Ones to Watch Summer 2025
The UK festival season is rapidly approaching, and with the weather picking up, we’re getting ourselves ready for an absolute belter of festivals this year. Sure, the big names will always pull the headlines, but we’re here for the acts bubbling under — the ones playing tucked-away tents and early-afternoon slots, bringing the real magic.
At Feats, we’ve always had a soft spot for emerging talent. A few of this year’s most exciting names are familiar to us from past interviews, blog features, and sun-soaked sets — artists who’ve been putting the graft in and are now gearing up for massive summers.
Feats favourites making big strides
HotWax and SNAYX first caught our eye at The Great Escape ’23 — gritty, no-nonsense bands shaking up Brighton basements. Now? HotWax have dropped their debut album Hot Shock and levelled up to festival stages like Reading and All Points East. SNAYX, meanwhile, have brought their chaotic punk energy to 2000trees and their own headline runs. They’re the real deal — and they’ve only just got started.
Bringing the party
NOISY are another act built for the summer circuit. They’ve fused rock, rave and rap into something totally their own — all about high energy, no pretence. Their album IMAGO landed late last year, and they’re now primed to light up fields across the country. If you see NOISY on a line-up, bring your mates and dancing shoes — you’re in for a good time. And you’re sure to see someone from the Feats team there, throwing shapes down the front.
(You can Catch our Article and Interview with NOISY Here!)
Solo stars on the rise
Ellur has had a standout year — playing Reading & Leeds, touring with Robbie Williams, and dropping her latest EP God Help Me Now. Her nostalgic indie-pop is catchy, honest and full of heart. With more releases on the way, Ellur is quickly becoming one of the most exciting voices in UK pop.
Ones to Watch
TTSSFU – Gritty, lo-fi punk from Manchester. Short, sharp, and full of attitude.
Young Athena – London-based R&B/rap hybrid with serious flow and emotional depth.
Mandrake Handshake – Oxford psych collective spinning kaleidoscopic grooves.
Grove – Bristol’s boundary-breaking voice of electronic punk, rave, and protest.
There’s something brilliant about stumbling into a tiny stage and catching a band that might headline in two years’ time. From Glasto to Green Man, Dot to Dot to Truck — keep your eyes (and ears) open.
These are our picks for 2025. Trust us: they won’t stay small for long.
See you down the front.
