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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The high street's desperate plan to beat Vinted at its own game
Retailers have a major problem. It's an issue that's been rumbling around for more than a decade, and one that feels increasingly insurmountable. Shoppers don't feel good about shopping. In fact, many feel actively bad about buying something new. The consumerist days of the early Noughties, when marketeers could convince people that giddily 'treating' themselves to something frivolous that they really wanted but didn't really need, are gone. In 2025, anxiety about the climate crisis, the spiralling cost of living and concerns about the ethical effects of consumerism have reached a peak, as have the possibilities that come with new technology when it comes to sharing pre-owned items – Vinted being the big winner in this gargantuan shopping shift. The online market place for second-hand clothes now has 80 million users across 18 countries, 16 million of whom are in the UK. As of last month Vinted also became the biggest seller of clothing in France, ahead of Amazon in second place. Old is now firmly cool with vintage Topshop and Marks and Spencer's pre-Noughties brand St Michael's in hot demand and the world's most glamorous women championing pre-loved fashion – from pop-stars Olivia Rodrigo and Rihanna, to beauty mogul Kendall Jenner and the Princess of Wales. (A polka-dot Alessandra Rich number and Chanel tweed blazer, being among her most celebrated vintage looks.) It's not hyperbole to call it a revolution. No wonder that even big brands like Primark, Arket and Levi's are also offering everything from swaps and pre-loved sections to repair services. Primark, usually seen as fast fashion behemoth, launched its first ever 'swap shop' last September, whilst Arket launched a resale 'archive' in 2023 and has now teamed up with alterations start-up Sojo to offer garment repairs. When it comes to shopping, the retail landscape is shifting and not only in fashion – but on everything from cars and electronics to furniture and food. 'High-street retailers are concerned by the rise of Vinted and the like, and this marked change in shopping habits across all generations – but Gen Z in particular,' says Orsola de Castro, the author of Loved Clothes Last and co-founder of campaign group Fashion Revolution. 'Gen Z are very careful with their money and very aware of the value of things. The problem for the high street is that 20 years of fast fashion and cheap clothing has created a legacy whereby their pieces now have no meaning, no intrinsic value.' The sea-change is clear, says De Castro: 'The queues I used to see outside of H&M for their new collaborations in the 2010s, I now see outside of car boot sales in Peckham.' Stylist Bay Garnett was a trailblazer in using second-hand clothing in her photo shoots for Vogue, including the likes of Kate Moss in charity shop finds. 'When I started shooting for Vogue in 2003, using second-hand pieces was seen as 'quirky'. It was considered 'other' or 'niche' to shop in charity shops and second-hand stores, something a little bit 'eccentric',' she says. 'As a stylist, I like the stories around things, the originality and the sense of connection with things that have had a life before.' Conscious fashion is not only about recycling but extending the life of the garments we already own. Fashion brand Toast has been at the forefront of the repairing movement on the high street, first holding repair workshops in stores back in 2018. 'We focused on craft processes – visible darning, the functional embroidery technique sashiko – and teaching our clients how to use those techniques to give their garments new life,' Madeleine Michell, the brand's social conscience communication officer, says. Then, in 2019 they launched Toast Renewed, meaning that anything bought from Toast is able to be rejuvenated, for free, by professionals. It is wildly popular. By the start of March 2025, the brand had repaired 343 garments in 2025 alone, and 7,659 garments in total – moths being the most frequently quoted reason for a repair. Now, Michell says that 40 per cent of the brand's repairs are visible rather than invisible mends. 'I find the notion of adding to an item by repairing it really interesting; that damage can be something to celebrate and highlight rather than hide away and cover up.' Toast has also been operating clothes swaps for the past six years, both as evening in-store events and as pre-loved rails in certain stores. 