2025 Headliners

[Walter Sobchak]

Raye will be one for sure 

[NorthernSoul52]

Just now, Walter Sobchak said:

Raye will be one for sure 

Really depends on trajectory and/or if they get her to sub this year.

[Kalopsia]

Olivia Rodrigo

Rihanna

Raye (after smashing a sub slot this year and releasing a new album in the fall) but probably a stab at Madonna or Beyoncé.

[NorthernSoul52]

How many times this century has an artist played a billed slot and returned the following year - not including fallow gaps - to headline?

[incident]

7 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

How many times this century has an artist played a billed slot and returned the following year - not including fallow gaps - to headline?

Basement Jaxx?

Allow fallow years, and there's quite a few more.

[NorthernSoul52]

Interesting.

That being said, I'd be shocked - unless she went stratospheric - if they booked Raye this year and had her back in 2025. It would be unimaginative, at best, with no offence to the artist.

[CaledonianGonzo]

She's a Reading exclusive this year, and an drew a decent crowd last year.

[NorthernSoul52]

Let's be fair, we've spent part of the day debating exclusivity deals for festivals elsewhere. There's always a workaround if you want it.

She needs more growth right now. That may well come.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, NorthernSoul52 said:

Let's be fair, we've spent part of the day debating exclusivity deals for festivals elsewhere. There's always a workaround if you want it.

She needs more growth right now. That may well 

They'll do it for a headliner to prevent the festival coming a cropper, but not sure why they'd call in yet another favour for someone who played El Pointo just last year.

[NorthernSoul52]

Fair enough. Anyway, I digress.

If we're having an all-female trio, then: Olivia Rodrigo / Taylor Swift / Rihanna as guessed earlier.

More realistically, I'll go Olivia Rodrigo / Foo Fighters / Dave.

[northernangel]

6 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Fair enough. Anyway, I digress.

If we're having an all-female trio, then: Olivia Rodrigo / Taylor Swift / Rihanna as guessed earlier.

More realistically, I'll go Olivia Rodrigo / Foo Fighters / Dave.

I think the all female will be 2026.

Fender and Rihanna are definitely two my guesses for 2025.

[NorthernSoul52]

Just now, northernangel said:

I think the all female will be 2026.

Fender and Rihanna are definitely two my guesses for 2025.

Misread that as Feeder for a moment, and thought we'd fallen down a wormhole to 2005 all of a sudden.

[sisco]

Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift

[NorthernSoul52]

1 minute ago, northernangel said:

I think the all female will be 2026.

I plumped for the following as a half-joke earlier:

2024: SZA / Dua Lipa / Coldplay
2025: Olivia Rodrigo / Taylor Swift / Rihanna
2026: Raye / Madonna / Beyonce
2027: Boygenius / Adele / Lady Gaga

To be honest, if Madonna isn't doing it this year, I'm not sure if she would, and I'm leaning towards the idea any festival run for Taylor Swift could be another decade in the making if she fancies it.

But there's definitely enough out there in the frame to make it a possibility.

I'm aware there are always acts who miss the boat when it comes to "their moment" to headline, but I do feel if EE really wants to go in guns blazing on this, we might see Sam Fender, Dave and The 1975 miss their chance. (Of course, we never know what's around the corner for any artist.)

[NorthernSoul52]

1 minute ago, sisco said:

Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift

On a revised bid, for the rest of the cycle - and with personal bias included - I'll shout for:

2024: SZA / Dua Lipa / Coldplay
2025: Dave / Olivia Rodrigo / Foo Fighters
2026: The 1975 / Sam Fender / Beyonce
2027: Raye / Harry Styles / Radiohead

[sisco]

Think you can scratch 2027 off, surely a fallow year

[NorthernSoul52]

Folk here they'll delay it to coincide with Euro 2028. 

[charlierc]

Well, we have our 2024 headliners announced so might as well be open season for 2025.

... I got nothing.

[northernangel]

4 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Well, we have our 2024 headliners announced so might as well be open season for 2025.

... I got nothing.

Based on that drop. I'll go Dave, Fender and Olivia Rodrigo.

[charlierc]

28 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Based on that drop. I'll go Dave, Fender and Olivia Rodrigo.

I think there'll be one name higher up the food chain than such a trio, but I can see 2 of those 3 being there.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Anyone taking bets for next year? O-Rod is where to put your hard-earned 

[fraybentos1]

12 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Anyone taking bets for next year? O-Rod is where to put your hard-earned 

100% she is headlining. Need to see what Swift's plans are for 2025 too see if she could fit in.. will happen at some point presumably.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, fraybentos1 said:

Need to see what Swift's plans are for 2025 too see if she could fit in.. will happen at some point presumably.

Doubt she'll still be on the road next summer.

[fraybentos1]

4 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Doubt she'll still be on the road next summer.

Yeah maybe not.

If SZA is the level we are talking and there was talk of one year wanting 3x female headliners then f**k knows who is possible tbh. 

[charlierc]

18 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

100% she is headlining. Need to see what Swift's plans are for 2025 too see if she could fit in.. will happen at some point presumably.

 

17 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Doubt she'll still be on the road next summer.

I thought it was said she had other non-musical projects planned for 2025.

This was the time to try and get a special reduced version of Eras tbf, but I'm aware it was pretty quickly ruled out by the mega-tour block-booking Dublin for a Glasto weekend. I think she'll do it but not for a few years at best.