2025 R&L Festival

[Chad888]

26 minutes ago, nathanh said:

The lead up to festival lineups on here is my favourite, it becomes a bit of an echo chamber in here sometimes yes but I appreciate having a community of people to get excited about new music with. Plus most the time by announcement day we seem to have a good idea who its going to be. Now we just wait to see whats in store for 2025...

 

I love this aspect, slowly watching the stagea of grief unfurl as we get giving BS news from Dan Hancox or others, and slowly convince ourselves that their headline spot is justified.

 

Last year it was Raye, when R1 announced her alongside Blink, Fred, Lana etc, and in the 30 minutes between the announcement and the poster, we went from shock to acceptance, to most anticipating her headline slot. And then we found out she was a sub and resumed normality.

 

Yungblud the year before, and even I brought into the rhetoric and genuinely looked forward to his headline act.

[Chad888]

According to Google AI, rumours of headliners -

 

Post Malone, Eminem, Linkin' Park

 

Kasabian, Central Cee, Chappel Roan

[nathanh]

Theres a lot of talk over on the Sziget forum of delays for their announcement due to not being able to lock down big names. Do we think R&L will equally struggle? I cant remember how many headliners Melvin said he had already booked

[foolee]

29 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

According to Google AI, rumours of headliners -

 

Post Malone, Eminem, Linkin' Park

 

Kasabian, Central Cee, Chappel Roan

 

Way too big I reckon. Can't see the 3 main headliners all being American and that big. Maybe 2/3 but not all 3.  

 

14 minutes ago, nathanh said:

Theres a lot of talk over on the Sziget forum of delays for their announcement due to not being able to lock down big names. Do we think R&L will equally struggle? I cant remember how many headliners Melvin said he had already booked

 

Sziget may struggle a bit more as they don't have two sites and the money that R&L have. For example last year R&L got two massive headliners in Blink and Lana that Sziget didn't get.

[northernangel]

48 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

According to Google AI, rumours of headliners -

 

Post Malone, Eminem, Linkin' Park

 

Kasabian, Central Cee, Chappel Roan

Also according to Google AI, Eminem is playing Rock Werchter this year.

[nathanh]

Did we get an interview will Melvin at this years festival I couldnt find any when I looked but seem to recall one

[Andre91]

Dan Hancox? Jesus Christ, have some damn respect 🤣

[p0sterb0y]

Gave a prediction a go. For the record I'd probably only get a Sunday day ticket. I'd also consider Fender a lazy booking but I can't really think of too many other big indie names likely in 2025 and the festival has a habit of uninspired repeat booking

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, p0sterb0y said:

Gave a prediction a go. For the record I'd probably only get a Sunday day ticket. I'd also consider Fender a lazy booking but I can't really think of too many other big indie names likely in 2025 and the festival has a habit of uninspired repeat booking

I'd replace Fender with BMTH, put Little Simz probably on main but she's bigger than any sub of this year so would have to be a co-headliners second down. Put Nova Twins above Soft Play and then rip it all out, start again as that's how bad it is haha.

[Benj]

Rodrigo is doing Hyde park around Glasto time, so that officially puts her out of the running

Edited Monday at 02:21 PM by Benj

[northernangel]

6 minutes ago, Benj said:

Rodrigo is doing Hyde park around Glasto time, so that officially puts her out of the running

I think she'll be 2026 Reading

[p0sterb0y]

9 minutes ago, northernangel said:

I'd replace Fender with BMTH, put Little Simz probably on main but she's bigger than any sub of this year so would have to be a co-headliners second down. Put Nova Twins above Soft Play and then rip it all out, start again as that's how bad it is haha.

Think the Little Simz comment is fair, not so much the others. Thought she was a similar size to Jorja Smith who headlined R1 last year.

[Chad888]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

 put Little Simz probably on main but she's bigger than any sub of this year so would have to be a co-headliners second down. 

Really?

 

She's no bigger than Jorga Smith is, and she was a R1 headliner.

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

Really?

 

She's no bigger than Jorga Smith is, and she was a R1 headliner.

Yes she is bigger.

[nathanh]

I'd argue Lil Simz is still rising wheras Jorja is seeing a slight decline

[Andre91]

Why is Jorja Smith Chad’s barometer for everything? 
 

Little Simz just subbed the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and is still on the up. She would be one of the six headliners now.

