Ahh Laneway – the people's festival.
What began as a little indie music shake-down in Caledonian Lane has turned into one of Australia’s most beloved and enduring events, an event that, in a climate where festivals seem to be struggling more than ever, is somehow reaching new levels of success.
This year, the event sold out dates across the country, making for its best turnout in 20 years. What’s Laneway’s winning recipe, you ask?
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A large part of it, in my opinion, is the festival’s straight-off-the-internet lineup. If you want to reach the youth of today, you’ve gotta go on TikTok, and Laneway was proof of that.
We all remember Clairo’s breakout video Pretty Girl (recorded in her bedroom) and that era when the Beabadoobee-featuring Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head) was unavoidable on TikTok. 2Hollis, Fcukers, Joey Valence and Brae… all very online.
Charli xcx was the big draw of course, and after the whole Brat fiasco, any show she played was guaranteed to go off. Would we have preferred a sweaty indoor venue with bespoke stage design and effects? Were we slightly peeved about not getting any Sweat Tour dates, despite being Troye Sivan’s home country? Of course. But Laneway it was, and we weren’t upset about it.
Fun fact: Charli xcx first fell for her fiancé, drummer of The 1975 George Daniel, at Laneway 2020.
This year, Laneway Melbourne made a few changes. First, it only had three stages – a welcome limitation, as FOMO was real in years past. Next, the crowd was divided into sections at the main stage, separating the AA group from the drinkers.
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To get front-section access, punters had to line up for their favourite acts and were promptly cleared out of the front section each time an artist finished. I overheard some complaining about this, which I understand to a degree, but c’mon – with tens of thousands of guests in attendance, safety is a priority! Though a bit of a bummer, crowd segregation helps prevent packing in too tight and pushing,
Those who had the full day off work were in luck, as the arvo sets were banging. Julie’s antagonistic wails opened up the mosh, local faves Girl and Girl did not disappoint and Olivia Dean gave us the perfect chill-in-the-grass moment of respite.
JV&B got litty under the big top tent. Honestly, a Beastie Boys comparison here feels too on the nose, but it’s clear the people were loving the throwback vibes.
A highlight of the Djo set was the monotone “Who wants to be my Valentine?” accompanied by red roses tossed into the crowd. Clairo, doused in golden hour sunlight, appeared angelic and sounded so too, joined by Chari herself to perform Sofia, prompting the expected screams.
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The Dean Turner stage was the place to be as night fell. All strobe lights and blonde hair, 2Hollis brought out some of the most fervent fans we’d seen all day. We’ve got to admit there was a certain magic in the air as sheets of water began pouring off the sides of the tent and soggy punters piled in seeking shelter.
But a little rain (more like a brief torrential downpour) wasn’t going to stop us from seeing Charli. Ponchos were promptly pulled over Brat hoodies and the crowd soldiered on.
In what can only be described as a miracle, the rain ceased as she took the stage. Elated, we had no choice but to boogie ourselves warm. No backup dancers, no special effects – she didn’t need them. Brat was delivered to us in all of its raw, messy, heartfelt glory.
It was all Brat, all the time. Fans hoping for songs from past albums didn’t get very many, save for, among a few others, Vroom Vroom, Unlock It and the night’s joyful closer, I Love It. But that’s how Charli moves, always onto the next thing. Her star is as high as it’s ever been, and that energy could be felt, with fans dancing on picnic tables, singing every word, excited to be a part of a larger moment in culture.
And then, the arduous journey home – train, tram, or Uber, With all of its iPhones to the sky and decked-out fashion, Laneway 2025 shows that kids these days still want to go to festivals, even though exactly what they want might be a little different than previous generations.
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