'Swapping operates on a tier system, based on the estimated original retail value and condition. It feels good to swap things rather than always buying new and feeding the overproduction machine, to remember that something can still be new to you even if it's not newly produced,' she says, adding that while Toast doesn't collate information about whether its swaps affects sales of new clothing, they're a very popular feature on its loyal shoppers' calendars. That brand loyalty is priceless in an ever more competitive space. A February 2025 report from global environmental NGO Wrap shows the positive impacts in slowing the purchase of new clothes that six circular businesses are having – reselling marketplaces Depop, eBay and Vestiaire Collective and clothing repairers The Seam, Sojo and Finisterre (an adventure brand that also repairs and resells). Wrap's report found that for every five times people repair an item of clothing, four new items are 'displaced' by people no longer buying them. And for every five items bought second-hand online, an average three new items are subsequently not bought as a result. Respectively, the average displacement rate for repair is 82.2 per cent and 64.6 per cent for resale.… You can see why retailers are considering their futures. Harriet Lamb, the chief executive of Wrap, agrees. 'Our research shows that buying pre-loved both satisfies our desire for clothes, for something new-to-us, and means we don't buy so many brand-new items,' she says. 'What's more, we can now clearly and consistently measure the environmental case for a range of circular business models including repair.' The environmental concern is valid; fashion has a formidable footprint. Between 2000 and 2015, worldwide clothing production doubled. The UN Environment Programme estimates that clothing is the second-biggest consumer of water and produces around 10 per cent of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Seventy per cent of the fashion industry's greenhouse gas emissions are linked to raw materials and the production of new clothing from growing cotton for example, to textile waste, pollution, water and land use. The pattern plays out in furniture too. Ikea has an extensive spare parts library to facilitate mending – these items are provided to customers in-store or online completely free. Greg Lucas is the company's sustainability manager for the UK and Ireland. 'We gave away 539,195 spare parts to customers online and in store between the start of September 2023 and September 2024,' Lucas explains. 'Our policy at Ikea is to prolong the life of the products we sell. In terms of pre-loved, we've seen an eight per cent rise in sales year-on-year.' Earlier this year, the Swedish giant also announced its intention to scale up its second-hand peer-to-peer marketplace to reach the whole of Europe after a successful pilot in Oslo and Madrid. It also has a small buy back and resell service for pre-loved items which sell in stores at an average discount of 30 per cent off retail price. Sandrine Zhang Ferron is the founder and chief executive of Vinterior, an online marketplace specialising in pre-owned vintage and antique furniture. In 2024, Ferron says, UK furniture retail sales fell 10 per cent compared to 2023, whilst Vinterior order volumes increased 13 per cent. Quoting the Office of National Statistics, she says the value of furniture sales in the UK fell too, by 10.9 per cent, whilst Vinterior's increased 16 per cent. 'This shows a clear trend towards pre-loved,' she says, adding that fashion has led the trend towards purchasing second-hand because 'the impacts of fast furniture has taken longer to permeate. Most people are still shocked to hear that 22 million pieces of furniture end up in British landfills each year, and given that the UK will run out of landfill space in six years, we need to change the way we buy.' Cars and electronics are increasingly being sourced second-hand too. Recent statistics released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SSMT) showed that sales of used cars were up 5.5 per cent in 2024, while demand continues to grow across many categories from phones, to gaming and tech. In an ever evolving digital landscape, electronic items are usually discarded before they wear out, and often have plenty of life left in them for a second owner. Long warranties on those pre-loved products also are helping to boost the sector. It's products that have shelf-life and have to adhere to hygiene standards that are the surprise additions to the pre-loved landscape – namely beauty and food. We may not quite be at the point of auctioning off half-used toothpaste, but according to Cosmopolitan magazine, beauty is on the cusp of a second-hand boom, with online 'rehoming' retailers forecast it to be the next