Review: Way Out West @ Slottsskogen, Gothenburg, Sweden 07-09/08/25
Sweden’s premier three-day music extravaganza might just be Europe’s best festival.
Words by Tobias Handke
Image Henry Redcliffe
Way Out West @ Gothenburg, Sweden 07-09/08/25
I’ve been lucky enough to attend several of the world’s so-called “biggest music festivals” (humble brag), but few have had such a sense of community as Sweden’s Way Out West. Held at Slottsskogen Park in the charming town of Gothenburg, the festival was more than just three days of live music in a park.
This was a festival where all who attended felt like they were part of something special. There was a real sense of community amongst the punters, with everyone on the same page about having a good time in an inclusive and safe space. That might sound like a bit of lip service, but I generally felt more like a local than I ever have at an international music fest.
While it’s all about the tunes, there was a film program running in cinemas across the city, a Local Chefs Corner on the festival grounds serving up delicious local food and plenty of brand installations offering unique experiences for punters. And then there’s Stay Out West.
Once the festival shuts its gates for the evening, clubs, pubs and intimate venues across Gothenburg open their doors, with a plethora of artists from across the globe performing, meaning you can continue the fun well into the early hours of the morning. Way Out West is the kind of festival where you can fly solo and end up with a new group of best friends happy to indulge your bad Swedish and show you what Gothenburg is all about.
One major takeaway from my experience was how well-behaved everyone was, which could have something to do with the amount of alcohol consumed by festival goers. People were drinking, but compared to an Australian festival, where it’s common to see people double fisting like it’s going out of fashion, the Swedes are rather subdued. Beer wasn’t even the preferred choice, with cans of fizzy spirits the go-to drink for most. Hardly anybody appeared off their tits (although I’m sure a few were and other substances might have been in play), with the usual argy bargy seen at an Aussie fest absent. I didn’t even see anyone having a cheeky vom in the toilets. Incredible.
Another thing Way Out West does right is the number of bars and food stalls dotted around the festival grounds. There was hardly ever a line for a drink, and while some of the food stalls got busy early evening, you could always find somewhere serving tasty vegetarian grub (Way Out West has been meat-free for over a decade) with hardly any wait. The choice was also insane, from your standard fast food options like pizza and burgers to more elevated fare like Pad Thai, dumplings and Browned Butter Spicy Miso ramen.
But enough of me gushing about the festival. If you’re here, it’s because you want to know what the music was like, so keep on reading and discover my thoughts on Way Out West 2025. Hopefully, it encourages you to book tickets for next year’s event, which has already been confirmed to take place from 13–15 August.
Day 1
Image Timothy Gottlieb
Despite a few showers throughout the afternoon, the first day of Way Out West was a welcome introduction to the festival and everything it had to offer, with a diverse lineup of local and international artists performing across five stages.
British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya got things underway in the Linne tent stage, drawing a great crowd who lapped up her nostalgic indie sounds. The backing of a four-piece band gave Yanya’s songs a rockier vibe, with those in the front nodding along and expressing themselves with some elegant swaying during her performance. Yanya opened with ‘Method Actor’ from last year’s My Method Actor and played a smattering of tracks from her early albums. As she always does, Yanya delivered an absorbing live set highlighting her songwriting prowess. Special mention to her saxophonist Jazzi Bobbi. Everyone knows sax makes a song better, and her efforts certainly made that statement ring true.
Over on the Höjden stage, where new artists are spotlighted, trans singer-songwriter Jasmine.4.T brought folks a lot of joy with her ‘90s alt-rock guitar-influenced material. Playing tracks from her debut album, You Are The Morning, she had the crowd raging, with the short but sharp punk rocker ‘Best Friend’s House’ and the Phoebe Bridgers-esque ‘Skin on Skin’ clear standouts.
Unsurprisingly, Kneecap drew one of the biggest crowds of the day. Getting anywhere near the Linne stage was virtually impossible. Even Iggy Pop’s drummer was forced to watch from the back. Many resorted to standing on nearby barricades or sitting on the shoulders of mates to get a glimpse of the Northern Irish trio. There was a noticeable police presence when they took the stage, opening with a short video detailing the genocide occurring in Palestine and calling out the Swedish government for being complicit. It was strong stuff and something that has become a constant at Kneecap shows.
While they have been called out for using the war to get themselves over, they made a point of disputing this mid-set, telling everyone what’s going on is “bigger than Kneecap, bigger than you” and that they would continue to highlight the devastation the war was causing until the conflict was resolved. As for the music, if you can understand what Kneecap are saying, you’ve a better ear than I. Despite things often being lost in translation, there was a palpable energy to the group reflected in the crowd, with circle pits, flailing arms and a whole lot of “Free, free, Palestine” chants being shouted during their energetic time on stage. ‘Better Way To Live’ and ‘Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite’ received the most positive response from the crowd.
