February 6th, 2025, had been marked in everyone’s cultural calendar for months. When Waitangi Day finally arrived, a swarm of half-naked bodies and bedazzled Brat tees trooped through Western Springs for the Auckland leg of Laneway 2025.
After this year’s cancellations of notable festivals like Nest Fest and Splore, festival-goers had worked up their appetite for a long, hot day filled with an elixir of emerging and world-renowned artists.
At 1:15pm, making their Laneway debut, julie took to the ‘Good Better Best’ main stage. While the early slot meant that the crowd was still warming up, the energy served as an entrée for what was to come; fuzzy shoegaze tunes mixed in with heavy-hitting grunge felt right for the early moment. Though not massive, the crowd’s heads bopped as they fanned their faces, matching the movements of the band’s lead vocalist, Alexandria Elizabeth, her pink ribbon fluttering off her electric guitar in the breeze.
Next up on the neighbouring stage were Australian surf rockers Skegss. “Very nice day here in Auckland,” Ben Reed, one-half of the now-duo, announced in his Aussie twang. You could see the sweat jubes and protruding veins of the pair’s forehead in the overhead projector, a product of the blistering sun. But these Australians were used to the heat. “1,2,3,4!” Reed screamed into the mic, electrocuting the crowd’s energy with their high-octane fun.
With the two main stages set up side by side, there was no need for manic sprinting halfway across the site to see the big act on the lineup – namely, for one, Olivia Dean.
“Kia Ora Laneway, I came all the way from London to see you today!” she exclaimed in her sweet English accent, immediately forging a connection with the crowd. Dean’s soulful voice and calming presence captivated the attendees as she danced across the stage in her bright, shimmering yellow dress. During the performance, she pulled out every instrument under the sun – a guitar, a tambourine, a shaker, and even a banana.
Her relatable lyrics on heartbreak struck a chord with the crowd, their hands in the air, singing along to every word of “The Hardest Part”; her band’s support was just as strong, with their dreamy piano notes and relaxed backing vocals. Dean spoke candidly about the meaning behind each song, chronicling stories of her grandma. “I am just a product of her bravery,” she said as she looked up into the sky. It was a rare moment of introspection amidst the whirlwind of festival chaos.
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Image: Clairo Credit: Tom Grut
By the time Remi Wolf came on, people had flocked to any slither of available shade like animals in the Sahara, with every water station occupied. The cicadas roared so loud it was like they had their own set. Although peppered with marquees around the site, shade was nearly nonexistent – an issue not fixed from last year’s edition.
Nonetheless, Wolf got down for a colourful set, yodelling into the mic, jumping around the stage, even getting on the drum kit at one point. “For this one, I need your hips to be loose!” she said as she shook hers. She sat down at one point during the set and started a casual yarn with the crowd. For a New Zealand festival, seeing these prominent artists interact with the crowd on a personal level was refreshing, rather than the ubiquitous one-liner: “How’s it going?”
Soon after, Djo graced the late afternoon with elegance. While most people only knew of him for his one viral TikTok song, his spacy, delicate synths captivated the Laneway crowd.
Leaving the main stages behind and looking through the trees, the landscape was a sea of humanity. Western Springs was packed to absolute capacity – 30,000 people, to be exact. “I feel like we aren’t at a New Zealand festival right now; this is crazy,” a passing spectator said.
Image: 2hollis Credit: Jared Tinetti
Walking up and over to the ‘Everything Ecstatic Stadium Stage’ was like walking into another festival. Down below, the crowd were ricocheting off one another, stomping the dry ground beneath them synchronously.
Joey Valence & Brae had brought with them a ball of bombastic charisma. “Let’s start a mosh pit in this fucking bitch! We flew from America for this… GO! GO! GO! GO!” they screamed as they continued to hype up the crowd. (There was a common theme of artists announcing how far they had travelled to get here for this collective moment.)
While they had their punk performance down pat, Joey Valence & Brae knew what they were here to do – prepare the crowd for the Queen herself, Charli XCX. Green visuals splattered across the screen as they played their cover of “365,” the punters pumping their hands in the air.
The early evening was for the lo-fi indie and low energy. By the time Clairo and Beabadoobee appeared, the crowd’s pulse had officially flatlined. Drooped festival-goers had splattered themselves into horizontal positions on the ground. Clairo, as a Laneway Festival alumni, mainly felt like a buffer between sets while the crowd tried to cool down. Although the sparkling backdrop embellished the stage, her energy was dull; she felt like nothing more than just a “Pretty Girl”.
The site itself felt clearly divided into two distinct vibes. On one side were the indie, spaced-out spectators, and on the other were the mosh-ready, sardined party animals. On the higher-energy side, 2Hollis had the crowd at his frenetic mercy. His Game Boy-like electronica brought the people’s pulse back to life just in time for the leading headliner. “I am here to see 2Hollis and Charli XCX; I don’t give a shit about anyone else,” one attendee cried.
Image: Charli XCX Credit: Henry Redcliffe
As the moon rose and the sky turned a deep purple, the moment everyone had been holding their breath for finally arrived. At 8:45 p.m., suspense-filled the air, and suddenly, the two stages merged into one big lime-green spectacle. Charli XCX was here.
Screaming fans scrambled to glimpse the icon herself, standing on bins and shoulders, desperate for a better view. “I see people on their shoulders; I really respect that,” she said, her English accent slicing through the excitement.
“I know you’ve been giving your energy all day long. Did you have fun today? With Bea[badoobee]? With Clairo? With Remi [Wolf]?” Charli clearly understood the true essence of Laneway – a collection of disparate artists coming together to support each other and have fun.
Then, laser-like visuals flashed into the sky like lightning as the party girl spirit pounded through the atmosphere like a G-force. Charli kicked up a hot, sweaty, sexy storm, giving the exact performance everyone had been expecting. She was on the floor, her hair whipping, her ass shaking; the camera followed her every move, projected on the big screen for all to see.
Image: Charli XCX Credit: Henry Redcliffe
“Apple” had the colossal crowd doing their chronically online TikTok dance, with a sea of phones capturing the core cultural moment – “this is music in the age of the internet,” was the immediate thought that sprung to mind. “I DON’T CARE, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT,” then boomed so loud the whole of Auckland must have heard
As one of the last major festivals left in New Zealand, Laneway 2025 perfectly catered to the crowd with a mix of well-known and niche acts across every genre, from indie and punk-pop to neo-soul and electronic. It was precisely what the live music scene needed. Despite the festival’s strong internet influence, the day remained genuine and raw, and that’s all that mattered.
Laneway dates, tickets, and more info can be found via Laneway Festival.
