Centennial Park’s freshly dried mud and crispy grass is a scenic change of pace for Laneway, one of the last Australian festivals standing after a wave of dramatic cancellations. This year’s festival was set to be bigger, more expensive, and offered a suite of exclusive artists. Walking 15 minutes from the bus stop, it only took me two of those to be greeted by a police officer and his sniffer dog in Centennial Park, and again after I entered the festival. I arrived early, so entering was a fairly straightforward process. I collected my media pass, had my bag checked, and walked another five minutes past inflatable Laneway characters, signage, and a multitude of security cameras into the central parkland.

There were two main outdoor stages in the centre of the parkland (Good, Better, Best and Never Let It Rest) and one smaller, shaded and cooled stage on its eastern side (Everything Ecstatic). The central parkland stages were reserved for the larger acts, and the shaded stage for smaller acts and DJs. The western side featured a collection of food trucks and a charming pop-up from music influencer Derrick Gee which created a relaxing outdoor atmosphere. Wherever you went however, each shade umbrella, bar, or amenity was slathered in branding, not from Laneway, but from alcohol brands, credit institutions, or notoriously expensive private tertiary education providers. Parts of Laneway felt like walking through a racing jacket.

This year’s lineup featured five exclusive acts, more than double last year’s count and the highest ever for the festival (Charli xcx, Clairo, Beabadoobee, Barry Can’t Swim, and BICEP). Four of whom are running off the back of smash-hit albums and BICEP returning to touring after a long delay. The rest of the lineup was well curated but safe, featuring Australian festival regulars such as Skeggs, Ninajirachi and STÜM, as well as internet sensations Remi Wolf, Joey Valence & Brae, and Fcukers. There was also a lack of local musicians on this year’s lineup; the only two Devaura and Maybe in May received opening slots. Each act however, was clearly happy to be there, being well received and full of energy — the crowd too was very receptive.

Fcukers were sensational — Jackson Walker Lewis appearing in his best Noel Gallagher costume, ripping open their set in the Everything Ecstatic tent with ‘Homie Don’t Shake’, Shannon Wise’s casual and natural vocals electrifying a passionate crowd. Playing through their entire discography, each song was rich and energetic — if not a little let down by quiet mixing. Each set from 2 pm to 7 pm was sandwiched by a performance from Ninajirichi, who was adaptive and dynamic, each set replicating the energy of the previous set, satiating a hungry crowd.

Laneway has, historically, caught many artists, mere moments before their fast track to stardom. Joey Valence & Brae have dropped several internet breakout hits over the past two years. They have not, however, found themselves stuck in an ‘internet music’ box like comparable acts such as bbno$ or Yung Gravy have. They were explosive, with an unforgettable and boisterous stage presence — the crowd moving in large waves. Their remix of ‘365’ was raucous.

Djo caught the beginnings of the afternoon light, his set was solid and well-rehearsed but he did not receive much of a response until his closer ‘End of Beginning’. Other reviewers have commented on the youth of the crowd, their affinity for iPhone recordings and how musicians may not be successful if they aren’t also in the grips of virality. I think this is less a symptom of the internet changing our perspectives, and more that the discovery of new music and experiments have shifted from outside to the bedroom. In previous years, a similar thing would have occurred with any artist’s hit song, but perhaps the crowd would have been more open to the rest of his set.

Clairo was electric, but with the kind of electricity that powers a 2000k light bulb. She was accompanied by a five-piece band, sonically elevated from her recordings, with ‘Sexy to Someone’ featuring a charming saxophone solo and clarinet embellishment. Her set was intimate and ornate, shimmering with a delicate sweetness that wasn't replicated anywhere else that day. Movement stopped between the crowd as golden-hour sunlight washed over swaying bodies and clasping hands. Each of us felt like her band was only playing for us. Her set carried itself with elegance, songs from Charm were tight and effortless, and songs from older parts of her discography like ‘4EVA’ were refreshed with her new sound — kissed by nostalgia but without the burden of retrospect. Finally, lesbians and avoidant inner-west men lived together in amicable harmony — even if only for a brief moment.

Beabadoobe’s set was lively and punchy — she carved a captivating atmosphere. Framed by a purple twilight sky and fruit bats, ‘She Plays Bass’ was huge, her backline owning the air for only an unjust 40-minute set. Her set felt like a speedrun through her best work, rather than a full set. Each song was effortless and sharp, but I was wishing for more.

The sun had fully set by the time Barry Can’t Swim entered the stage. Shrouded in darkness with a wall of electric pianos and synthesisers with him. He gifted us a fantastic bass-heavy, piano-washed jazz house set. His solos were numerous but not gratuitous. It took a little while for the crowd to warm up to him, especially as Charli xcx latecomers began to trickle in, but by the end of his set he showed us that although the Scotsman may not be able to swim, he can certainly cook. It was by far the best mixed show, it took great advantage of the day's speaker set but still suffered from dips in clarity.

Charli xcx certainly received the most anticipation, some people securing a spot at the barricade ten hours beforehand. Charli lived up to much of the hype, her stage presence was huge, commanding the stage she was given, flowing out onto the barrier and followed backstage by a cameraman. ‘365’ was an electric opener, erupting all over the parkland. By this time the entire fenced area was completely full, the only standing room left was occupied by piles of rubbish and bins or festival infrastructure. Brat and its cultural impact has lost much of its currency by now, but Charli experimented playfully with its iconography. Some of it felt soapy, a brat-branded granny smith for ‘Apple’, a stage-wide peridot green curtain with several metre ‘brat’ type. Playing Brat in almost its entirety, one stage could barely hold her, the crowd singing nearly every word with fanatic passion. Her sound was bass-heavy and commanding, but much like the other headliners it was over before it began.

The price of a ticket at this year’s laneway was between $190 and $230, which is about the same price of a General Admission ticket to a stadium show for artists comparable to Charli. Each of Laneway’s headlining exclusive artists were let down by the short duration of their sets and their timetabling. Why a festival would book five exclusive acts only to have most of them play for less than an hour is beyond me. Especially those off the back of huge albums with either a ravenous cult-following or with a cultural impact that will likely be studied by art history students. The exclusivity of some artists had done a disservice to both their music, its impact, and punters. BICEP were done particularly dirty by this year's timetable. They were scheduled to share all but ten minutes of their experimental audio-visual set with Charli’s. But by the time of Barry Can’t Swim, nearly all of the parklands had been filled with people attempting to catch Charli xcx. Even if you wanted to catch half of both, moving through the crowd would’ve taken you 30 minutes (believe me I tried). Leaving the festival was particularly difficult too, the crowd, reaching its peak attendance by 9 pm, shuffled out painfully. Bottlenecking at the gates, rendering a five-minute walk to a 25-minute waddle.

Laneway 2025 was a refreshing return to normality for Australian music festivals. It featured a balanced and loveable lineup of fan favourites and internet sensations but was let down by its administration and infrastructure. Its artists provided fantastic and memorable performances that resonated but its vibes were either hamstrung by technical difficulties or over-police and surveillance. Many of its pitfalls however seem to be symptoms of a larger issue within Australian music; a lack of funding, over-policing, a lack of infrastructure and neglect of local music scenes. Laneway 2025 proved that there is still a large appetite for music festivals in Australia, but it wasn’t quite able to satiate it.

LIFE IS A LANEWAY? I WANNA RIDE IT ALL DAY-FESTIVAL LONG: PULP'S LANEWAY REVIEW