big thing in the e-commerce space. While some e-tailers prohibit the selling of used cosmetics for hygiene reasons, other retailers including Mercari (a Japanese marketplace selling second-hand products) do allow the sale of used goods and, they say, beauty — in particular, fragrance — was in the top five fastest-growing resale categories of 2023, and projected to grow 126 per cent by 2031. Food is also something some may traditionally have baulked at getting from someone they didn't know, but sentiments are changing. Founded in 2015 in Copenhagen, the rise of anti-food waste app Too Good To Go is a case in point. The company partners with more than 175,000 food outlets to prevent food from going to waste by matching it with registered users nearby who collect it and pay a fraction of the price. So far, the company says their 100 million registered users have saved 400 million meals from landfill. But is it too early to declare a sea-change in shopper behaviour? Sarah Kent is chief sustainability correspondent at The Business of Fashion and believes so. 'Just because we have seen a rise in the popularity of repairs and second-hand, particularly amongst the younger generations who are also active on social media, that doesn't mean people in general are shopping less. Primary sales are still growing – less slowly than second-hand sales – but they are growing,' she says. 'Consumer culture is not a monolith, it's made up of sub-strata who consume in different ways, for different reasons.' 'What is driving this renewed interest in pre-loved is that people are feeling poorer, they're more aware of the environment and there's also a regulatory issue at play,' Kent adds. 'Big companies are under pressure from EU regulations to show they are doing something to combat waste. Offering repairs is part of that.' Indeed Kent says that for companies, facilitating repairs is something of an easy win. 'Some brands definitely see it as a way of signalling to consumers that they care about this. Others see it as a way to encourage loyalty – if consumers want to resell something through the brand, they get credit to return to store. Retail is a complicated business and even for companies such as outdoor brand Patagonia, who have been offering resale for many years, second-hand products still make up a very small fraction of their overall business.' Josephine Philips is the founder and chief executive of Sojo, an app-based company that is fast becoming a byword for clothing repairs and alterations, having partnered with brands such as Marks & Spencer, Ganni, Selfridges and most recently Arket. Philips – who was listed as one of Forbes ' 30 Under 30 in 2022 – says that while financial and sustainability reasons are helping repair become increasingly popular, brands adding the service to the post-purchase experience 'really drives awareness and engagement'. 'Repair has never had as much airtime as it's had over the last couple of years,' Philips continues. 'At Sojo we've done out-of-home campaigns, national TV adverts for our Marks & Spencer repair service, morning news segments, influencer partnerships and have been featured in so many mainstream publications. Most recently, our partnership with Arket brought incredibly large and bold repair advertising to the windows of their Regent Street store – bringing repair to the front and centre of London's retail district.' While she would like to see the scrapping of VAT on repair services 'to increase adoption', Philips credits technology for opening up the world of repair to a new generation. 'Many young people haven't been taught the art of repairing their clothes, but the rise of digital platforms built to make the whole process simple, convenient and seamless has tapped into a latent demand and opened the repair market up.' De Castro cautions against our addiction to 'buying cheap' and believes 'the legacy of 20 years of fast fashion and cheap clothing means that clothes have become devoid of their value'. 'The concept of repair is hundreds of thousands of years old, but fashion persuaded us that mending was a shameful activity which needed to be hidden… It was linked with poverty, with a lack of resources. But what was the poor cousin will become the rich uncle. The only antidote to a throwaway society is to keep, to start to create a culture of saving up to buy better and buy less. Actually keeping things and repairing them is reinvesting in ourselves.' Another way of attaining new clothes or accessories without buying them is, of course, rental, a model that appeals to both consumers and businesses alike. Hurr (dubbed the Airbnb of fashion) is a hybrid clothing and accessories rental service which combines 85,000 items through its peer-to-peer lending service whilst also powering rental for more than 130 exclusive brands and retailers such as Net-A-Porter, John Lewis and Selfridges. The service also recently teamed up with Deliveroo (more commonly known as a food delivery service) to enable users in central London to rent a dress to their door in under 25 minutes. 