This week, Digbeth will once again transform into a hub of sonic adventure as Supersonic Festival returns from August 29 – August 31. Known internationally as the UK’s premier celebration of experimental and boundary-pushing music, the festival is set to deliver another bold and uncompromising programme.
Supersonic has always prided itself on defying easy labels, and the 2025 line up looks certain to reinforce that ethos. One of the most anticipated sets will come from Backxwash, the Zambian-Canadian rapper and producer, who will perform a UK exclusive preview of her upcoming album ‘Only Dust Remains’. Audiences can expect a cathartic and confrontational performance that blends industrial beats with raw, personal lyricism.
Also making their mark will be Funeral Folk, a collaboration between Swedish artists Maria W Horn and Sara Parkman. Their UK debut promises an exploration of grief and renewal, blending electronics, folk instrumentation, and choral elements. Another UK debut comes from Norway’s Witch Club Satan, an all-female black-metal trio whose theatrical and ritualistic approach is expected to be one of the festival’s most intense experiences.
Fans of Supersonic’s history will be excited by the return of The Bug with Warrior Queen, who performed at the festival’s inaugural edition back in 2003. Their reunion set will provide a heavy, bass driven link to Supersonic’s beginnings. Other names on the line-up include Richard Dawson, Divide and Dissolve, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Penelope Trappes, Zu, and Mermaid Chunky, ensuring that each day offers a wide spectrum of sound and genres.
The programme will be carefully sequenced across the weekend. Friday will set the tone with Birmingham duo Big Special and immersive performances from acts like Water Damage and Zu. Saturday will lean into heavier territory, with Backxwash, Death Goals, and The HIRS Collective expected to deliver some of the festival’s most confrontational moments. Sunday will close the weekend with more meditative and ritualistic sets, including Funeral Folk, Cinder Well, and Richard Dawson.
Attendees will also be able to take part in talks, workshops, and family-friendly events. These will include Doomyoga sessions, radical poster-making with Black Lodge Press, and the ever-popular Freak Zone Pub Quiz hosted by 6Music’s Stuart Maconie.
Tickets for the festival are available for purchase here, along with more information and full line up.
