Rock Werchter 2025

[BlackFoxx]

6 hours ago, FestivalJamie said:

Is there any chance that London grammar could be added ?

I think the current thoughts are they are still likely as a Barn headliner, and that Thursday makes the most sense. Might be worth checking back through this thread as I can't remember exactly when they were last discussed.

 

 

[BlackFoxx]

6 hours ago, tmolvik said:

 

You're missing the point (again). No one cares if there are pop acts (or EDM, R&B etc) at the festival. Diversity is to a certain degree nice and makes sure that everyone can find something they like. It's if/when pretty much whole days are being set aside to other genres than what people have been used to the last 15 years, it becomes a problem. I don't know how many years you've attended RW, but it's becoming more and more obvious for some of us. This was the case this year, and next year's Sunday currently looks like another example, although one still can hope for something different. 

I guess it's still too early to tell without seeing a more complete lineup to populate the clash finder with different stages. A few months ago on this thread people were complaining about Fontaines DC as a sub headliner, and then Deftones got added. Things can change from how they first appear.

 

Out of interest, which day(s) did you find to be too heavily genre themed this year?

[sisco]

7 hours ago, tmolvik said:

 

You're missing the point (again). No one cares if there are pop acts (or EDM, R&B etc) at the festival. Diversity is to a certain degree nice and makes sure that everyone can find something they like. It's if/when pretty much whole days are being set aside to other genres than what people have been used to the last 15 years, it becomes a problem. I don't know how many years you've attended RW, but it's becoming more and more obvious for some of us. This was the case this year, and next year's Sunday currently looks like another example, although one still can hope for something different. 

And I think that’s probably the point some regulars are making, it’s not so much the pop type acts are there (they always have been) it’s more they’re heavily taking over 1 day specifically.  
 

Hopefully more acts get announced to help with that on the Sunday (I’m sure they will).  From a business point of view it makes complete sense to them to do it again though if the opportunity arises, when I search through X etc… all they seem to talk about is the Olivia/Noah/Gracie day 

[Ferda]

13 hours ago, BlackFoxx said:

 

Rock Werchter has always had a pretty diverse lineup. As mentioned before, in the last 10 years you've had Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Oscar and the Wolf, Pink, The Chainsmokers, Macklemore, Ellie Goulding, Pharrell Williams and more playing in prominent spots. I'm not sure you'd get them playing Download or Rock Im Park anytime soon.

 

I'm not sure this year represents such a radical change in direction or genre for Rock Werchter as you've suggested. We've only got maybe ~25% of the total lineup announced so far? This seems premature to be making statements bemoaning about how the festivals changed when we don't know what most the acts will be yet!

 

If you're interested in going to a more narrowly rock focused festival, then there are plenty of other festivals this summer catering to that market like Download, Rock Im Park, Rock For People, etc. I'm not sure Werchter is, or ever really has been, exclusively a rock festival in the same way as these other festivals mentioned above. 

 

 

Just a small note as a regular Rock for People attendee - I think that RfP is not a narrowly rock focused festival, I find it somewhere between RW/past R&L and Download/RaR/NR lot. It had The 1975, MGK, Rudimental, Prodigy, etc. headlining in the past 4 editions and it's even more diverse in mid/small names. The complaints on socials this year came from people who expected a similar lineup to Download/NR/RaR which RFP didn't deliver. Personally, I am happy it kept its own course and we're getting Biffy, Kneecap, etc. over FIR 🙂

Sorry for off-topic.

[tmolvik]

6 hours ago, BlackFoxx said:

I guess it's still too early to tell without seeing a more complete lineup to populate the clash finder with different stages. A few months ago on this thread people were complaining about Fontaines DC as a sub headliner, and then Deftones got added. Things can change from how they first appear.

 

Out of interest, which day(s) did you find to be too heavily genre themed this year?

 

Yeah, potentially it can change and hopefully it will. As the Sunday is already sold out, they need to create some diversity to push combi tickets. Sunday is also the day I'm talking about. I don't know if genre heavy is the term, but it would be a long shot to call anything of what's announced a rock act at least.  It's definitely a day centered around a younger audience though, that's for sure. If they had spread those artists between the four days, I wouldn't have lifted an eyebrow (although I don't see Rodrigo as a RW-headliner, I wouldn't mind she being there).

I also find it a bit strange, that a festival that has maybe had 1-2 EDM acts a day, suddenly has three among the first ones announced in one day. Again, not saying it's wrong, but why not spread them? 