'When we first launched, rental fashion was niche. Now, it's mainstream,' says Victoria Prew, the founder of Hurr. 'Our customer base has also evolved: starting with millennial females but we have a booming Gen Z customer, with our community age ranging from 16 to 79.' Prew says brands and retailers now see rental as a must-have strategy rather than a trend, and a financially rewarding one too. 'Often, when renting a garment repeatedly, we can drive seven to 10 times the revenue from rental than selling a garment once,' she adds. 'My hope is also that fashion brands will design with rental longevity in mind, creating durable, high-quality pieces that can be worn across seasons and for years to come.' Fiona Harkin is the director of foresight at The Future Laboratory, a strategy company who work with brands eager to learn of future trends which may influence customer behaviour. In mid-March 2025, the company released a report titled 'The New Codes of Value' which takes the cultural temperature of the reasons how, and why, consumers shop. 'In the last couple of years, things have shifted in the way that we (in the English speaking world) spend money, what we perceive to be the cost of things and what we consider to have value,' adds Harkin. 'We have less money, so we're thinking a lot more carefully about what we are buying and how long that will last. Increased value is put on experiences rather than things, a sentiment spilling over from the luxury sector where the products which are doing well are those which uphold ideals around craftsmanship and heritage.' She also believes that we have become overwhelmed by the prompts to buy things. 'It's too much,' she says. 'People feel a need to slow down in the face of it, they feel less of a drive to buy the latest thing. Repairing or buying pre-loved items feels regenerative. A lot of what we experience in the digital world brings people numbness, so mending, thrifting… These things help people break out of that feeling.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
No camping required! It's the ultimate Glastonbury TV watch-along guide
Prepare to put the summer into Somerset. Yes, Britain's biggest alfresco bash is about to kick off again. Glastonbury 2025 is set to be an extra-special one. There will be no 2026 event as the festival takes a fallow year. This year's Glasto-goers could go large to compensate. As always, the BBC will provide wall-to-wall coverage of all the action. So fear not if you failed to secure a ticket, which sold out in a mere 35 minutes. Watching along at home will be almost as much fun and a lot less sweaty. From lineup highlights to secret sets, controversies to crowd-spotting, here's your ultimate viewing guide. It's a year of first timers …It's a right old ragbag at the summit of the bill. Most rumoured names (Oasis! Springsteen! Rihanna! Stevie Wonder!) failed to materialise. Instead, two of the Pyramid stage's three top spots go to first-time headliners. Friday is the biggest night of their careers for the 1975, fronted by Matty 'son of Denise Welch' Healy. No pressure, lads. On Sunday, it's the turn of US pop-punk princess Olivia Rodrigo who, as far as we know, isn't related to any Loose Women. … but there are still plenty of golden oldiesSandwiched in between on Saturday is grizzled guitar goblin Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts. The coveted Sunday teatime 'legends slot' will be occupied by Rod Stewart, joined by former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood. Sir Rod the Mod might be 80 with health worries but insists he's 'more than able to pleasure and titillate'. Do ya think he's sexy? Actually, don't answer that. On the Other stage, the headliners are homegrown hip-hopper Loyle Carner, pop polymath Charli xcx (dress code: lime green) and dance veterans the Prodigy – their first Glastonbury appearance since the death of frontman Keith Flint, shortly before the 2019 festival. Expect emotional tributes to the twisted firestarter. The festival's worst clash?Fresh from winning best rap album at this year's Grammys, Florida firecracker Doechii headlines the West Holts stage on Saturday night and will be much talked-about. Her set clashes with Charli xcx, providing a fiendish scheduling dilemma for pop fans. Luckily, TV viewers