Who Ruled Pukkelpop 2025?

We have decided to baptize Pukkelpop as the Coachella of Belgium, ferris wheel and all. This renowned Belgian festival celebrated its 40th anniversary this year and with it came incredible performances. Here are some of our favorites from this edition:

CHAPPELL ROAN

There is a reason that Chappell Roan seems to be only going up higher and higher, and seeing her live truly made us understand why the whole world is fascinated by her. For her first time ever in Belgium and on the "Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things" tour, Chappell brings a fairy godmother, dark forest world to life, with a magical set and insane outfits to match. She has created her world and we are all living in it, wearing our official pink cowboy hat uniform. Even though most of the world will know her for her ultra-fun pop girl anthems, Chappell surprised us with tender heartfelt renditions of some of her slower songs like "Picture You" or "Kaleidoscope" and of course her latest ballad "The Subway." But of course, the fun pop girl anthems also had the audience screaming their lungs out and dancing for their lives.


CMAT

Let's start of by saying that CMAT played not one, but two festivals in one day! That's right, she crossed from Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands to Belgium and played two shows in the span of 8 hours. Not that we could have known, because she played the Pukkelpop stage with a fresh and electric energy that blew the tent away! CMAT is something to behold, even if her music is not for you (which we seriously doubt) her stage presence will still keep your eyes glued to the stage. If someone was looking for personality, CMAT has it! She has the dramatic flair, the moves, the cheekiness and the audience interaction down to a T. Singing iconic songs from her upcoming album Euro-Country she has us all celebrating sluttiness and wanting a sexy picture taken of us. She has a voice for the ages, with a powerful tone and notes that hit different with her iconic Irish accent, songwriting that is masterful and vibes that make us wish she was our friend. You just know she would go to hell and back for you.


SUKI WATERHOUSE

Model, actress, whatever: Suki Waterhouse is an impressive musician to behold. Her music is sexy and fun, but in a very specific sultry and moody kind of way, like she is setting us up for a dark drama - and Suki's wonderfully deep and dreamy tone makes it even better. She dresses like a rockstar, loses her sunglasses , but makes it casual and manages to not overheat in her giant fur coat. It is not just her music that is amazing, but there is a confidence that Suki carries with her. She make slow movements and gives the crowd the time to take her in, she isn't rushed and she works the stage with a sense of maturity. She has away of making you feel like you are in a dream.


BBY

If you"ve seen the new series "Adults" chances are that you have encountered bby's song "Bad Advice" and loved it. The best way to describe the feeling of seeing this band live is by saying that they are a group of friends who bring a fun and intimate house party right to the stage . This UK band are hype-men and have everyone in the audience vibing with them through both chill songs and rock songs. Even better, frontman Benji is not scared to go and jump right in with the audience, bringing the party to the dancefloor. With ecstatic hardcore guitar solos and funky indie-rock rhythms, these boys are there to have a good time and make you have one too, they are bound to become your favorites.


DOECHII

The Swamp Princess literally brought us a gorgeous Swamp. Doechii is an electric performer, the minute she starts rapping all eyes are on her. She has a way of speaking and looking at you that demands your attention. Not to mention the way she moves, it is a literal workout: doing the splits whilst twerking, more twerking, running across the stage and jumping like crazy. There are also some raw, but chaotic moments Like Doechii's assistant running across the stage to take her blunt or give her wine or take her heels when they got uncomfortable - it was very raw and real. The level of focus, energy and hype that she brings to the stage are unmatched and that is what earns her, her royal status.


GOOD NEIGHBOURS

For a band coming from cloudy England, their songs manage to bring a summery spirit to everything they touch, so it's clear that the "good" in their name stands for feel-good. Their music creates, the movie magic of spending summer with your friends or falling in love. They don't talk about any exceptional feelings, but manage to capture the magic of the mundane. This is a band that feels down-to-earth, but gives us passion-filled performances where absolutely every single song makes you want to dance, especially when lead-singer Oli is moving around the stage with such energy or banging their extra drum to the beat. It is all-around a good (pun intended) time! Their debut album Blue Sky mentality comes out in September and we just know that it will get us through the rainy days.


CHLOE SLATER

With so many love songs out in the world (not that there is anything wrong with a good love song) it feels refreshing to find an artist that decides to shift their focus to critically analyzing the world we live in, especially as young adults. Chloe Slater does just that with a fun, pop-rock flair that makes her extremely relatable and lyrics come to life. She looks like she is amused on stage, often laughing at what she says, but getting the audience to move with her and feel what she is feeling. It truly makes you want to scream along with her when she does her signature spoken runs backed by an intense guitar, but once you step away from the music you realize she is a fun 20-something year old going through the same stuff we all are, which makes everything even cooler.


LUVCAT

Finding artists that have a very niche and strong identity is something truly special and Luvcat has managed to capture that in a world of her own: what we can only describe as a romantic vampire-noire , pop-rock sound. And there is a whole aesthetic to match, from using the word "candelabra" once or twice or creating song titles that Wednesday Adams would approve of - to wearing outfits reminiscent of different times. It is dark, it is sultry and romantic - in a deadly kind of way. Something that is slightly haunted and combined with Luvcat's power for romantic and macabre storytelling in her lyrics, create an explosion. We can't wait for her debut album "Vicious Delicious" to come out on Halloween: how appropriate.


THE LAST DINNER PARTY

TLDP is a band like no other. They bring a rock, Renaissance fair, Salem witches , tragic romance vibe to the stage and its electric. They have truly honed in their style, complimented by lead singer Abigail Moriss' deeply specific voice and the band's insane rock skills. Even though their tone and music are serious, like they know something you don't, the band have a laugh on stage and aren't afraid of rocking out together, amid the most of their space to move around, walk around in a ritualistic formation or come together to jam at the end of the runway. The band is in total control, they know who they are and they bring some seriously devilish fun wherever they go. From the Pyre their second album comes out on October 17th and it will definitely be on our fall playlist!


THE BEACHES

Our favorite Canadian, ex-blaming band took on the main stage at Pukkelpop and it had us all cursing at exes past. The Beaches have created a fun pop-rock sound that is uniquely theirs and has taken the world by storm. These are songs for the girls, perfect for the pre-game and perfect to turn you into the last girls at the party. Not to mention the iconic "Lesbian of the Year" shirt, which serves as promo for their latest single, but also shows how the band is evolving from ex diss tracks, to songs about self-love and personal growth. Their new album "No Hard Feelings" comes out on August 29th.


ÃO

This Belgian band ÃO brings flavors from Brazil and Mozambique together to create on-stage magic. Their rhythms get your soul moving, they are funky, eclectic and transport you to an island. The voice of lead singer Brenda Corijn is incredibly profound and envelops you and their mix of electronics, rhythmic guitar and island drums envelops you into their performances. Even though there is a mystical aspect to their performance, the band feels very down-to-earth and welcomes you to dance with them, even including an impressive aerial lift dance move from the band. 


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