[BlackFoxx]

54 minutes ago, tmolvik said:

 

Yeah, potentially it can change and hopefully it will. As the Sunday is already sold out, they need to create some diversity to push combi tickets. Sunday is also the day I'm talking about. I don't know if genre heavy is the term, but it would be a long shot to call anything of what's announced a rock act at least.  It's definitely a day centered around a younger audience though, that's for sure. If they had spread those artists between the four days, I wouldn't have lifted an eyebrow (although I don't see Rodrigo as a RW-headliner, I wouldn't mind she being there).

I also find it a bit strange, that a festival that has maybe had 1-2 EDM acts a day, suddenly has three among the first ones announced in one day. Again, not saying it's wrong, but why not spread them? 

Sorry I meant this year as in 2024

[jonnytee1]

On 12/29/2024 at 1:09 AM, thetime said:

 

Rock werchter has always had non rock acts. It's always been littered with pop through the lineups. 

 

Black eyed peas, a trac closing. 

An even bigger fact here is that the musical landscape is changing. 

 

How many new great guitar led rock bands have emerged in the last 10 years? Rock and roll isn't dead, it never will be and it will go full circle and have its time again i am sure. 

 

In the same way pop will  never die and is in a huge resurgence these days.

 

I do agree with you that some people seem to feel entitled to see huge rock bands headlining festivals. This leads to the same headliners on a three year cycle which in itself becomes tedious. 

 

I think its time to embrace a wider range of headliners or simply don't buy tickets and go and see Arena tours and stadium shows of your favorite acts at around £150 a ticket. 

 

I'm a metal head but i tell you what  -  some of the best acts I've seen in recent years are pure pop.

[charlierc]

51 minutes ago, jonnytee1 said:

An even bigger fact here is that the musical landscape is changing. 

 

How many new great guitar led rock bands have emerged in the last 10 years? Rock and roll isn't dead, it never will be and it will go full circle and have its time again i am sure. 

 

In the same way pop will  never die and is in a huge resurgence these days.

 

I do agree with you that some people seem to feel entitled to see huge rock bands headlining festivals. This leads to the same headliners on a three year cycle which in itself becomes tedious. 

 

I think its time to embrace a wider range of headliners or simply don't buy tickets and go and see Arena tours and stadium shows of your favorite acts at around £150 a ticket. 

 

I'm a metal head but i tell you what  -  some of the best acts I've seen in recent years are pure pop.

I've been saying this elsewhere tbf - rock had a real slow 2010s, which has fed through to a lack of big headliners coming through in the same way as they did in the 90s and 00s, when it did feel like the genre had multiple boom periods.

 

It may well be that the style will come back around again, but it'll need a big shift to pull off given most of the interest in rock still seems to be on the been-there-done-it acts. The expense of putting a band together when you're starting out probably doesn't help.

[branvan]

It's a great line up for me this time. Love it with the rocky Thursday and the poppy Sunday. I hope, Future Islands and London Grammer are getting added... 

[sisco]

19 minutes ago, branvan said:

It's a great line up for me this time. Love it with the rocky Thursday and the poppy Sunday. I hope, Future Islands and London Grammer are getting added... 

really surprised me how high Future Islands were on this.  
 

A fair bit of crossover so far but I’d guess if you look at NOS, Mad Cool and Pinkpop there’s still plenty more crossovers to come

[tmolvik]

On 12/29/2024 at 5:21 PM, BlackFoxx said:

Sorry I meant this year as in 2024

 

Personally I had hardly anything to see neither on Saturday or Sunday (exceptions were NBT, Foo & Bob Vylan), but on the latter day it had not so much to do with genre, more taste. On the Saturday though, they suddenly had all the "R&B/pop'ish" bands tucked together and it looked a bit like what I imagine this Sunday will be. No Guidnce, Jessie Ware, Janelle Monáe, Róisín Murphy, Arlo Parks, Dua Lipa++ all on the same day, while you hardly found anything in the same genre Thu/Fri. For those liking that kind of music, I would also imagine it would be better to have them spread out.  

We'll see how it ends up next year. Hopefully it can only go upwards 🙂

[sisco]

Happy New Year all. Now to look forward to 2-3 weeks time when we get a load more names and the stage splits 🎉🎉

[markqpr2000]

Many people go on their own?

[sisco]

8 minutes ago, markqpr2000 said:

Many people go on their own?