can flip between both. The hot tipsConnoisseurs are abuzz about Baltimore hardcore heroes Turnstile on Sunday. Also eagerly awaited are sets from Mercury prize winners English Teacher, Isle of Wight darlings Wet Leg, Irish crooner CMAT and the force of nature that is Self Esteem (all Friday). Taylor Swift-approved singer Beabadoobee and the Glasto debut of Little Mix alumnus Jade follow on Saturday, before the resurgent Wolf Alice and rap poet Kae Tempest on Sunday. The West Holts headliners, electro duo Maribou State, are set for a breakout Friday night set. US-Ghanaian rapper Amaarae should be suitably fun for Saturday night, as should Ezra Collective, who always bring the jazz party to Pilton. South London soul diva Raye plays the Pyramid before Young. Brace for nostalgia!Nineties music fans are well served on Friday by Alanis Morissette, Busta Rhymes, En Vogue and Supergrass. Noughties indie kids will be kept happy too, courtesy of Franz Ferdinand (Friday), TV on the Radio (Saturday), the Libertines and the Maccabees (Sunday). Is it too hot for skinny jeans? There's always frenzied speculation about A-list acts playing secret sets. This year's rumour mill has been busier than usual. Slated for a plum Pyramid stage spot at 6.15pm on Saturday is a mystery act called Patchwork. There are also tempting 'TBA' slots on the Woodsies and Park stages. Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter have been optimistically mentioned. More realistically, Haim, Lorde, Green Day, Kings of Leon and Pulp are widely predicted. The other Britpop band on the comeback trail, of course, are Oasis. Their reunion tour kicks off in Cardiff a week after the festival. Could the Gallaghers be plotting a stealth warmup gig at Worthy Farm? Cider-fuelled sibling fisticuffs – let's have it. The press will be primed and ready at 4pm on Saturday when Irish republican rappers Kneecap take to the West Holts stage. There were calls for the Belfast trio to be axed from the lineup after footage emerged of them allegedly telling fans to 'kill your local MP'. The band were investigated by police and member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence. Expect them to respond 'robustly' during their set. Later on Saturday night comes Neil Young, who caused a kerfuffle in January when he accidentally announced his headline slot – by cancelling it. Young declared that he was dropping out due to the BBC's 'corporate control'. Two days later, he backtracked, blaming 'an error in the information received'. I wonder if corporation executives will cut short his coverage in retaliation? As is traditional, Glastonbury's official broadcast partner will infuriate BBC bashers with copious coverage. With live streams of the five biggest stages, there will be more than 90 hours of performances on iPlayer's dedicated Glastonbury channel. On broadcast TV, there's extensive programming across BBC One, Two and Four. A tag team of Clara Amfo, Lauren Laverne, Jack Saunders, Huw Stephens, Jamz Supernova and Jo Whiley will guide viewers through the standout sets, while introducing intimate performances at their vantage point overlooking the Park stage. Audio-wise, 6Music's schedule is devoted to All Day Glastonbury for six days (see what they did there?). Radios 1, 1Xtra, 2 and 4 will also broadcast live from Worthy Farm. There are three visualised episodes of Sidetracked, the hit music podcast hosted by Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw. Other BBC 'brands' doing special editions on-site include The One Show, Woman's Hour and CBeebies Bedtime Stories. Don't have nightmares about gurning ravers on stilts, children. Tick them off as you spot them on-screen! Shout 'Glastobingo' when you've collected the set! Or don't! We're not the boss of you – Michael Eavis is! Crowd shot of girl in bikini top, perched on the shoulders of her heavily perspiring boyfriend. Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Jo Whiley gushes about 'the mystical vale of Avalon', 'magical ley lines' and 'the unique spirit of Glastonbury' while sitting on a hay bale. Flags in front of the Pyramid stage include a Welsh dragon, an EU logo, Moo Deng, sad Oompa Loompa and 'I heart sausages'. Time-lapse sequence of stages being constructed and marquees being erected. Gang of male festival-goers dressed as Donald Trump/the papal conclave/Beetlejuice/Minions. Gang of female festival-goers dressed as Melania Trump/Sabrina Carpenter/cowgirls/Wicked witches. Aerial shot of campsite as voiceover says: 'For one weekend only, this sleepy corner of Somerset transforms into a tent city.' Cutesy clip of a toddler in fairy wings, face paint and ear protectors, allowed to stay up