Entertainment

Kings of Leon and Queens of the Stone Age announced for seaside festival

Victorious Festival in Southsea, Hampshire, will also be headlined in 2025 by Vampire Weekend.

Kings of Leon will headline the festival
Kings of Leon will headline the festival (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

A seaside festival has announced “its biggest year to date” with Queens of the Stone Age, Kings of Leon and Vampire Weekend taking the headline slots.

Other acts announced for Victorious Festival, which will take place on Southsea Common on the August bank holiday weekend next year, include Grammy award nominee and Mercury prize winner Michael Kiwanuka and I’m Like a Bird singer Nelly Furtado.

A spokesman for the Hampshire event said: “We’re excited to announce three-time Grammy Award-winning Kings of Leon will be headlining Sunday at Victorious Festival.

“Delivering an unforgettable set filled with classic songs and fan favourites from their iconic nine-album catalogue, it’s set to be the ultimate festival closer.

The crowd sings along to The Charlatans, who return to the Victorious Festival in 2025
The crowd sings along to The Charlatans, who return to the Victorious Festival in 2025 (Ben Mitchell/PA)

“Opening the festival with a barrage of heavy hitters, rock royalty Queens of the Stone Age will join Victorious crowds as Josh Homme and co rip through a set of classics, including the anthemic No One Knows.

“Get on your dancing shoes for indie icons Vampire Weekend’s only UK festival show of the summer, leading Saturday’s billing with a headline set of indie anthems and dancefloor fillers including A-Punk, Oxford Comma and This Life.”

Also announced are the winners of the Brits Rising Star award, The Last Dinner Party, as well as Travis, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, Madness, Rizzle Kicks and Bloc Party, who will perform their debut album Silent Alarm.

Garage star Craig David will take his show to the festival with other acts including Mike Skinner (DJ set), Daniel Bedingfield, Reverend and The Makers, The Zutons and Shed Seven as well as Gabrielle, indie rockers Reytons and The Charlatans.

The festival has also announced that Joel Dommett and Ruby Wax will be heading the event’s comedy line-up.

Andy Marsh, lead booker at Victorious, said: “We’ve booked our biggest year to date for Victorious 2025 with iconic headliners and emerging talent, across the board.

“We always want to provide the best value to our fans and work hard to create a weekend that truly has something for everyone.”

The line-up so far also includes indie pop outfit Everything Everything, Circa Waves, alt up-and-comers Wunderhorse, Palace, Irish new wave trad band The Mary Wallopers, The K’s, Ash, Scouting For Girls, Starsailor, The Academic, Bradley Simpson (of The Vamps), Young Knives, Mr Scruff (electronic set), October Drift and The Waeve.

Victorious Festival will be held from August 23 to 25, 2025.