Wide Awake Festival is for those who enjoy something a little different in their festival lineups. It’s for people who find themselves at MOTH Club on a Friday night, dancing away to songs from past decades, or midweek at The Shacklewell Arms, catching the next big upcoming artists in the alternative scene.
You don’t have to fit in at Wide Awake – in fact, they probably don’t want you to. They want you to be eclectic, open to something new, and that’s reflected in their art, culture, and most importantly, their lineup.
I’m not going to beat around the bush or try to make an Aussie pun… but it was always going to be hard for Wide Awake to top last year’s headliners, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who closed the festival with one of the most dynamic and captivating sets I’ve ever witnessed. The buzz from last year lasted for months, and nothing else that summer quite triggered the same feeling.
But the organisers behind Wide Awake aren’t ones to step down from a challenge, and they’ve already exceeded expectations by announcing a uniquely crafted lineup filled with left-field artists.
Ahead of the festival’s fifth outing in Brockwell Park on Friday, 23rd May 2025, Wide Awake has announced Dublin’s own Kneecap to fill the headline slot. The young lads will be coming off the back of a breakthrough year in 2024 with their politically charged album Fine Art.
Alongside them, fellow Irish artist CMAT will have the crowds singing along to her pop bangers, while Mercury Prize-winning English Teacher will bring their excellent alternative/post-punk record This Could Be Texas to the stage.
Wide Awake is known for stacking talent throughout its lineups, and as you work your way down this year’s bill, you begin to understand just how unique this festival is, with an array of genres, countries, and communities represented. Renowned electronic producer Daniel Avery lines up alongside punk four-piece Mannequin Pussy, Australian Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, COBRAH, FCUKERS, Warmduscher, and many, many more.
One artist we’re especially excited to see is jasmine 4.t, the four-piece indie rock band from Manchester, who have recently generated a lot of buzz following their 2024 debut album You Are The Morning. Many, including us, anticipate them having a breakthrough year in 2025.
The festival, organised by Bad Vibrations, LNZRT, and those behind MOTH Club and The Shacklewell Arms, is shaping up to push boundaries once again—championing counterculture, creating the unexpected, and delivering a festival that will leave you knowing you’ve just seen the next big thing in the alternative and electronic scenes.
Tickets are on sale right now via the Wide Awake website.
Words by Matt Wellham