way past their bedtime. Huw Stephens sports sturdy walking boots and multiple lanyards, while introducing an acoustic set from someone you've never heard of. Despite it being a sunny year, cameras somehow manage to find a semi-naked punter covered in mud. Magic Alex (2019)'Who is sober enough to sing these lyrics along with me?' When rapper Dave asked for help with his song Thiago Silva, he spotted 15-year-old Alex Mann in a PSG shirt bearing Silva's name. Plucked from the crowd, bucket-hatted Alex delivered a word-perfect rendition. The crowd went wild. He went viral. When the lavvy breaks (1998) In what was diplomatically dubbed 'an unfortunate operational error', the dance tent was flooded with gallons of excrement. A machine which was meant to suck up excess sewage did the opposite and pumped it in instead. Hey Jude Bellingham (2024) The festival didn't screen Euro 24 games due to clashes with live acts. Louis Tomlinson became a cult hero by doing it himself. For England's last-16 tie against Slovakia, the One Direction alumnus drove to Argos to buy a TV, generator and dongle. He set them up in the campsite, word spread and a crowd gathered, many not realising who'd pulled off the coup. Bottomless brunch (1987) In what's known as the 'trouserless year', dozens of festival-goers roamed the site in their underpants, looking for their trousers after thieves took them from their tents. Piles of stolen trousers were eventually found in a ditch. It remains a mystery. Muddy hell (1997) There have been many soggy Glastos, so imagine how biblical it must have been to go down in history as 'the year of the mud'. Relentless rain saw bands cancelled as arenas became waterlogged. Tour buses were immobilised. Marquees became a swamp. By Sunday, the Other stage started to sink into the slurry. Five easy ways to feel as if you're in a Somerset field Put the central heating on max and close all the windows for that 'sleeping in a sweaty tent' authenticity. Decant all drinks into plastic bottles or wobbly paper cups. Serve lukewarm. Persuade a neighbour to play ear-splitting drum'n'bass between 3am and 9am, eliminating the slim possibility of sleep. Don't turn on the lights after dark. Navigate around your house with a weedy torch instead and keep bumping into things. Stand in front of the TV behind someone taller, so you have to crane around them to glimpse the screen. If you must sit down, do it in a camping chair with restricted view. With a population of 210,000 for the weekend, the festival site becomes England's 24th biggest city. Van Morrison is the most frequent Pyramid Stage performer, appearing eight times between 1982 and 2005. Coldplay have headlined the most times with five. The site has more than 3,300 toilets – approximately one loo per 60 people – as well as 700 metres of male urinals. The festival sprawls over 450 hectares of land – the equivalent of 500 football pitches or 10 Vatican Cities. The perimeter barrier is 8km long. At 4.12 metres tall with a 45-degree overhang to prevent climbing, it's known as the 'Super Fortress Fence'. Elton John became the most-watched headliner in history last year, with 7.6 million viewers tuning in to the BBC broadcast - far exceeding the 4.1 million record set by Ed Sheeran in 2017.
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Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Glastonbury Surprise Set Odds 2025: Here are the 11 artists tipped to play secret gigs at Worthy Farm - from Lewis Capaldi to Radiohead
It's nearly time for one of the biggest musical events of the year - as 135,000 people pack into Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival . They'll see headliners The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo and Neil Young, along with hundreds of other acts across over 100 stages. But looking at the schedule on the official website, music fans will see numerous timeslots with 'TBA' next to them - with no indication of who will be playing. It could be a global megastar, or some busker from down the road on an acoustic guitar. Such is the joy of the festival. There are some big gaps to be filled - on Friday there's 11.30am on the Woodsies Stage, 4.55pm on the Pyramid Stage, and 8.30pm on the BBC Introducing Stage. On Saturday, expect plenty of interest about who exactly 'Patchwork' are - third on the Pyramid Stage bill. Meanwhile there will be surprises for prime spots on the Park Stage at 7.30pm and the Shangri-la Stage at midnight. On Sunday, those opting to go to the BBC Introducing Stage at 8.30pm could be in for a treat (or not). The bookies reckon they have a fair idea of who will be playing the secret slots - here are their 11 favourites. 