Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis and Jake Bugg will headline Splendour Festival this July along with Clean Bandit, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Natasha Bedingfield, Echo & The Bunnymen, Seasick Steve, The Levellers, The Fratellis and many more...
A brand new stage will also welcome Day Fever for the very first time, the daytime disco with perfect party tunes curated by Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers and Vicky McClure. This will be followed by a yet to be revealed line up of electronic music programming closing out both days.
Spanning six stages across the scenic deer park of Nottingham’s historic Wollaton Hall, the eclectic line-up for the Nottingham weekender on 19-20 July 2025 also features Kingfishr, Cardinals, Elvana, Kezia Gill, Brooke Combe, Overpass, Lyvia, The Publics, Pentire, Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir, The Amy Winehouse Band, TSSFU, Tom A. Smith and more to be announced.
Splendour has grown significantly over the last 17 years into a 30,000 capacity flagship cultural event for the East Midlands, taking place just a few minutes outside Nottingham city centre. Nominated for Major Festival of the Year, alongside Reading and Leeds, Latitude, Isle of Wight and Victorious after the last event in 2023, the festival continues to provide an affordable experience for families with free entry for children under 11, and is the only festival of this scale to offer a discounted youth ticket for teenagers.
“Splendour has become a standout weekend for families and seasoned gig-goers alike and an important event for the cultural and economic value it brings to the region," said George Akins of DHP Family. "We’re very pleased to finally be back with another brilliant line-up, now spread across two days and six distinct stages, offering great value to everyone coming to enjoy the weekend with us.”
The return of Splendour from a year out is set to provide a welcome boost to the local economy as it attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the city over the weekend. This year, organisers are building on the growing appeal of weekend festival getaways with the introduction of an accommodation partner next to the festival site. Dedicated festival coaches will also be running from major cities and towns across the Midlands to complement Nottingham’s well-connected rail network and amplify the festival’s regional appeal.
Splendour Festival prides itself on drawing talent from international and national pools, bringing household names to the East Midlands while also supporting and nurturing the emerging artists that keep the local music scene thriving year round. Since Splendour began in 2008, more than 150 artists from the region have been given the opportunity to play to thousands of people, with the coveted opening main stage slot reserved for the most deserving local act via the ongoing collaboration with emerging talent platform, Future Sound of Nottingham.
Thanks to the long-standing partnership with Nottingham Trent University, many of its students gain invaluable real-life experience of the music industry at Splendour; from behind-the-scenes roles in lighting and sound, through to performing on the big stage.
Michael Marsden, Executive Dean, School of Art & Design, said: “As a university that’s recognised for providing its students with real-world work experience, it’s great to see Splendour return to Nottingham; allowing our students to put what they’re taught into practice.”
The festival also has a long tradition of inviting the city’s iconic sports teams including Trent Rockets and Nottingham Forest previously taking part in the weekend with on-site activations. Paired with its dedicated Little Splendours children’s area, traditional fairground and loads of fringe entertainment, Splendour is the ideal way to introduce younger family members to the joys of live music and the full festival experience.
As is befitting for its hotly anticipated return, Splendour is featuring not one but two headliners celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their era-defining albums.
On Saturday, Bloc Party will be performing songs from their debut album ‘Silent Alarm’ alongside a selection of greatest hits. Led by impassioned frontman Kele Okereke, the band’s initial EPs played a pivotal role in shaping British indie rock for years to come. By the time they released their groundbreaking debut album in 2005, their experimentation with electronic textures in their musical style cemented them as trailblazers.
On Sunday, Kaiser Chiefs will be playing a set celebrating their iconic debut album ‘Employment’. The release of ‘I Predict A Riot’ was the start of something really special and the album that followed has soundtracked the lives of millions since. Formed in Leeds in 2000, Kaiser Chiefs are one of the leading bands of their generation. The band have had a string of anthemic hits such as ‘Oh My God’, ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, ‘Never Miss A Beat’ and ‘Ruby’.
Multi-platinum and BRIT award winning Scottish alternative rock band Travis will perform their classic songs and fan favourites such as ‘Sing’, ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me’, ‘Driftwood’, and ‘Turn’ from throughout their storied career. Currently enjoying a renaissance, Travis have twice been awarded best band and best album at the Brit Awards, and were honoured for their outstanding contribution to music at the Scottish Music Awards as well as having two prestigious Ivor Novello awards to their name.
Nottingham’s own Jake Bugg made his Splendour debut in 2012 where he showcased his self-titled album and followed that by topping the bill in 2013. Having sold out his last big hometown show at Motorpoint Arena, it’s a chance to catch up with the city’s troubadour and his mix of bluesy, indie folk with a dash of working-class swagger.
The Grammy-award winning music of Clean Bandit is immediately recognisable with its blend of strings and electronic elements. The trio of classically trained cellist Grace Chatto and brothers Jack and Luke Patterson have seen their huge tracks 'Symphony’, ‘Rockabye’, ‘Solo’ and ‘Rather Be’ amass more than a billion Spotify streams each. Last year’s smash ‘Cry Baby’, created alongside Anne-Marie and David Guetta marks a welcome return for this distinctive band.
The popular daytime clubbing experience Day Fever launched by Vicky McClure will be playing plenty of familiar tracks on both days before it hands over the brand new stage to electronic sounds to close out each evening.
Weekend tickets for Splendour cost £105+BF (adults) and £75+BF (ages 11-17). Tickets for children aged 10 or under are free and a 10% discount is available for Nottingham City residents on all tickets.
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