The main stages, Flamingo and Azalea, were positioned opposite each other, so while an artist was playing on one stage, workers were cleaning up the other, removing all the waste from the ground. This is a genius idea, with an army of workers helping clear out the stage before the next performance, something I observed while watching the legendary Mavis Staples. At 86 years old, she could be forgiven for wanting a quiet life. But the last surviving member of the Staples Sisters was full of vigour, taking the audience through a journey of classic soul and blues tunes. “Get loose like a bowl of jelly”, she urged, with her voice holding up pretty darn well for someone closing in on a century. Staple’s throaty croon turned Tom Waits’ ‘Chicago’ into a blues celebration and reminded everyone why the Staple Sisters were so renowned when she belted out their 1971 hit, ‘Respect Yourself’.
The only major clash of the day came when Beth Gibbons and Fontaines D.C. took to the stage within 15 minutes of each other. Not wanting to miss either, I was forced to see half of each, beginning with Gibbons. The Portishead vocalist was backed by a talented band that helped bring her haunting cinematic creations to life. Gibbons stood barefoot, clutching the mic stand as she mesmerised the crowd with her unique voice. It was all very moody, with the stage covered in a thin layer of smoke throughout the performance.
After 30 odd minutes, I dashed across to the Azalea stage as Fontaines D.C. burst into ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’. While it feels like they’ve come from nowhere after the huge success of last year’s Romance, the Irish post-punkers have been getting it done for over a decade. They are a rock band for guitar lovers, and their set (the half I saw, anyway) was a volcano of instrumental noise that bubbled underneath frontman Grian Chatten’s multi-layered vocals. They ended with ‘Starburster’, an absolute belter of a tune that brought the house down.
Iggy Pop might not look like he’s in the best shape of his life, but he’s lost none of the punk rock energy that’s seen him kick ass for more than six decades. Hobbling on stage to a tremendous pop, Iggy whipped off his vest within seconds and spent his entire performance strutting about shirtless, dropping f-bombs like they were going out of fashion. The former Stooges leader knows his audience and treated us to a greatest hits set even casuals would have appreciated. Pop burned through ‘The Passenger’, ‘Lust for Life’, ‘Death Trip’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and ‘Search and Destroy’ during the middle stanza of his performance, barely leaving time to breathe. For a dude close to hitting the big 8-0, Pop puts many of his younger peers to shame and reminded everyone why he’s the “Godfather of Punk”.
The crowd for Queens of the Stone Age was surprisingly subdued, or maybe I wasn’t close enough in the pit to feel the energy. Either way, Josh Homme was typically playful, calling the punters in the balcony areas “rich assholes” while sipping red wine between songs. Besides a few shout-outs and audience gee-ups, Homme and co let the music do the talking. QOTSA rock and rolled their way through a tight 14 tracks, including ‘No One Knows’, ‘I Sat By the Ocean’, ‘Make It Wit Chu’, ‘Little Sister’ and set closers ‘Go With the Flow’ and ‘A Song for the Dead’.
I ended my first night where I started at the Linne tent, this time watching Refused play their final ever Swedish festival set. Although not my cup of tea, the hardcore act turned the front of the stage into a giant mosh as they performed a solid variety of tracks from across their career. Kudos to frontman Dennis Lyxzé for this phenomenal effort. He suffered a heart attack last year, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he ran about the stage, throwing his mic in the air and catching it between screams.
Exciting the festival grounds with thousands of my fellow music lovers, the good vibes were palpable, and I couldn’t wait to get back for day two.
Day 2
Image Timothy Gottlieb
Kicking off my day a little differently, I attended the Swedish premiere of The Toxic Avenger. For those playing at home, Way Out West has a film program, giving punters with wristbands the opportunity to catch a bunch of cool films across the festival.
If you’re not familiar with The Toxic Avenger, the original, released in 1984, followed janitor Melvin Junko, who gets dunked in a vat of toxic chemicals and transformed into the mop-wielding hero known as The Toxic Avenger, or as his friends call him, Toxie. There were four sequels, a TV show and a heap of tie-in merchandise, with the 2023 film more a reboot than a sequel. It stars Peter Dinklage as the titular character alongside Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.
The movie is bad, but it’s meant to be. It’s an ultra-violent, over-the-top gore fest that takes influence from the toxic pit of ‘80s B-grade movies. Dinklage is in fine form as always, while Bacon steals every scene he’s in as the smarmy and corrupt CEO whose products are responsible for killing the local townsfolk. It’s big, dumb popcorn fun. Anyone who’s a fan of the original will dig The Toxic Avenger; everyone else can probably give this one a pass.
