For adventurous music lovers, there are few greater joys than seeing your favorite artist’s name appear on the lineup of your most treasured festival. In some special cases, that band’s sound aligns perfectly with the curated vibe of the festival. That being said, let's explore some 2025 artist and music festival pairings that just make sense.
Khruangbin & Electric Forest
Hosted far from major cities and beautifully nestled in a forest of tall trees, Electric Forest is praised for its psychedelic mystique and stunning art installations. So, when the Houston-based band Khruangbin was revealed as a headliner, excitement abounded! Their delectable blend of worldly psychedelia with soul and funk delivers listeners to organic environments never seen before. To hear their organic and catchy riffs while surrounded by illuminated trees at Electric Forest is a dream come true.
NIK P & Underground Sound
It cannot be overstated how hard NIK P has worked to help expand the offering of Texas’ music scene. It’s only fitting, then, to see his name as part of the Underground Sound festival lineup. This new festival will take place in Austin, TX, the home of South by Southwest and its own notorious music scene. The location is a bit off the beaten path at Carson Creek Ranch, but hey - it hardly gets more Texan than that! NIK P will undoubtedly showcase drum & bass, underground neuro, and the most cutting edge bass music; the same genres he’s carved out space for in Texas.
Ternion Sound & Infrasound
Well-known for curating a lineup of sound design tastemakers and prodigious bass music producers, Infrasound is a haven for audiophiles that crave immersion in the dark and wobbly. Held at Harmony Park right next to Geneva Lake in Minnesota, Ternion Sound will rep their home state at Infrasound. Molded by the harsh winters that historically imbues musicians with legendary creativity, Ternion Sound built their dubstep/deep dub reputation with impeccable production as well as renowned live performances. After delivering the news that 2025 will be the final year of Ternion Sound, fans would be remiss to skip their two sets at Infrasound.
Green Day & Coachella
Formed in California and directly influenced by its exalted punk scene, Green Day headlines day 2 of Coachella this year. Internationally known for its A-list attendees and trendsetting tendencies, Coachella takes the cake for popular American variety music festivals while also allowing somewhat smaller artists to catapult their way into superstardom with a slot on this lineup. Punk music was borne from political strife and the musical expression against tyranny. In tumultuous political times like the past handful of years, its only fitting for Green Day to invigorate the Coachella crowd with the ferocious energy of punk music.
Gesaffelstein & Ultra Music Festival
Wildly popular yet staying out of the limelight, Gesaffelstein has held listeners’ fascination for many years with his unique take on dark techno. As he continues to make his name known in popular music with collaborations alongside the likes of Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein’s fine-tuned performances (and his continually growing fanbase) demand a larger stage; and there are few stages larger than Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Another massive festival known for attracting a wide, beach-loving crowd, Ultra often showcases the greatest house and techno artists alongside massive mainstream acts. Gesaffelstein’s massive and demanding sound will thoroughly hypnotize the Ultra crowd and add followers to his loyal coterie.
