Friday at Latitude Festival 2025 launched three days of genre-crossing celebration with an eclectic, emotionally rich day of music across its iconic stages. From the expansive Obelisk Arena to the tree-wrapped intimacy of the Sunrise Arena, day one delivered sharp contrasts and unforgettable moments—from Sting’s veteran polish to emerging voices like Remember Monday and Azamiah as well as under-the-rader stars in waiting Bôa, who proved the future of live music is bright, brave, and boundary-pushing.
12:45: Azamiah Opens the Second Stage with Stormy Brilliance
Emerging Glasgow collective Azamiah kicked off the Second Stage with a genre-defying performance that fused jazz, soul, and ambient textures with bold, improvisational spirit. Drawing from Afro-Caribbean rhythms and experimental electronica, their set shimmered with sonic nuance. Frontwoman India Blue’s vocals were both otherworldly and grounded—evoking Erykah Badu one moment and Björk the next. The group’s interplay was magnetic, full of left turns and swelling crescendos that demanded full-body attention. A truly transportive set from one of the weekend’s hidden gems.
13:30: Matilda Mann’s Whispered Truths Enchant the Obelisk Arena
London-based singer-songwriter Matilda Mann brought aching honesty and subtle emotional power to the Obelisk Arena. Armed with delicately fingerpicked guitar lines and a crystalline voice, she wrapped early-day festivalgoers in a sonic cocoon. Tracks like opener Autopilot and mid-set highlet Doomsday shone brightest, showcasing her lyrical gift for exploring fragility, desire, and emotional misfires. Though it was a large stage for such an intimate act, her vulnerability made it feel like she was singing to each listener alone. A quiet triumph.
15:00: Scouting For Girls Bring the Party to the Main Stage
There’s no denying the infectious energy of Scouting For Girls, whose early evening Obelisk set was like opening a fizzy bottle of pop nostalgia. Frontman Roy Stride bounded around the stage like it was 2007 again, giving an enthusiastic crowd exactly what they came for. Heartbeat, This Ain’t A Love Song and a riotous closer of She’s So Lovely kept the singalongs at peak volume. It wasn’t subtle, but it was perfectly pitched: carefree, sunny fun that got the party started in earnest.
15:15: Remember Monday Turn Eurovision Stardom into Second Stage Strength
Fresh off representing the UK at Eurovision 2025, Remember Monday landed at Latitude with a confidence that radiated from every harmony. The country-pop trio—featuring Holly-Anne Hull, Lauren Byrne and Charlotte Steele—have always had stunning vocals, but the experience of singing to a continent clearly elevated their stage presence. Songs like “Nothing Nice To Say” and “You Make Me” played out with a polished punch, blending Nashville swagger with British wit. Their Eurovision entry “All This Love” was met with heartfelt applause and impromptu flag waving. Already fan favourites, they cemented their place as major UK players with a magnetic, vocally flawless performance.
16:30: Billy Bragg Delivers Protest Songs with Punch and Poise
Few artists can command a field with just a guitar and an opinion like Billy Bragg. The folk-punk icon delivered a powerful set of modern protest songs and 1980s anthems that proved as vital now as ever. Levi Stubbs’ Tears brought a hush across the arena, while closer Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards turned the front rail into a fist-pumping chorus line. Bragg didn’t hold back in his mid-song speeches, tackling everything from climate justice to being told he was a name in the ’80s by an American shop clerk recently—yet always rooted in warmth, humour, and hope. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, it was a stirring reminder of music’s power to provoke change.
16:45: The Kiffness Blends Satire and Synths in Unforgettable Style
South African internet sensation The Kiffness turned viral oddities into high art on the Second Stage with a set that was equal parts comedy, DJ set, and performance art. Known for remixing everything from cat meows to Middle Eastern folk singers, David Scott’s pet-infused act is a uniquely 21st-century spectacle. Tracks like Alugalug Cat and I Left My Home had the tent-enclosed crowd both dancing and howling with laughter. Yet behind the humour lies tight production and a global consciousness—The Kiffness may be cheeky, but he’s also quietly political. A surreal but inspired festival booking.
18:00: Maribou State Create a Mesmerising Golden Hour Atmosphere
With the sun slipping behind the trees, Maribou State and Talulah Ruby bathed the Obelisk Arena in warm, pulsing electronica. The UK duo’s lush soundscapes felt tailor-made for golden hour, combining downtempo beats, soulful samples and live instrumentation into something both danceable and meditative. Tracks from their recent EP Aperion sat beautifully alongside older favourites like Midas and Turnmills. It was a set you didn’t watch so much as dissolve into—a gentle, rhythmic comedown ahead of the evening’s heavier hitters.
