Parklife 2025 was exactly what you’d expect – wild, messy, loud, and absolutely brilliant.
The UK’s biggest city festival once again took over Heaton Park, bringing over 80,000 people together for two days of music, mischief and proper Manc mayhem.
This year’s setup felt fresh. The site had been tweaked with a new layout to improve flow, with the upgraded VIP area getting panoramic views of The Valley, posh toilets, glam zones, and better food and drink. There was even a new backstage pass with access to side-of-stage spots at The Hangar. It all felt a bit sleeker than previous years – less faff, more vibe.
But the real reason we were all there? The music.
Saturday brought the nostalgia early. 50 Cent returned to Heaton Park and dropped hit after hit – In Da Club, P.I.M.P., Candy Shop – and had the whole place moving. One of those “can’t believe this is happening in a field in Manchester” moments. Jorja Smith was flawless too, with the crowd singing every word back to her.
Over on the Magic Sky stage, Bou pulled in a massive crowd, with surprise appearances from Aitch and Window Kid that sent the place into overdrive. The Big Top was a new tented stage with that proper warehouse rave feel – dark, bass-heavy, and intense. Skream & Benga smashed it there, while Armand Van Helden closed the Sunday session by dropping I Want Your Soul, which sent everyone into a full-on moment.
The journey in was smooth enough if you timed it right. Trams were rammed, but moving, and security got people through quickly. The site layout had changed a bit this year with a new Big Top and Matinée stage.
Overall, both stages added loads to the Parklife experience. Big Top brought intensity. Matinée brought community. If they bring them back next year with better crowd control, they’ll be even better.
The Big Top was a huge indoor tent setup, built for heavy bass and warehouse-style raving. It had a proper underground feel – dark, intense, and full of strobes. Think classic big-room energy. The sound system was powerful, and it felt like a proper club dropped in the middle of Heaton Park. Acts like Armand Van Helden, Skream & Benga and Interplanetary Criminal turned it into one of the liveliest spots across the weekend.
The Matinée stage brought a more stripped-back, minimal heads-down vibe for proper house heads – but things got a bit too packed during Josh Baker’s set, leading to a shutdown for safety reasons. Bit of a buzzkill, but the crowd bounced back.
That was one of only a few hiccups of the weekend.
Sunday kicked off a bit wobbly after a headliner pulled out last minute, causing another Big Top closure. But Peggy Gou picked up the pieces, stepping up in The Valley with a set that lifted the whole festival back up. Confidence Man, Mark Rebillet and Girls Don’t Sync kept the energy going all day, with FLO adding a bit of pop sparkle to the weekend.
And then there was Charli XCX. Stepping in to close out the festival on Sunday night, she delivered one of the best headline performances Parklife’s seen. Celebrating her brat era and Manchester’s club roots, she tore through Von Dutch, Vroom Vroom, Party 4 U, and more – it was bold, loud, camp, and perfect.
Over in The Hangar, Bicep closed with their CHROMA AV set, finishing on Glue while lasers lit up the sky. Everyone was locked in – sweaty, soaked, but totally mesmerised. That was the moment. That’s why people come back.
Yes, the queues were long. Yes, it rained (obviously). And yes, a few things went a bit sideways at times. But Parklife 2025 pulled it off again. From big names and surprise sets to muddy dance-offs and moments you’ll never forget, it was everything a proper Manc festival should be.
See you next year. Bring wellies.
Tickets for Parklife 2026 are loading soon and can be purchased here
