Preview – Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds 2025

There’s a unique kind of electricity that surrounds the Reading & Leeds announcement each year. It’s a forecast of the cultural weather for the August Bank Holiday, and for 2025, it’s predicting a beautiful storm. When I saw that the theatrical pop coronation of Chappell Roan would share a weekend with the profound, earthy force of Hozier, I knew this year was different. The addition of over 80 new artists, including Leigh-Anne and Brittany Broski, only confirms it: this is a festival that is deeply invested in the beautiful, contradictory, and utterly fascinating chaos of right now. Continue reading Preview – Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds 2025

Live Review – Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025

Right then. Let’s get this straight. My sunburn is just starting to peel, a flaky reminder of three days spent under a relentless Barcelona sun. That, a tote bag full of Schwarzkopf products, a freshly customised Levi’s tee, and a €100 Vueling voucher are the main souvenirs from my annual pilgrimage to Primavera Sound. The voucher was just pure, random luck. It’s a pretty perfect summary of the Primavera experience: a chaotic, slightly absurd collision of corporate presence and raw joy. Continue reading Live Review – Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025