19/08/2025
Wilderness feels like stepping into a parallel universe for a weekend. Part glitter-fuelled party, part lakeside retreat, part cultural playground, this year’s edition served up sunshine, sequins, and some seriously eclectic experiences, all wrapped in that signature Wilderness magic. Here’s how it went down.
Although it’s easy to forget with everything else on offer, Wilderness is still at heart a music festival and this year it delivered across the board.
Friday set the tone straight away - Orbital brought euphoric, classic energy. A full body serotonin hit, with spot on mixes and pure delight from the all-ages crowd drawn. From the main stage, we wandered into the House of Sublime and straight into a drag show that absolutely blew the roof off. For one of our mates, it was their first ever drag show and his eyes nearly fell out of his head. I think part of him is still in there, trying to process. We then stumbled on She’s Got Brass. Brass bands at festivals often conjure images of old men playing old tunes, but this one was young, vibrant, and throwing down absolute bangers. You could feel it in your chest, like a bassline in trumpet form. Would definitely seek them out again. Our night wrapped with the Twisted Time Machine - the perfect way to wrap up an evening, firing pop and rave bangers at us faster than we could fully process, with mixes toeing the line between beautifully bizarre and revolutionarily genius.
Saturday kept the pace up. Over in the Dive, an apty named small dive bar themed stage/bar , a new favourite band of ours - Baby Said - delivered another fantastic set after I first saw them earlier this summer. I think they have a very bright future ahead, and I look forward to gloating about seeing them so up-close. Over on the main stage Supergrass were a teenage dream come true for me, and the beauty of Wilderness is how easy it is to get right up to the front, without crushes or drama. And of course, no wilderness night would be complete without a Valley session - dancing at The Valley remains iconic and intense in all the right ways, and the atmosphere was incredible, like a entering a parallel world of strobes and beats.
Sunday eased us into the final stretch - Wet Leg were the perfect Sunday afternoon groove, while Basement Jaxx closed the festival with jaw-dropping showmanship- a high-energy spectacle that left us wishing it was the start of the weekend, not the end.
Beyond the music, there is so much else going on.
At Wilderness, fashion runs the full spectrum: sequins, tails, outlandish costumes, and, in the case of a certain nudist couple (camp site celebrities in their own right), nothing at all. The crowd was all ages, right down to a kids’ area buzzing with colour and laughter.
The weather was mostly incredible and many people chose to cool off by flinging themselves into the lake like it was the Olympics, whilst dodging the yoga paddleboarders.
It wouldn't be England without a bit of rain and we did see a brief but heavy downpour on the Sunday but lucky for us, we had booked a massage during that exact time - turning what could’ve been a miserable monsoon into 45 minutes of blissful background ambience. My husband even had an additional charity donation neck-and-shoulder massage under a tree in the main arena, which kept him going for more hard partying.
Drinks were plentiful and not painfully overpriced. In the hot sun, nothing beat an ice-cold beer in hand. Regards festival food, Wilderness had lots of options - we enjoyed pizza, paella, banh mi and more. Our one comment it would be great to see stalls from African, Caribbean, and South Asian cuisines in future; on day three, you sometimes need that kind of big, bold flavour to bring you back to life.
And a special shout out to the true star of the show - The Toilets.
When Nature Calls’ paid toilets were genuinely delightful - cleaned every time, with mirrors big enough to actually style your hair.
But honestly, Wilderness wins my (imaginary) Festival Toilet Award for its loos in general: flushing, fresh-smelling, and shockingly pleasant for a festival. No traumatic incidents at all, borderline enjoyable. No notes!
However one slight gripe we had this year was around security. You’re searched on entry to the campsite, and then again every time you move from the campsite into the arena. That in itself isn’t unusual, but it wasn’t always clear what was and wasn’t allowed within the arena. At one point I was asked to pour out my water and refill it once inside, which felt unnecessary given the hot weather- and, confusingly, I wasn’t asked to do this any other time. I completely understand that festivals make money from on-site drink sales, but it would have been much better if this was made consistently clear and enforced with a little less glee. For example, one morning I had an electrolyte tablet in my water, turning it pink and the security staff were openly mocking towards me when I explained that's what it was, assuming and seemingly insisting it was alcohol at 8am. They seemed genuinely disappointed when proved wrong. Similarly, my husband was once turned back because of a can of deodorant in his bag, which felt more pedantic than protective.
Wilderness has, over the last few years, had a notably higher security presence than many other festivals I’ve attended. While this may help some festivalgoers feel safer, it can have the opposite effect for others - particularly global majority attendees, for whom heavy-handed or inconsistent searching can feel alienating. A more mindful approach would go a long way: being consistent across all entry points, clearer in communication about rules, and a little less heavy-handed in tone. That way, security could still do their job effectively without undermining the welcoming, relaxed spirit the festival is otherwise known for.
Ultimately, Wilderness 2025 was a masterclass in balance - enough big-name acts to thrill, enough quirky experiences to surprise, and just enough comfort to keep you going all weekend. It’s the kind of festival that spoils you - makes you wonder why you’ve ever put up with warm lager and nightmarish toilets. A blissful summer escape that will be hard to beat.