[Chad888]

4 minutes ago, nathanh said:

I'd argue Lil Simz is still rising wheras Jorja is seeing a slight decline

Little Simz last album in 2022 peaked at no.40 not even selling/streaming g 10,000 copies, she gets 9m Spotify listeners, and only has a single song ever get into the UK top 100, 3 years ago.

 

 

She is great and has tonnes of critical accolades, and her 2022 performance was fantastic. But she is not commercially successful at all, and is not a viable mainstage act. People just aren't taking to her.

 

That's not saying Jorja Smith is as commercially viable though, her debut album sold/streams 40,000 in the UK, and her second album barely broke 30,000.

 

Up until 2020, Jorja had 8 Silver, 3 Gold, 1 Platinum single. In the last 5 years she has a single song charting (reaching Platinum).

 

Yeah JS is dropping, bit Little Simz for some reason just is not commercially hitting at all.

[Chad888]

7 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Why is Jorja Smith Chad’s barometer for everything? 
 

Little Simz just subbed the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and is still on the up. She would be one of the six headliners now.

 

Is it wrong to baseline 2 female R&B solo artists that appeal to the more socially conscious listener?

[nathanh]

7 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

Yeah JS is dropping, bit Little Simz for some reason just is not commercially hitting at all.

But the main stage doesnt have to be just commercially viable acts, yes they have to be known but they also love to champion the critically acclaimed artists. We saw much more of that in 2024 than recent years and could see that continuing.

 

Her live performances are good and she is becoming more recognised because of the song she has on the new Coldplay record, I cant see why Simz couldnt get a high placement on mainstage 

[Chad888]

Couple albums expected over the next few months, I'd think may be there:

 

Denzel Curry - Main Stage

Linkin Park - Headline Main Stage

Pa Salieu - Chevron

Franz Ferdinand - Headline R1

Central Cee - 2nd Main Stage

The National - Chevron

[Chad888]

1 minute ago, nathanh said:

But the main stage doesnt have to be just commercially viable acts, yes they have to be known but they also love to champion the critically acclaimed artists. We saw much more of that in 2024 than recent years and could see that continuing.

 

Her live performances are good and she is becoming more recognised because of the song she has on the new Coldplay record, I cant see why Simz couldnt get a high placement on mainstage 

I mean to Headline the bill as one the 6 big names in lights, that are selling the festival to casuals who can't decide what to do this summer.

 

This was the discussion point, someone saying she's to big to sub the main stage now, whilst others including me compared her to Jorga Smith who headlined R1.

[northernangel]

3 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

Couple albums expected over the next few months, I'd think may be there:

 

Denzel Curry - Main Stage

Linkin Park - Headline Main Stage

Pa Salieu - Chevron

Franz Ferdinand - Headline R1

Central Cee - 2nd Main Stage

The National - Chevron

I fount you're getting LP

[nathanh]

4 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

I mean to Headline the bill as one the 6 big names in lights, that are selling the festival to casuals who can't decide what to do this summer.

 

This was the discussion point, someone saying she's to big to sub the main stage now, whilst others including me compared her to Jorga Smith who headlined R1.

Oh sorry my mistake, I thought the argument was R1 Headline or Mainstage slot. Whilst I think her live show is incredible I too agree think main stage headlining is too big for her right now, big sub in the vain of Raye this year sounds about right. But hey we've had worse "headline" bookings before.

 

Think this is also a thing where as music fans we think highly of artists and think they are bigger than they are just because everyone we know on here knows them. 

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, nathanh said:

The lead up to festival lineups on here is my favourite, it becomes a bit of an echo chamber in here sometimes yes but I appreciate having a community of people to get excited about new music with. Plus most the time by announcement day we seem to have a good idea who its going to be. Now we just wait to see whats in store for 2025...

Tbf I don't think there's necessarily been a few nailed-down rumours for R&L just yet in the same way as there's a lot of ITK stuff saying this act's playing Glastonbury or Download or whatever. I know Foos and Chappell Roan are big rumours on here, but beyond that, nothing seems to have been nailed down as absolutely on just yet.

Edited Monday at 07:02 PM by charlierc

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, Chad888 said:

Couple albums expected over the next few months, I'd think may be there:

 

Denzel Curry - Main Stage

Linkin Park - Headline Main Stage

Pa Salieu - Chevron

Franz Ferdinand - Headline R1

Central Cee - 2nd Main Stage

The National - Chevron

Would be surprised to see either Franz or National at R&L tbf. Also, I thought Chevron was meant to be more for dance stuff rather than rock, let alone the self-proclaimed Sad Dads Club. And I say that as someone who enjoyed their Ally Pally show last year.