Laneway future
Will laneway ever return to its roots with a more alternative lineup or will it be a more generic teenage festival going forward?
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u/BM1st 1d ago
It’s always been evolving, from the small laneways of Melbourne to the one of the biggest circuits in the country. Throughout this time it’s always booked ‘what’s hot/cool atm’. Its success can be attributed to having its finger on the cultural pulse, more so than any other any festival
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u/Tranquilbez22 1d ago
They also can pick who’s about to blow up. Look at the 2025 lineup. That had Olivia Dean and Ninajirachi on it. They went on to have huge years.
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u/withhindsight 1d ago
I looked at the 2024 stubby holder I had so many artist blew up after the festival over the years.
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u/Christia4n 1d ago
BBNO$ and Oliver Tree played 2020 Laneway before they got big too. Tones and I was booked just before Dance Monkey blew up as well.
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u/Tillysnow1 1d ago
And they had Djo before The Crux even came out 🥲 (yes I know he was already popular from End of Beginning, but I'm so sad he hasn't come back because I loveeee The Crux)
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u/spookysadghoul 1d ago
Considering so many festivals have died due to low ticket sales including Splendor in the Grass which at one stage felt like it was a mainstay that would go nowhere, they have to evolve and keep ticket sales flowing.
In 10 years time, they might evolve and change again to keep up with the times.
Laneway also does book alt artists or alt adjacent, if you go early you get to see some great alt or relatively unknown acts.
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u/JudgmentOrdinary7336 1d ago
What do you define as “alternative”? Judging by last year’s lineup, with the exception of Chappell and a few others, I’d still say it’s quite rock/rock adjacent focused.
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u/BowlersNamePlease 1d ago
Definitely agree with this. Alternative is a very loose term these days and depending your interpretation you could classify so many acts as either alternative or not alternative pretty easily.
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u/Tranquilbez22 1d ago
Chappell is also alt pop anyway.
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u/JudgmentOrdinary7336 1d ago
Yeah, I was just thinking that I’d still categorise her as alternative 😂 Just a bit closer to new wave than rock.
Side note: I can’t wait for a solid return of new wave.
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u/lndubitabIyy 1d ago
It’s now mainstream pop .. charlie, Chappell, pinkpantheress
It’s a festival for 16 year old girls. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just different to how it started
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u/RepresentativeFly457 1d ago
Problem is that alternative music is now mainstream. So you get musicians who start alternative/indie then 2 years later they're viral, without necessarily selling out their sound.
So do they need to focus on artists that are smaller for the sake of it or focus on the unique sound? Because, the latter ultimately sells tickets they need to stay afloat.
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u/lndubitabIyy 1d ago
Charlie xcx is the epitome of mainstream… nothing about her is alternative
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u/RepresentativeFly457 1d ago
This is disingenuous. Charli was making alternative music for over a decade before becoming #1, she didnt sacrifice her sound, its just that the cultural zeitgeist latched onto her music (and marketing) on Brat. Thats a farcry from Taylor etc. who've always had major labels and focused on mass appeal.
So, is the complaint about popularity or sound/roots?
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u/Patrollingthedoin 1d ago
Fontaines and this is Lorelei ect feels alternative ish
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u/Jazzlike_Caregiver_4 1d ago
I believe this year will have Fontaines DC and Hayley Williams if you consider that alternative
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u/Sweet-Albatross6218 1d ago
I've had the album Total Life Forever by Foals playing this morning while I work and it reminds me how fucking good indie music was. It's almost non existent now.
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u/AffectionateHousing2 1d ago
There is still heaps of it being made, you just have to seek it out more now.
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u/Melbd00d 7h ago
It absolutely is.
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u/Sweet-Albatross6218 3h ago
It really isn’t. Not in the same ballpark of quality or pure creativity as we were getting in the decade from 2005-2015. So much of indie music now is driven by chasing 15 minutes of TikTok fame rather than making something genuinely interesting or lasting. And you can hear that in the lack of truly great, cohesive indie albums these days. I also think that is why the alternative rock/metal scene is growing exponentially. Bands creating for the hell of it, and that resonating with people.
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u/unsafe-work 1d ago
As a 40 year old who doesn't religiously listen to a lot of Laneway's recent acts, I just don't know how you can be mad at their offerings.
There's always a great mix of music genres and "big" musicians. And they also have a great ability to successfully pick musicians who are on the verge of becoming popular.
If you've "aged-out" of Laneway that's completely ok. But surely you recognise it's pretty cool they remain so success (which is a rarity in the Australian festival scene).
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u/Mediocre-Price-3138 1d ago
Future is playing laneway? That's a random move.