Calling all the 365 party girls! Brat summer isn’t over, in fact, it’s heading Down Under (*foreshadowing*). So, it’s been a peculiar time for music festivals, with the likes of Splendour in the Grass pulling the plug for 2024, and regional fave Spilt Milk cancelling its usual outdoor fest (but they are replacing it with a ravey House Party event, which looks cool!). Anyway, Laneway Festival is here to make our summer so Julia with a very hot and fresh line-up. In February 2025, the top tier Trans-Tasman touring festival will bring punters the finest selection of live music.
This year, the vibe is very electro-dancey-pop-like, with a dash of indie garage rock. With music discovery at its core, 100 per cent of the Laneway line-up has released new music this year, and a third of the line-up will tour Australia for the very first time. We’ve sussed out everything you need know.
Is Charli xcx really coming to Sydney/Australia?
We no longer have to guess, the rumours are true. The cryptic lime green billboards have not been misleading us. The woman of the moment and pop songstress behind such anthemic earworms as ‘365’, Charli xcx, will return to Australia and New Zealand to perform exclusively at Laneway Festival this summer in the southern hemisphere. Charli is on top of the world right now, and this is the moment to see this “young girl from Essex” (as Lorde would say) at the top of her game. (The OG fans will remember Charli’s set on the Domain stage as one of the most iconic memories from Sydney WorldPride in 2023, though.) We are totally pumped to have our own brat summer moment as we dance our hearts out to bops like ‘Apple’ and scream, sing and sob along to the beautifully articulated dilemmas in ‘Girl, so confusing’.
Who else is on the line-up for Laneway Festival?
Joining the queen of brat summer, Charli xcx; is British bedroom pop rock icon Beabadoobee; fellow Laneway Festival alumni, the eternally charming Clairo (hot tip: stream ‘Sexy to Someone’ right now to have yourself a good bop); one of the biggest names in UK dance, BICEP, who present their new AV DJ show CHROMA; alternative pop queen Remi Wolf; and dance floor euphoria expert Barry Can’t Swim.
Amongst the contingent who are touring to Australia for the very first time is British neo-soul star Olivia Dean; heavy-hitting LA shoe-gazers julie; hip hop’s most energetic new arrival, Joey Valence & Brae; NYC’s most in-demand band, Fcukers; UK dubstep DJ Hamdi; and the enigmatic electro-pop artist 2hollis. The local legends joining Laneway’s international contingent are local garage-surf-rock duo Skegss, who enter a new era with their forthcoming album out this month; Brisbane four-piece rockers Girl and Girl (spoiler alert: they’re not girls); and cutting-edge electronic artists Rona, Stüm and Ninajirachi.
More acts are yet to be announced, and the line-up will vary slightly from city to city. (But you can rest assured that Sydney will score all the top headliners and the east coast exclusive acts.)
When is Laneway Festival coming to Sydney?
The 2025 edition of Laneway is coming to Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 9.
Where else is Laneway Festival happening in Australia and New Zealand?
In 2025, Laneway will kick off in Auckland on Thursday, February 6, before heading to Brisbane on Saturday, Feb 8, and on to Sydney on Sunday, Feb 9. From there, the fest hops over to Melbourne on Friday, Feb 14, Adelaide on Saturday, Feb 15, and Perth on Sunday, Feb 16. (Phew, we hope all those acts are ready to roll like 365 party girls!)
When do Laneway Festival tickets go on sale?
General ticket sales start on Wednesday, October 16, at 10am (AEST) via lanewayfestival.com.
Laneway Festival presale details
You can register now for access to the Laneway Festival pre-sale, presented by Afterpay, for exclusive access to pre-sale tickets at lanewayfestival.com. Pre-sale starts on Tuesday, October 15, at 10am (AEST) and will be open for 23 hours. This is your only chance to purchase tickets at pre-sale prices.
How much do tickets cost for Laneway Festival?
So there are a few price ranges when it comes to tickets. General Admission starts at $189.90+bf for presale, and goes up to $229.90+bf for fourth release. (There are separate tickets for under-18s and over-18s, but the pricing is the same.) VIP 18+ Tickets start at $289.90+bf, and this entitles you exclusive access to dedicated VIP areas, a separate bathroom and bar, and more. Find out more over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news and the best of the city, straight to your inbox.