Arriving at the festival grounds in the afternoon after my cinema experience, the heavens opened just as Westside Gunn and Smoke DZA brought a little New York hip hop to Gothenburg. Grimey, soulful beats provided the soundtrack for Westside and DZA’s rapid-fire flow. Westside, a known wrestling fan who has his own promotion, 4TH ROPE, had the big screen playing clips of wrestlers on the American indie scene as he entertained the crowd with standard hip hop cliches. Think call and response tactics and getting everyone to wave their hands from side to side. He and Smoke put on a decent showing and drew a raucous responsive crowd.
The audience was noticeably younger than day one, which might have had something to do with the evening’s headliner, Charli XCX. There was also a lot more big Swedish names on the bill, with Little Dragon’s Yukimi the first to get the crowd moving when she took over the Höjden stage. Her solo work is a lot more organic, with her band providing an indie pop meets funk and soul element to her sound. Yukimi’s voice was the star, with her words dulcet tones causing everyone to swoon. The biggest cheer came when she performed Little Dragon’s ‘Ritual Union’, although her 45 minutes would have been just as enjoyable without it.
Swedish pop star Molly Sandén drew an impressive crowd for a late arvo spot. Very much in the Sabrina Carpenter mode, it all sounded very similar to me, until Sandén dropped a cover of ABBA’s ‘Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (A Man After Midnight)’, the one song I could understand. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Rose turned the Dungeon stage into a mini-rave with people showing off their best moves on the packed dancefloor.
I’d heard a lot about CMAT but never really listened to her music, but after seeing her live for the first time at the Höjden stage, consider me a paid-up member of the CMAT fan club. Funny, personable and extremely talented, CMAT had those in attendance gripped from the very first song – the hilarious yet on point ‘The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’. Having broken through the global pop ranks with 2023’s Crazymad, for Me, CMAT has found herself touring the world thanks to her catchy country meets indie pop ditties and undeniably cheeky and charming Irish personality. Her set had everything: choreographed dance moves, matching outfits and CMAT telling personal yet relatable stories that reflected her music. She was one of the highlights of the festival and my new favourite artist.
When it comes to underrated rappers, Little Simz is right at the top of the tree. The London MC has been consistently dropping engaging and thought-provoking projects for a decade, with this year’s Lotus arguably her best effort yet. Backed by a live band, Simz’s set was dominated by tracks from the aforementioned Lotus, including the funky ‘Thief’ and The Streets-esque ‘Young’. Little Dragon’s Yukimi rocked up to perform the headbopping ‘Enough’, while other bright spots included ‘Point and Kill’ and set closer ‘Gorilla’.
Mk.gee was another artist I knew of but hadn’t really listened to, so I was surprised to find his ‘80s fever dream-like future rock right up my alley. Taking over the Linne tent, the crowd was monstrous (a recurring theme for this stage), and while I enjoyed what I heard, I only stayed for his opening couple of songs before making my way to the Flamingo stage to catch Khruangbin. Having seen them at WOMADelaide earlier this year, I knew what to expect and wasn’t disappointed. The stage setup mirrored their A LA SALA album cover, while the set list was a fantastic mix of old and new. They can get a bit samey at times, but there’s no denying Khruangbin are a fantastic live act who I would happily fork out my hard-earned to see again.
Taking to the stage in black military outfits reminiscent of the Beatles on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, Swedish hip hop royalty Yung Lean and Bladee treated fans to an enthralling set of auto-tuned cloud rap. Ten years ago, I would have been moshing in the pit, but now older and (possibly) wiser, I observed two of Sweden’s biggest rappers put on a polished performance from the back before hightailing it back to the Linne tent for Wet Leg.
Indie guitar music is in my blood, so bands like Wet Leg tick all the right boxes. Fresh from releasing their sophomore album Moisturizer, which topped the UK Album Chart, the Rhian Teasdale-led rockers were an absolute blast. Playing an assortment of tracks from their self-titled debut and new record, Wet Leg had the audience handclapping, moshing and punching the air in joy, with some fella even busting out the classic Chubby Checker “twist” during ‘Chaise Lounge’. Wet Leg ripped through an impressive 15 tracks, bringing things to a close with the Talking Heads-inspired ‘CPR’.
The crowd for Charli XCX was unbelievable. There was no chance of getting anywhere close to the stage, so I settled for a clearing at the back with other curious fans not brave enough to confront the masses. Watching from the cheap seats, it was clear to see Charli has her performance down pat, from choreographed dance moves to signature camera looks. It was like watching a club performance in a massive park. As you would expect, songs from chart-topper BRAT dominated, but there were a few older tracks for the day one fans.
