Every year when festival lineups drop, we comb through names and font sizes looking for surprises. Sometimes the most exciting announcements aren’t about who’s coming back, but who’s stepping into the headlining spotlight for the very first time. This year felt different in a good way. The 2025 season brought genuine shake-ups, with established artists finally claiming top billing and newer acts seizing their moment faster than anyone predicted.
It’s worth asking what these bookings reveal about where live music is heading right now. Let’s be real, headlining slots tell us what festival bookers think will sell tickets and spark conversation, which means they’re betting big on these particular artists. From metal bands crashing into Download’s history books to pop superstars owning Hyde Park stages, 2025 gave us first-timers worth paying attention to.
Green Day
Green Day made their debut as headliners at Download Festival 2025, joining Sleep Token and Korn in what the festival described as three first-time headliners topping the bill. Think about that for a second – a band with five Grammy wins and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction had never played Download at all until now. The festival took place at Leicestershire’s Donington Park from June 13-15. Their Friday night slot marked something bigger than just one show. It signals that legacy punk acts are being embraced by traditionally metal-focused festivals, expanding what Download considers worthy of its main stage.
Sleep Token
The masked collective Sleep Token, who have been on a meteoric rise since forming in 2016, headlined Download Festival’s Saturday night on their first time topping the bill. This one’s genuinely wild. Sleep Token made their Download debut on the Second Stage during the festival’s intimate three-day Pilot event back in 2021, meaning they went from a smaller stage at a limited-capacity trial event to headlining the main stage in just four years. For the first time in Download Festival’s history, the event showcased three headliners who were entirely new to topping the bill on the main stage. Their inclusion demonstrates how quickly experimental, genre-blending metal can capture massive audiences when the chemistry is right.
Korn
Korn headlined Download 2025 for the first time, closing out the Sunday night despite being nu-metal pioneers with a decades-long career. Honestly, it’s kind of shocking they hadn’t done it before. With five Grammy wins, multiple multi-platinum albums, and a 2015 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this marked their first time ever stepping foot on a Download stage as headliners. Their Sunday slot alongside two other Download-headlining debuts shows festival organizers are willing to take calculated risks on acts who’ve proven themselves everywhere except that particular main stage. The booking paid off, cementing a historic year for Download’s top-line choices.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter was confirmed as a headliner for BST Hyde Park 2025, performing in London on Saturday, July 5 next year. Here’s the thing – her rise has been so rapid that headlining a major festival almost feels both overdue and ahead of schedule at the same time. Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter headlined not one but two nights at BST Hyde Park in 2025, with the second show added after her initial date sold out rapidly, reflecting her meteoric rise. That kind of demand tells you everything about where she stands right now. Her booking reflects how quickly streaming hits and social media buzz can translate into real-world festival headlining power, particularly when an artist connects with younger audiences who show up and spend money.
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll stood on the Mane Stage at Stagecoach Festival 2025 as a headliner on Saturday, April 26, calling it officially the biggest show he’d ever headlined – just one year after he performed at the same festival with an earlier scheduled set. That’s the definition of a meteoric rise. Jelly Roll topped the lineup on the festival’s second night, which also featured performances from Sturgill Simpson, Nelly, and Shaboozey. His journey from earlier-in-the-day performer to Saturday night headliner in 12 months captures how country festivals are embracing crossover artists who blend genres and bring emotional authenticity. Stagecoach’s bet on him proved smart, with the performance becoming one of the weekend’s most talked-about moments.
Charli XCX at Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025 took place from June 5 to 7 at Parc del Fòrum, featuring headliners Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter. Let’s talk about what that lineup represents – three women dominating one of Europe’s most respected indie-leaning festivals. Primavera Sound turned heads for its all-female headliners with Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter named as its 2025 stars. Charli’s first-time headlining spot at Primavera is particularly significant because she’s spent years pushing pop boundaries without always getting the commercial recognition she deserved. The booking shows that festivals are finally catching up to artists who’ve built devoted fanbases through innovation rather than just radio dominance.
Chappell Roan at Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025 featured Chappell Roan as one of three headliners performing from June 5 to 7. Her trajectory has been nothing short of astonishing. The festival turned heads for its all-female headliners with Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter named as its 2025 stars. I honestly didn’t see her rise coming quite this fast, though in hindsight all the signs were there. Primavera gave her a headlining platform that acknowledges both her artistic credibility and her ability to draw crowds, positioning her alongside acts that have been in the game much longer. It’s a statement booking that recognizes breakout momentum when it’s undeniable.
Green Day at Coachella
It’s a milestone for punk rock legends Green Day, as their Coachella 2025 headlining slot marked the band’s first time playing the festival in their 37-year career. Yes, you read that right – 37 years. Lady Gaga headlined the Friday, Green Day the Saturday, and Post Malone Sunday, with Travis Scott given a special performance slot. Coachella 2025 took place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California on April 11-13 and April 18-20, with Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott as headlining performers. The fact that Green Day had never played Coachella before – not even lower on the bill – shows how the festival has historically skewed away from straightforward punk rock. Their 2025 booking suggests Coachella is broadening its palette or finally acknowledging that some legacy acts bring undeniable crowd appeal.
Post Malone as Country Headliner at Coachella
On Sundays at Coachella 2025, Post Malone became the festival’s first country headliner. Now that’s a sentence nobody predicted writing five years ago. Post Malone was included atop the Sunday bill for Coachella 2025, marking his first time as a headliner since he previously performed at the festival in 2018. His pivot toward country music has been surprisingly genuine and well-received, but having him headline Coachella in that capacity breaks new ground for the festival. It reflects both Post’s own artistic evolution and Coachella’s recognition that country isn’t a niche genre anymore – it’s a commercial and cultural force that deserves festival headlining treatment even in spaces that haven’t traditionally celebrated it.
Travis Scott’s Unique Coachella Slot
While originally not being attached to a specific day, Travis Scott was given a special performance slot and has been subsequently referred to as one of the headliners of the festival, billed to headline the main stage on Saturday night where he would debut an entirely new era of music. His Coachella journey has been complicated. Scott was scheduled to headline in 2020 before the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, then was booked again in 2022 but taken off the lineup following the fatal crowd crush at his own Astroworld Festival in 2021. His 2025 appearance represents a significant professional comeback and his first actual Coachella headlining performance after years of starts and stops. The festival gave him a unique billing that acknowledges both his drawing power and the need to position him carefully.
These ten artists didn’t just get their names at the top of posters. They earned slots that reflect shifting tastes, growing fanbases, and festival organizers’ willingness to bet on something fresh. Whether it’s legacy acts finally getting their due or newer stars ascending faster than expected, each booking tells us something about where live music culture is heading. Did any of these surprise you as much as they surprised me?
