Charlie xcx will headline Laneway Festival in 2025. Photo: ANGELA WEISS
The rumours are true - popstar Charli XCX will head to New Zealand to headline St Jerome's Laneway Festival next year.
While organisers refused to reveal the line-up until Wednesday 9 October at 10.15am, speculation swirled last week around the headliner as a neon green billboard popped up around Auckland with 'laneway' written in an Arial font - similar to the design of the English singer Charli XCX's latest album, Brat.
Auckland's Sky Tour will be lit up in "brat green" on 10 October as a sign of the singer's announcement.
Joining the 365 party girl will be British pop rock icon Beabadoobee as well as Laneway Festival alumni Clairo, UK dance star BICEP, alternative pop artist Remi Wolf and dance floor euphoria expert Barry Can't Swim. Visiting NZ for the first time on the Laneway bill are Olivia Dean, Joey Valence & Brae, Fcukers, DJ Hamdi, 2hollis and Skegss.
Laneway Festival programming coordinator Ruby Miles, who is responsible for scouting the lineup said: "This has to be my favourite Laneway lineup we've ever put together - I'm such a fangirl of all of these artists. Having Charli xcx as our headliner is a dream come true."
Local Laneway artists include Elliot & Vincent, Taite Music Prize winning Vera Ellen, and RNZŌ.
The first stop for next summer's festival will be Auckland's Western Springs on 6 February, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and finally Perth on 16 February.
Laneway Festival pre-sale registration is now open and pre-sale starts on Tuesday, 15 October at 10am. General on sale starts Wednesday 16 October at 10am.
A Laneway Festival promotional billboard is seen in Auckland's Ponsonby on 2 October, 2024. Photo: RNZ
Charli xcx previously headlined Laneway Festival alongside pop rock band The 1975 in 2020.
A remix of the original Brat track Girl, So Confusing featuring Lorde dropped on June 21. The New Zealand singer appeared as a special guest to sing their collab track at the Madison Square Garden tour arena. A neon green sign appeared in Ponsonby with 'lorde' written on it as part of an ad campaign promoting Charli XCX's new remix album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat, which is set to be released on October 11.