New Zealand / Music

Laneway Festival announces dates and venues, but stays silent on Charli XCX rumours

16:11 pm on 2 October 2024

A Laneway Festival promotional billboard is seen in Auckland's Ponsonby on 2 October, 2024. Photo: RNZ

Rumours are swirling about who might headline the next Laneway Festival as organisers announce the dates and venues.

On Wednesday, the festival's organisers announced the first stop would be at Western Springs in Auckland on 6 February, 2025. The festival will subsequently head to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and finally Perth on 16 February.

While organisers will not reveal the line-up until 9 October, social media users are speculating who could headline the event as a Laneway billboard appeared in Auckland.

The neon green sign with 'laneway' written in an Arial font - similar to the design of the English singer Charli XCX's latest album, Brat - was spotted in Ponsonby on Wednesday.

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  • Fans speculate she may be headlining the event because she's recently teased her song collaborations overseas using neon green billboards too.

    Some social media users also made note of the festival's online promotion material containing an apple - the title of a Charli XCX song in her new album.

    Laneway Festival organisers refused to comment on the speculation around the billboards and who would headline, but said they were excited to share what they had in store.

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  • Charli XCX previously headlined Laneway Festival alongside pop rock band The 1975 in 2020.

    The 32-year-old's joint North America concert tour with Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, 'Sweat', is set to wrap up on 23 October, 2024.

    New Zealand singer Lorde also appeared as a special guest to sing their collab track 'girl, so confusing', which was released earlier this year, at the Madison Square Garden tour arena.