Thanks to a rather lukewarm live music season in 2024, the music fest and concert scene is ready to come back to life in 2025. What does the year hold in store, and will 2025 be the comeback year for live music? Way.com looks at what went wrong in 2024 and why it could go right in 2025.
2024 is apparently the year the music (festival) died. Why? Think cancellations, and not just here in the U.S., but worldwide. South California's Desert Daze, Virginia's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and the latest casualty, Besame Mucho LA, are just a few of them. Lollapalooza Paris and the Sideways Festival in Helsinki were also canceled. Coming back to America, some of the bigger festivals of the year saw lower turnouts. Burning Man did not sell out for the first time in over ten years. Coachella, the largest annual music festival in North America, saw a drop of about 15% in ticket sales this year compared to last year. Jennifer Lopez canceled her tour due to disappointing ticket sales. Justin Beiber, Adele, Madonna, and The Foo Fighters also canceled their tours partially or wholly for various reasons.
But all was not doom and gloom in the music scene. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, the behemoth that it was, continued its triumphant journey with a record $2 billion in ticket sales. Will 2025 also be a bleak year for music festivals and concerts? Or will it end the festival recession? Here's a month-wise breakup of all the major music festivals 2025 has in store.
Out of the Blue Festival
Innings Festival
Extra Innings Festival
Rolling Loud California
5850 Festival
Treefort Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival
Tecate P'al Norte
Two Step Inn Festival
Coachella
Bluebird Music Festival
Stagecoach Festival
Sand In My Boots Festival
Cruel World Festival
There were complaints about the lack of A-list musicians at the 2024 music festivals. Looking at the star-studded lineups in store for 2025, this is less likely to be a reason for low attendance numbers. Now, all the organizers need to do is find the sweet spot when it comes to ticket prices, and there will probably be a turnout that rivals those in the past.
Here's a look at all the concerts and tours announced for 2025—there are some big names in there.
Metallica – M72 2025 World Tour
James Hetfield and his band of merry men take over North America, joined by Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, and Ice Nine Kills.
Bright Eyes – 2025 North America Tour
Expect to hear all their hits along with tracks from their new album Five Dice, All Threes.
AC/DC Power Up Tour
Back after a long gap of nine years, metal legends AC/DC will bring the Power Up Tour to American stages in 2025.
System of a Down Tour (with Avenged Sevenfold, Korn & Deftones)
It's not exactly part of a tour, but System of a Down will hold stadium concerts in 2025 with Deftones, Korn, and Avenged Sevenfold. The shows will take place in East Rutherford, Chicago, and Toronto.
Gracie Abrams The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour
Following her success opening for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Gracie Abrams announced her own tour, with the North American leg starting in July.
Oasis – Live '25 Tour
After more than ten years, the iconic Britpop band is reuniting for live shows in the U.S. They will perform at Soldier Field in Chicago Aug. 28 and then at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. In September, the concerts will move to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, for two days on Sept. 6 and 7.
Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism Tour
Dua Lipa's tour, which kicked off in Singapore, will wend its way to the U.S. on its final leg. Fans can expect new material from her third studio album alongside fan favorites.
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Grand National Tour
Jonas Brothers – 20th Anniversary Tour
The Jonas Brothers are celebrating their 20th anniversary how else but with an anniversary tour. Fans can expect a walk down memory lane with all their favorite Jonas Brothers songs.
Linkin Park – From Zero World Tour
This tour is HUGE and spans many continents. But what matters is that they will be performing extensively across North America. This is their first tour without the late Chester Bennington. New member Emily Armstrong joins band founder Mike Shinoda as a lead singer.
The Eagles – Long Goodbye Final Tour
Continuing their farewell run, the Eagles will perform extensively in the U.S., including residencies at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Expect classics like Hotel California and Take It Easy.
Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway Tour
Rascal Flatts will go on the 2025 Life Is a Highway Tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They announced this tour almost five years after calling off their farewell tour because of the pandemic.
After a lackluster 2024, 2025 will hopefully reenergize the live music scene with a bang. From groundbreaking festivals to epic tours, the stage is set for a whole year of unforgettable musical experiences.
The music is back, and it's bigger, bolder, and ready to make up for lost time.
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