1 . Haim - 1/5 The three sisters of Haim have a new album out and are in the UK with free time on Glastonbury weekend. The fact that there's a book called 'Patchwork' written by a German author called Sylvia HAIM means some people reckon they've solved the riddle of the mysterious band of the same name appearing third on the bill on the Saturday. They are red hot 1/5 favourites to appear. | Getty Images for Prime Video Photo Sales 2 . Pulp - 1/2 Another band with an acclaimed new album out and who are currently touring (but have a gap at Glastonbury-time) are Sheffield indie stars Pulp. They've headlined twice in the past, including stepping in at short notice when The Stone Roses pulled out, and would be a popular booking. They are priced at 1/2 second favourites. | Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Lewis Capaldi - 1/2 Scotland's own Lewis Capaldi is a big favourite to play a surprise set before Alanis Morissette on the Friday on the Pyramid Stage at 4.55pm - his odds are a narrow 1/2. Two years ago he famously needed the crowd's help to finish a song due to his much-publicised health problems, which led to him taking a career break. He has unfinished business. | Getty Images Photo Sales 4 . Mumford & Sons - 2/1 Mumford & Sons released fifth studio album 'Rushmore' earlier this year and are getting back to playing live - recently headlining Radio 1's Big Weekend. They topped the bill on the Pyramid Stage in 2013. It would seem to be a good time for them to return - ahead of a fallow year in 2026. They are priced at 2/1. | Getty Images for the American Mu Photo Sales
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
The hottest music festivals of 2025
DUBAI: Make your summer travel plans with music in mind For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Glastonbury Where: Wiltshire, England When: June 25-29 What: Glastonbury has a convincing claim to being the world's most famous festival, and regularly attracts more than 200,000 people to the Somerset countryside to see a diverse lineup that — apart from music megastars — includes stand-up comedy, circus acts, theater performances and more. This year's Pyramid Stage headliners are English pop-rock outfit The 1975, US veteran Neil Young, and US singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, while top of the bill on The Other Stage are UK hip-hop star Loyle Carner, the inspiration behind last year's 'Brat Summer' Charli XCX, and seminal electronic-music act The Prodigy. Elsewhere, there really is something for all tastes. Other must-see acts: Raye, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Rod Stewart, Biffy Clyro, Noah Kahan, The Big Moon, Wolf Alice, Doechii, Wet Leg A post shared by Glastonbury Festival (@glastofest) Tomorrowland Where: Boom, Belgium When: July 18-20 and 25-27 What: A regular award-winner, Tomorrowland is one of the world's best electronic dance music festivals. A reported 400,000 people attended last year's event in De Schorre recreational park, which also accommodates the festival's official campsite, DreamVille. This year's Mainstage headliners include Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, and Swedish House Mafia, but there's also plenty of less-mainstream acts performing over the festival's two weekends on its 14 stages. Other must-see acts: Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Charlotte De Witte (pictured), Alok, ANNA, Amelie Lens, Eric Prydz A post shared by Tomorrowland (@tomorrowland) Lollapalooza Where: Chicago, US When: July 31–Aug. 3 What: It may no longer be seen as quite the cultural thermometer it once was, but Lollapalooza is still an eclectic feast for music lovers — booking acts from genres including alt-rock, metal, punk, pop, hip-hop and EDM — and attracts around 400,000 people every year to its home in Chicago. This year's headliners include Australian alt-dance group Rüfüs Du Sol; US rap star Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; and US singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter. Other must-see acts: A$AP Rocky, Twice, Luke Combs, Gracie Abrams, Cage The Elephant, Bleachers, Doechii, Martin Garrix All Together Now Where: Waterford, Ireland When: July 31-Aug. 3 What: The great joy of Irish festival All Together Now is the hidden gems further down the lineup, as well as the 'sideshows' of art, spoken word, comedy, theater and wellness in a gorgeous setting. Since its inception, All Together Now has built a reputation for having a deep bench full of quality. So while the headliners — who this year include Fontaines D.C., Nelly Furtado, and London Grammar — aren't on the megastar scale of the world's major festivals, this