Wide Awake Festival 2025 – A Day of Defiance, Dance and Solidarity

Brockwell Park turned into a sun-drenched sea of sound, solidarity and sweaty two-stepping as Wide Awake Festival roared back into London with more bite than ever. Against a backdrop of legal battles with Lambeth Council, attempts to cancel headliners Kneecap and a fresh terrorism charge against Mo Chara the night before, it felt like the whole day was powered by defiance and determination.

The vibe was electric from the moment gates opened. Palestinian and Irish flags waved proudly, Kneecap hats and CMAT shirts were everywhere, and the energy was one of both celebration and protest. CMAT stole hearts with her cheeky country-pop joyride, blending bangers like "I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!" with new single "Take A Sexy Picture Of Me" and even a diss track aimed at Jamie Oliver. Fat Dog turned the Bad Vibrations stage into a rave circus, while Gurriers brought pure chaos to the Shacklewell Arms tent with mosh pits and crowd surfers in full swing.

Jeremy Corbyn showed up like the people’s headliner, delivering a powerful speech calling out British arms sales to Israel and shouting out the unifying force of music. Not to be outdone, Peaches brought filthy electro rebellion to the Bad Vibes stage and declared solidarity as a progressive Jewish artist: “Free Palestine.”

Then came Kneecap. Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí turned the main stage into a pressure cooker of righteous rage and pure party mayhem. New banger “The Recap” had 20,000 fans bouncing, shouting, moshing and chanting “Free Palestine” in the London sunshine.

From English Teacher and Mannequin Pussy to surprise proposals, dodgems, and BSL interpreters dancing on stage, Wide Awake 2025 wasn’t just a music festival. It was resistance with a soundtrack, a hug in a mosh pit and one big beautiful F you to the status quo.