Festival Review: Leeds Festival // August 2025

Photo credit: Sam McMahon

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Three days of chaos, unity & unforgettable moments.

Leeds Festival 2025 was a whirlwind of chaos, nostalgia and unifying moments. From punk-fuelled political rants and indie singalongs to sneaky secret sets and arena-shaking headliners, the weekend never once stood still. Across three days, stages became battlegrounds for mosh pits, dance floors for thousands moving in sync, and platforms for artists to turn music into both protest and pure joy.

Rewinding all the way back to Thursday evening, the festival site already felt alive; as smaller acts helped kick off the party early. In the Festival Republic tent, Freak Slug set the tone for the weekend. Dressed in black with a white guitar, her performance was slow to start but quickly found its stride. Sexy Lemon was a highlight just three songs in, followed by their viral song Radio, which felt like their way of serenading the crowd into the weekend ahead. Her set peaked with a demonic, Cranberries-esque rendition of Killer – short but sharp, and a brilliant way to launch into Leeds 2025.

Friday brought a shift in pace as the bigger names started to roll through. Suki Waterhouse delivered an enigmatic set on the Main Stage, climaxing with an unexpected but well-received cover of Don’t Look Back in Anger. From there, the trio Girls Don’t Sync lived up to their promise of a 45-minute party, tearing through remixes like 100% and Rock That Body with infectious energy. Lancey Foux kept the momentum going on the Chevron Stage, mosh pits forming from the very first track. The anticipation for the first headliner, Travis Scott, was building and Lancey served as the perfect appetiser. Trippie Redd, however, struggled to maintain the hype. He arrived late and although I did enjoy the multiple Juice WRLD tributes, his set offered little in the way of standout moments beyond performances of Wish, Miss the Rage and Luv Scars.

Later that day, energy was revived thanks to Sammy Virji, whose pounding drum and bass drops whipped up a frenzy. After his standout performance at All Points East last weekend, Virji did not disappoint as house anthems relentlessly rang round the arena. Finally, it was Travis Scott time. The crowd was predictably massive, the set loaded with Jackboys 2 cuts, most notably his introduction song Champagne & Vacay. The energy was palpable as festival-goers got crazier with every song. Just as momentum was building, the performance was cut short. Boos rang out as Travis left with 35-minutes of his set remaining. Reports suggest there were difficulties with the pyrotechnics, a frustrating end to what had been shaping up as one of the weekend’s centrepieces.

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Photo credit: Matt Eachus

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Saturday opened with Nemzzz, another exponent of the UK hip hop scene. Just like Lancey he dominated the Chevron Stage, complete with unreleased tracks from his upcoming project. Indie legends Bloc Party and The Kooks then delivered exactly what the afternoon needed. Captivating sets filled with nostalgia, singalongs and authentic live performances. Their calm, but welcomed, energy allowed the crowd to catch their breath as they moved over to one of the most anticipated names of the weekend: Rudimental. Their show was explosive from the start, mixing classics with remixes like Satisfaction, Gangsta’s Paradise and These Days. A flood of pyros and an army of fans on shoulders turned the Chevron Stage into a euphoric celebratory rave.

Chappell Roan followed, and it was immediately clear she had the pull of a true headliner. The mania began at noon at the gates, pink cowboy hats all darting towards the barrier to catch the best glimpse of Chappell in the flesh. Her set was equal parts theatrical and vulnerable, slowing down for Subwaybefore erupting again for Hot to Go, arguably the festival’s defining moment, with thousands of people all ages dancing in unison. Outfit changes, piano interludes and a climactic Good Luck, Babe! sealed her as the star of Saturday.

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Photo credit: Matt Eachus

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For those craving something rawer, High Vis in the Festival Republic tent delivered one of the most genuine, real & engrossing sets of the weekend; their frontman’s impassioned energy only adding to their authenticity. The night closed with Hozier, who began with anthemic poise but suffered from technical issues that dulled his sound. Still, his heartfelt dedication to Palestine was the most poignant speech of the weekend, even if the BBC did not air the performance. Fireworks lit the sky as his songs rang out, and for those who hadn’t had enough, Rudimental made good on their promise of a secret midnight return, shutting down the LS23 stage with another emphatic set.

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Photo credit: Emily Marcovecchio

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Although energy levels were depleting, Sunday kept momentum high from the start. Lambrini Girls came out swinging, combining raucous punk energy with unapologetically explicit political statements, their disdain for JK Rowling drawing gasps and cheers in equal measure. Example on the Chevron Stage followed, delivering a peculiar set that veered between nostalgic highs (Stay Awake, Kickstartsand We’ll Be Coming Back) and questionable remixes. Still, when the classics hit, the field was transported back to 2010. Royel Otis kept things intimate despite their Main Stage billing, weaving tracks from their new album Hickey into a set that peaked with inflatable pink balls flying across the crowd and an entrancing cover of Linger by The Cranberries.

Bakar was fashionably late but managed to win the audience over with his idiosyncratic vocal delivery. The Mission hit nostalgic notes for FIFA fans, while Alive provided a fittingly heartfelt closer. Wunderhorse offered one of the day’s most impassioned rock performances before Limp Bizkit took things to another level. Fred Durst walked out to Sweet Home Alabama, his voice still impressively intact after years of screaming. The set was feral, with Nookie, Rollin’ and a furious Fat Lip performance whipping the biggest pits of the weekend. A George Michael tribute segued into a fan being brought on stage for Break Stuff, not missing a step or lyric as he and Durst went bar for bar. Carpe diem in live action.

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Photo credit: Ruby Boland

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Bring Me the Horizon closed the Main Stage in spectacular fashion. The anticipation was undeniable, the demand from fans palpable as Oli Sykes led the band through a climactic, pyro-heavy set. Fireworks roared overhead as their final notes marked the end of another Leeds chapter. Yet, the festival wasn’t quite finished. In the same tent where things began, Snow Strippers delivered a blistering finale. Visuals were hallucinatory, the crowd packed and unwilling to let go of the magical weekend. Tracks like Under Your Spell, Now It’s Not the Same and It’s a Dream kept energy alive even after three long days. It was a fitting way to bring Leeds Festival 2025 to a close, proof that even at the very end there was still more life left in the crowd.

Leeds Festival 2025 was, in essence, a weekend of extremes: chaotic mosh pits, heartfelt speeches, and moments of euphoric unity. From Freak Slug’s punk-laced opener on Thursday to Snow Strippers’ final blowout on Sunday night, it felt like no second was wasted. For a first-time attendee of Leeds, it was overwhelming in the best way; a festival full of music that moved, provoked and united music lovers alike.

Words by Alex Peters

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