Six Artists Not To Miss At Laneway Festival 2025
Here are our top picks for this year’s Laneway Festival.
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Brat summer has been extended after Charli XCX was announced as St Jerome’s Laneway Festival headliner for 2025. Performing exclusively at Australia’s favourite inide fest, the ‘Apple’, ‘360’ and ‘Von Dutch’ singer-songwriter is set to paint the country green when she returns to our shores next February. And while Charli topping the bill has resulted in the majority of dates selling out (although there are still tickets available for Adelaide), it’s the undercard that’s sparked our interest here at The Note.
The bill is jam-packed with stellar talent from both international and local acts, with Laneway offering something for everyone. We don’t want you to miss out on catching your new favourite act, so we’ve compiled a short list of six artists you don’t want to miss at next year’s Laneway Festival.
Charli XCX
We can’t discuss the not-to-be-missed acts at Laneway Festival without mentioning the current queen of pop music, Charli XCX.
Making her Australian return almost two years after performing club-sized shows in intimate venues across the nation, Charli XCX now finds herself headlining one of the country’s biggest festivals.
The release of her sixth long player, Brat, catapulted the British creative into the stratosphere, with the album receiving praise from both critics and fans alike. Topping countless Best Album lists of 2024, Brat also took out the Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Album of 2024 and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Beabadoobee
Another artist performing exclusively at Laneway, beabadoobee emerged as a lo-fi bedroom pop producer in 2017 and has slowly transformed into one of our favourite singer-songwriters, playing at some of the biggest festivals in the world.
Her most recent album, last year’s This is How Tomorrow Moves, hit the top spot on both the UK and Scottish Album Charts and was produced by Jacob Bugden and the great Rick Rubin at various studios across the US and UK, including Rubin’s Shangri-La in LA and Abbey Road in London.
Beabadoobee’s songwriting has matured on This is How Tomorrow Moves, while musically, it’s more in line with early 00s indie than the bedroom pop of her previous albums. Her set is one you don’t want to miss.
Clairo
American singer-songwriter Clairo has been making music since her teenage years, but it’s only over the past couple of years that the greater music-loving public has discovered her ‘70s-inspired lo-fi soul arrangements.
2024 saw Clairo drop her widely praised third album, Charm. Debuting at #8 on the US Billboard 200, making it Clairo’s first ever top ten album, Charm finds the talented artist experimenting with her sound, adding jazz and psychedelic elements to create one of the albums of 2024.
Returning to Laneway Festival for the first time since 2019, Clairo is sure to entice a monster crowd when she takes the stage.
Olivia Dean
The UK is a breeding ground for neo-soul artists, with the latest to take the world by storm being emerging superstar Olivia Dean.
The ‘Dive’ and ‘The Hardest Part’ singer is riding high after the 2023 release of her much-anticipated debut album, Messy. Shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize, Messy was called “vibrant, consistent and brimming with life” in NME’s review and awarded eight out of ten by Clash.
Anyone doubting Dean’s live prowess should give her latest release Live At Eventim Apollo a whirl. You won’t be disappointed.
2hollis
Modern hip hop isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of the experimental sounds of Bladee, Ecco2K and the like, be sure to check out 2hollis at this year’s Laneway Festival.
The Chicago rapper has been releasing music since 2018 but it wasn’t until 2023 when his song ‘poster boy’ appeared on the EA Sports FC 24 soundtrack that 2hollis’ popularity exploded. Since then he’s released the singles ‘crush’ and ‘trauma’ and dropped his well received third album, Boy.
Merging dystopian industrial electronica with SoundCloud raps, 2hollis is part of the new generation of rap stars taking the genre into uncharted waters.
Our Generation Music described 2hollis’ live show as “an aura-maxed underground rave”, so expect a thrilling performance when he takes the stage at this year’s Laneway Festival.
Barry CAn’t Swim
The fourth artist on this list performing exclusively at Laneway Festival 2025, Barry Can’t Swim is the alias of Joshua Mainnie – a Scottish DJ and producer who rose to fame in 2023 with the release of his debut album, When Will We Land?.
Signed to independent UK label Ninja Turtle (home to Bonobo, Little Dragon, Metronomy and more), Barry Can’t Swim’s debut record won the 2024 BBC Radio 1 Dance Award for Best Album and was named one of DJ Mag’s best albums of 2023, with the website calling it “cohesive and immersive.”
Despite being an Everton fan, Barry Can’t Swim has proved he’s one of the best newcomers behind the decks after playing to packed crowds at Coachella and Glastonbury last year, with Aussie fans in for a treat when he performs next month as part of Laneway Festival.
Tickets to Laneway Festival 2024 are on sale now via lanewayfestival.com.au.