There’s a thread on Reddit about it if that helps

[markqpr2000]

Cheers sisco

[49Lawson]

Wonder if Neil Young could be an option here on the Saturday before Sam Fender? Feels very unlikely but I’ve seen stranger things at Werchter

 

Looks like Friday tickets are close to selling out, great news for the festival. RW is back on my radar as it’s now got the biggest concentration of artists on my “must see in 2025” list when I’ve looked at a few things properly. I just hope it doesn’t come to it that the day tickets have sold well so they skimp on the undercard and fill it with cheap options…

[thetime]

15 minutes ago, 49Lawson said:

Wonder if Neil Young could be an option here on the Saturday before Sam Fender? Feels very unlikely but I’ve seen stranger things at Werchter

 

 

That would be strange, incredibly strange. One of the all time greats, saying that I was at Glastonbury when Dylan played mid afternoon before nick cave and pulp. So if Dylan can, no reason why Neil Young can't. 

 

Love Neil Young, still not got over him pulling out off pukkelpop many moons ago. 

[49Lawson]

25 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

That would be strange, incredibly strange. One of the all time greats, saying that I was at Glastonbury when Dylan played mid afternoon before nick cave and pulp. So if Dylan can, no reason why Neil Young can't. 

 

Love Neil Young, still not got over him pulling out off pukkelpop many moons ago. 

Aye it's definitely more wishful thinking on my part. I'm just thinking that over the years I've been to Werchter they've had some bookings like RHCP and Depeche Mode playing before Editors, and (I know this isn't the same) but even Macca played before Disclosure the year he was on. So if any fest can pull it off, it's probably Werchter.

 

Yeah, he's one of the very few I've still got left to see, would love it if I could tick him off somewhere very convenient with everyone else I want to see.

[matrainertje]

9 minutes ago, 49Lawson said:

Aye it's definitely more wishful thinking on my part. I'm just thinking that over the years I've been to Werchter they've had some bookings like RHCP and Depeche Mode playing before Editors, and (I know this isn't the same) but even Macca played before Disclosure the year he was on. So if any fest can pull it off, it's probably Werchter.

 

Yeah, he's one of the very few I've still got left to see, would love it if I could tick him off somewhere very convenient with everyone else I want to see.

The main stage that day seems aimed at a 'younger' audience, so it would be very funny seeing Neil Young bookended by Goldband, RAYE and Sam Fender.  

[thetime]

30 minutes ago, 49Lawson said:

Aye it's definitely more wishful thinking on my part. I'm just thinking that over the years I've been to Werchter they've had some bookings like RHCP and Depeche Mode playing before Editors, and (I know this isn't the same) but even Macca played before Disclosure the year he was on. So if any fest can pull it off, it's probably Werchter.

 

Yeah, he's one of the very few I've still got left to see, would love it if I could tick him off somewhere very convenient with everyone else I want to see.

 

I'm hoping he does a London date glasto weekend. 

 

If he even does roskilde, I'd probably sell my Werchter ticket. 

 

[sisco]

Do wonder what they have planned for us in the next announcement. Presumably all of the remaining big hitters will be released. (London Grammer as a barn head, Someone under Sam Fender etc…)

[49Lawson]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

I'm hoping he does a London date glasto weekend. 

 

If he even does roskilde, I'd probably sell my Werchter ticket. 

 

Yeah, I think he must be announcing the tour shortly. If he's the missing headliner at Mad Cool or somewhere like that it could sway me back there. 

 

35 minutes ago, sisco said:

Do wonder what they have planned for us in the next announcement. Presumably all of the remaining big hitters will be released. (London Grammer as a barn head, Someone under Sam Fender etc…)

Yeah, I think you're right. If I was a betting man, I think I could see The War On Drugs below Sam Fender; they're supporting him at St James' and I know they aren't playing anywhere else yet I think they're big enough in Belgium to play there. We know Franz and Weezer are coming, be interesting to see who else turns up.

[Archi]

I didn't expect Friday to sell out so fast (not yet, I know, but only a few left announced). So the day selling the worst is the Saturday. I'm wondering if the audience for this day prefered to book the combi or it's really selling bad.

[thetime]

3 hours ago, Archi said:

I didn't expect Friday to sell out so fast (not yet, I know, but only a few left announced). So the day selling the worst is the Saturday. I'm wondering if the audience for this day prefered to book the combi or it's really selling bad.

 

Probably just what we all knew, Fender isn't quite headlining material in Europe currentry. 

 

Also the other acts playing are not big sellers. For my tastes very goid though. 

[sisco]

46 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Probably just what we all knew, Fender isn't quite headlining material in Europe currentry. 

 

Also the other acts playing are not big sellers. For my tastes very goid though. 

I think Saturday actually has the most acts so far that I’m happy to see without actually having anyone I really want to see (if that makes sense).  
 

I’ve said it a couple of times but I think they still need that bigger ticket shifter on the Saturday.  (And hope we get it)