festival is still well worth a visit. Other must-see acts: Wet Leg, Leftfield, Michael Kiwanuka, Infinity Song, Gurriers, Glasshouse Osheaga Where: Montreal, Canada When: Aug. 1-3 What: Spread over six stages in Montreal's beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau, Osheaga focuses on up-and-coming acts as well as major names and incorporates a variety of genres. Other attractions apart from the music include volleypong, a Ferris wheel, and art exhibitions. This year's headliners on the main Bell River Stage are US pop-rock giants The Killers; Tyler, The Creator; and Olivia Rodrigo. Other must-see acts: Doechii, Glass Animals, Lucy Dacus, The Chainsmokers, Gracie Abrams, Jamie xx, The Beaches, FINNEAS A post shared by OSHEAGA (@osheaga) Sziget Festival Where: Budapest, Hungary When: Aug. 6-11 What: Sometimes called 'Europe's Burning Man,' both because of its size (around 1,000 performances each year) and its weird side attractions — including a very odd amusement park — Sziget takes place on the breathtaking Old Buda Island on the River Danube. Headliners on the main stage this year include Charli XCX (pictured), Canadian singer Shawn Mendes, US rapper A$AP Rocky, American rapper and singer Post Malone, and US singer-songwriter Chappell Roan. Other must-see acts: FKA Twigs, The Last Dinner Party, Mother, Empire of the Sun, Justice, Amelie Lens, Caribou, Armin van Buuren Reading & Leeds Where: Reading and Leeds, England When: Aug. 21-24 What: With the same lineup performing on different nights in two different venues a couple hundred miles apart, Reading & Leeds usually attracts a total of more than 200,000 people to shows that tend to focus on indie and alternative music as well as hip-hop. This year's headliners are Irish rocker Hozier (pictured), Chappell Roan, English rock band Bring Me The Horizon, and US rapper Travis Scott. Other must-see acts: Limp Bizkit, Becky Hill, The Kooks, D-Block Europe, Amyl and the Sniffers, Rudim3ntal, Red Rum Club
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Taylor Swift Olivia Rodrigo Beef' Trend Explained Amid Photo Removal Rumors
The search term 'Taylor Swift Olivia Rodrigo beef' recently started trending online, and fans are wondering why. Rumors of a feud between the two musicians are not exactly new amongst fans, as they have emerged online in the past. Speculation once arose, suggesting that Olivia Rodrigo's song 'Vampire' was about Taylor Swift. However, the 22-year-old songstress has denied having beef with anyone, let alone Swift, even expressing admiration for the latter and her work on several occasions. So, why is 'Taylor Swift Olivia Rodrigo beef' trending? Here's what we have learned on the same. The term 'Taylor Swift Olivia Rodrigo beef' is trending because of recent online reports circulating the internet. They suggest that the 'Drivers License' singer's team had asked Nashville's Bluebird Cafe to remove pictures of Taylor Swift from the restaurant. These reports emerged from an online video. In it, an employee of Bluebird Cafe revealed that Olivia Rodrigo had visited the restaurant in 2023. This was just ahead of the release of her album, Guts. The employee claimed that before she started performing there, they had 'vowed to remove any visible signs of Taylor Swift.' In response to the allegations, the general manager and COO of Bluebird Cafe, Erika Nichols, uploaded a video on X (formerly Twitter). She revealed the truth about what had actually taken place. Nichols confirmed that Rodrigo had filmed at the restaurant. However, she stated that neither the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star's team nor anyone else asked them to remove Swift's image. Nichols shared that the restaurant themselves decided to remove the 'Bad Blood' songstress' image. This was because it 'was in a position where the filming was taking place.' She explained the decision, saying that they were 'required legally to remove images that are under copyright.' 'We don't own those images, so we cannot give permission for those images to be used in any kind of broadcast,' Nichols added. 'That's the sole reason that the photograph was removed from the place it stood.' Additionally, The Bluebird Cafe's COO said that the aforementioned employee who talked about removing 'visible signs of Taylor Swift' from the restaurant spoke 'out of turn.' She added that he didn't understand why they took down Swift's picture in the first place. Furthermore, he spoke 'carelessly and haphazardly' about it. Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on The post 'Taylor Swift Olivia Rodrigo Beef' Trend Explained Amid Photo Removal Rumors appeared first on Mandatory.