While I would have loved to have watched her entire performance, I couldn’t miss the chance to catch MJ Lenderman, who was unfortunately booked at the same time as Charli. Despite this, he had a solid crowd who appreciated his take on the classic Americana sound. Coming across as The War on Drugs meets Neil Young, Lenderman’s feedback-heavy indie meets country rock struck a nerve, with songs ‘Toontown’, ‘Manning Fireworks’ and ‘Bark at the Moon’ showing why he’s become a favourite of music publications across the globe.
Once again ending the day close to midnight, it was back out into town to see what Stay Out West had to offer.
Day 3
Image Micke Sandström
The sun was out for the third and final day of Way Out West. First up was Noname, who drew a small but passionate crowd that soon filled out the Linne tent. Accompanied by her DJ, Noname demonstrated what a rapper can achieve with just a beat and an arsenal of witty and thought-provoking lyrics. Every time I see her, she never fails to disappoint, and her Way Out West slot was no different, with the crowd vibing to the lyricist’s innovative rhymes. Describing ‘namesake’ as her “pettist song”, Noname cut the song short halfway through to rap a cappella, receiving a huge roar from the crowd.
Black Star, the Brooklyn rap duo of Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, got the old school hip hop heads rocking back and forth with their late arvo set. Performing both Black Star and solo material, Kweli comes across as the more accomplished lyricist, but for mine, Bey has a better flow and vibe, with his rendition of The Ecstatic cut, ‘Audiotorim’, sending the audience wild.
Lola Young is the foul-mouthed rock and roll version of Adele. Although she’s been building a steady fan base across the UK since her 2023 debut album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, the rest of the world only caught on last year when her single ‘Messy’ topped the charts around the world. Playing mostly tracks from her 2024 album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway, Young’s voice was a little more raspy than usual, but she powered through with her Lily Allen-style British pop that resonated with the Swedish crowd. She mentioned ‘Wish You Were Dead’ was her favourite track before launching into it, finishing up with ‘Messy’, much to the delight of the crowd.
My find of the festival was Swedish act Goat. The mask-wearing act are shrouded in mystery and claims to be from Korpilomobol, a Swedish area with a history of voodoo worship. There are three core members of the band and four additional musicians from Gothenburg, with Goat’s experimental rock falling somewhere in the space between King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Osees. Weird yet strangely appealing, if Goat were a movie, they would be Midsommer. Enough said.
I caught a few songs from pop star Daniela Ratana, who reminds me of fellow Swede Robyn, before making my way to the Höjden stage to catch the only Aussie act represented at this year’s Way Out West – Confidence Man. Now London-based, the duo of Janet Planet and Sugar Bones caused quite a stir with their Euro-pop trash. Turning Höjden into a mid-arvo dance sesh, the mainly young crowd lost their collective shit as Condifence Man showcased choreographed dance moves and multiple costume changes, including the Madonna-inspired bra with flashing lights worn by Janet. It’s insane to think these two Aussie battlers are now playing some of the biggest festivals in the world, but then again, how can you not love upbeat bangers like ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’, ‘Now You Do’ and ‘Holiday’.
I left halfway through to get a good spot for synth-pop legends Pet Shop Boys. Appearing on stage looking like a knock-off Daft Punk (the metallica helmets only lasted three songs thankfully), the duo of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe proved they’ve still got the juice after more than 40 years together. While their stage show was pretty simple, the hits kept on coming. ‘It’s a Sin’, ‘Domino Dancing’, ‘Suburbia’ and ‘Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)’ had everyone cutting shapes as a light rain began to fall. A cover of Gwen McCrae’s ‘You Were Always on My Mind’ and the U2 and Frankie Valli medley ‘Where the Streets Have No Name / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ both got a look in, while the band’s keyboardist Clare Uchima joined Tennant for the duet, ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?’. Rounding out their set with ‘Go West’ and ‘Being Boring’, Pet Shop Boys showed why they have been a cultural mainstay for over four decades.
Chappell Roan closed Way Out West with a 90-minute performance that elicited screams and cheers from the incredibly packed crowd throughout her entire time on stage. Kudos to her production team, who transformed the Flamingo stage into an epic fantasy setting with a castle-like structure, pyro, smoke machines and a big screen playing fantasy-related videos and animations. As for Roan, she sure knows how to please a crowd. She played all bar one song from her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, with ‘Red Wine Supernova’, ‘HOT TO GO!’ and ‘Naked in Manhatten’ sending the crowd into raptures. A cover of Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ was impressive, with Roan ending her magical headline set with last year’s ‘Good Luck, Babe!’, an extended version of ‘My Kink Is Karma’ and her massive single ‘Pink Pony Club’.
While the three days had come and gone in the blink of an eye, the memories will last forever, with Way Out West one of the best festival experiences I’ve had the joy of being a part of. Until next year…