18:00: The Royston Club Bring Swagger and Scuzz to the Second Stage
Wrexham four-piece The Royston Club brought an energetic and emotionally raw set to Latitude 2025, proving themselves one of the UK’s most promising live guitar bands. Opening with the sprawling, melodic The Patch Where Nothing Grows, the band immediately set the tone—heartfelt lyrics delivered with grit, and a crowd more than willing to shout every word back.
Fan favourites Blisters and Glued To The Bed kept momentum high, before the band introduced 30/20, an unreleased track brimming with anxious urgency and chiming guitar lines, hinting at a more mature sonic direction. Shivers lived up to its name with a chillingly tight vocal delivery, while Mrs Narcissistic brought swagger and venom.
Welsh-language gem Cariad added a moment of poignancy and pride, as frontman Tom Faithfull thanked fans for embracing their roots. Another unreleased song, Curses & Spit, was a feral, punk-laced standout that saw the band lean further into their raw edge. Closing trio 52, Mariana, and I’m A Liar turned the set into a full-on shoutalong, guitars crashing in unison with the crowd’s energy. It’s clear The Royston Club are no longer just “ones to watch”—they’re already delivering like headliners in waiting.
18:10: Bôa Evoke Ethereal Nostalgia in the Sunrise Arena
Internet-beloved band Bôa, whose song Duvet went viral decades after its original release, turned myth into reality with a rare and emotionally resonant Sunrise Arena set. The soft-grunge act sounded timeless, with shimmering guitars and breathy vocals conjuring a dreamlike haze on the bak of latest LP Whiplash. Twilight unfolded like a slow-burning spell, drawing a reverent silence from a packed tent while the jangly intro to new album cut Seafarer progressed into the fine bop-along. It wasn’t just a performance—it felt like a long-overdue reunion between band and believers. This was surely the band of the weekend that was misplaced in an overspilling hidden tent.
19:25: Rosie Lowe’s Sophisticated Soul Simmers at Sunrise
Rosie Lowe brought a blend of sultry electronica, jazz-infused R&B, and artful restraint to her mesmerising Sunrise Arena set. Performing in near darkness with minimal visuals, she let her voice do the talking—seductive, expansive and emotionally raw. A masterclass in soulful minimalism and a stark contrast to the bombast of the bigger stages.
20:00: Basement Jaxx Unleash a Carnival at the Obelisk Arena
Basement Jaxx lifted the main stage with a riotous, joyous, kaleidoscopic party. Exploding onto the stage with Good Luck, the duo—backed by a full band and a parade of costumed dancers—delivered a euphoric celebration of dance music’s most playful side. Romeo, Where’s Your Head At kept the tempo high and the crowd heaving. Every second was engineered for ecstasy—and they nailed it. A flawless headline set that reminded everyone how fun electronic music can be.
20:30: Feeder Ignite the Second Stage with Alt-Rock Heroics
Feeder took to the Second Stage with the kind of steady hand that comes from decades of anthemic songwriting. Grant Nicholas was in full command, his voice soaring across Henham Park like it was 2001 again. Just the Way I’m Feeling brought the singalongs; opener Buck Rogers turned the front rows into a jumping frenzy. But newer material from Torpedo and Black/Red sounded just as vital, showing a band that isn’t merely riding nostalgia—they’re still growing, still gunning for relevance, and still delivering.
21:30: Sting’s Sophisticated Showmanship Ends the Day in Style
Closing the day with poise and polish, Sting brought a level of musicianship few can match. From Englishman in New York to the single-song encore of Roxanne—which morphed into a steamy jazz jam—he delivered hit after hit from across his solo and The Police catalogues with elegance. Backed by longtime guitarist Dominic Millar and drummer Chris Maas for his current Sting 3.0 tour, his vocals were as supple as ever. “I have a small house in the Wiltshire country. Well, it’s more like a castle really” he jests, describing the fields of barley in the grounds of his Wiltshire estate that inspired hit single Fields Of Gold before the shimmering 1993 tune was aired.
Call and responses were abound: the nonsensical “eee-oh, yoh” echoing around the Obelisk field. But it wasn’t just a nostalgia trip: Never Coming Home and I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart) showed Sting’s lesser-known work holds weight. The main set wrapped with Every Breath You Take under a canopy of stars—an iconic end to a monumental first day.
Latitude 2025 Day One balanced big names and bold discoveries, joy and thought, hedonism and humanity. Whether you came to dance, cry, laugh or protest, there was a performance to carry you. And as the crowds drifted through moonlit fields, it was clear: the festival spirit is alive, evolving—and utterly electrifying.
Live review & photography of Friday at Latitude Festival 2025, Henham Park by Kalpesh Patel on 25th July 2025.
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