Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs announced among star headliners for Splendour Festival 2025

Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis and Jake Bugg will headline Splendour this July, along with Clean Bandit, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Natasha Bedingfield, Echo & The Bunnymen, Seasick Steve, The Levellers, The Fratellis and many more.

A new stage will also welcome Day Fever for the very first time, the daytime disco curated by Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers and Nottinghamshire’s very own 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 weekender on July 19 and 20 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, still to be announced.

Splendour has grown significantly over the last 17 years into a 30,000 capacity flagship cultural event for the East Midlands.

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.

George Akins, DHP Family, said: “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. 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.

Dedicated festival coaches will 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.

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.

As befits its hotly anticipated return, Splendour is featuring not one but two headliners celebrating the 20th anniversaries of era-defining albums.

On the Saturday, Bloc Party will perform 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 play 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.

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.

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 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 new stage to electronic sounds to close out each evening.

Post-punks Echo & The Bunnymen; blues icon Seasick Steve; ‘Unwritten’ singer Natasha Bedingfield; pop idol Sophie Ellis-Bextor; folk-punk band The Levellers; Scottish rock band The Fratellis and Elvana, the Elvis fronted Nirvana feature in this first reveal.

Vicky McClure & Our Dementia Choir are back for a third time, raising awareness for the need for more funding for dementia research with another heartwarming performance.

LYVIA, one of Ticketmaster’s hottest new artists; UK country star Kezia Gill and indie rock band The Publics complete this first announcement.

Nottingham Venues, the official Splendour accommodation partner, has plenty of options from budget-friendly rooms with shared bathrooms starting at just £66 to ensuite rooms with breakfast included at £90, on the adjacent University of Nottingham campuses.

Splendour has partnered with Big Green Coach for sustainable travel from cities around the region including Leicester, Sheffield and Lincoln. A carbon-neutral coach will bring festival attendees to the gates before the music starts and return to their pick-up locations after the music stops. Available from Chesterfield, Leicester, Leicester (A6 Birstall Services), Leicester (Fosse Park), Lincoln, Loughborough, Mansfield, Newark and Sheffield from £40.

Day tickets have now been released starting from £69 plus booking fee for general admission. The festival is again offering a lower-priced Youth ticket option for 11 to 17 year olds, and free entry for children aged 10 and under (with a ticket). All under 18s to be accompanied by an adult.

For all the latest ticket information, go to www.splendourfestival.com

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