THE sun shone on the eighth edition of TRNSMT Festival as thousands of music fans descended on a roasting hot Glasgow Green to see the best of rock and pop do their thing.
The 2025 line-up, like many before it, was headed up by huge names – in this case, noughties throwbacks 50 Cent, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol – but like every year, TRNSMT proved that it’s more about the names that top the bill. In fact, it’s often elsewhere that the festival comes into its own.
Our weekend started over at the newly minted BBC Introducing Stage with an impressive display from Indoor Foxes – full of spiky attitude and great tunes to match. Over on the Main Stage, Wet Leg came to party on the very same day their new album ‘moisturizer’ was released – so there was plenty to celebrate, and this quickly rubbed off on a crowd that was short on energy after a day in the sun. Their set featured a mix of established faves and new tracks like ‘catch these fists’, ‘davina mccall’, ‘mangetout’ and the brilliant ‘CPR’ – retaining their spiky edge and playful irreverence while sounding beefier, grittier and more confident than ever.
With hundreds of shows now under their belt, the band are a different beast entirely from the one that first played TRNSMT in 2022. Rhian Theasdale is now a bonafide star frontwoman – adorning a sports bikini and flexing her toned physique, she’s an icon of the stage. Importantly, the set finished with guitarist Hester Chambers speaking up about the right to protest, keenly aware of recent controversies surrounding Glastonbury and TRNSMT itself.
Three years after opening the very same stage, Bemz had BBC Introducing stage in the palm of his hands with a headline set that showcased his best qualities. Playing alongside a live band, they added groove and a jazz/funk flavour to his punchy tunes – switching from high-energy tracks and sax-led breakdowns on ‘Raging Bull’ to thoughtful musings about mental health, fatherhood and more. In a touching moment, he invited his friend Neil to join him on stage before ending with the bouncy ‘Zidane’.
The feel-good vibes didn’t quite end there as Confidence Man delivered a masterclass over on the King Tuts stage. The ultimate festival party starters, the duo entered the stage with their cloaked drummer and keyboardist raised on spiky, inflatable platforms, just as temperatures started to reach bearable levels. Performing huge bangers like ‘Now U Do’, ‘I Can’t Lose You’ and ‘Feels Like a Different Thing’ with unrivalled charisma, there was barely time to breathe as they powered through their infectious choreography and upbeat dance-pop racks– it’s fair to say they electrified the sun-weary crowd.
If we thought day one was hot, the temperatures rose even further on day two to around 30 degrees. However, the heat didn’t put off the Scottish crowds who once again turned up in their drives. We started with Fright Years over on the BBC Introducing stage, who certainly made a big impact ahead of a slot at our own TENEMENT TRAIL later this year. Jules Kelly is a great frontwoman, elevating each tune with her powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence.
Elsewhere, Brogeal pulled in one of their biggest festival crowds to date on the King Tuts stage and were given a hero’s reception after a warm-up of Dropkick Murphys and The Pogues. The band’s folky indie rock is right at home in the festival setting, and they set the place alight with ‘Roving Falkirk Bairn’, a rousing homage to their home town, and early favourites like ‘Girl From NYC’. The likes of ‘Friday On My Mind’ and ‘Tuesday Paper Club’ were aired ahead of their debut album arriving later this year – watch this space. The only way is up for these guys.
After some soaring indie anthems and fervent singalongs from Inhaler, we sauntered over to Biig Piig who performed to a small but engaged audience. The Irish alt-pop musician, otherwise known as Jessica Smyth, has been releasing music for around seven years, and her discography is fairly eclectic; oscillating between chilled-out, atmospheric songs with trip-hop, R&B and jazz influences, and club-ready dance tracks with drum’n’bass vibes and huge drops. Both were on display during her 44 minute slot, and she delivered each one with spades of charisma and infectious energy. Clearly loving every moment, it was a set brimming with feel-good vibes, right until she finished with the brilliant ‘Feels Right’ and ‘Kerosene’.
Later on, The Kooks offered a fun, high-energy trip back down memory lane before the band of the moment took the stage. It’s safe to say Fontaines D.C. were the band everyone wanted to see – it felt like every second person in Glasgow Green was wearing a t-shirt or one of their sky-blue Bohemians jerseys. And the unofficial headliners didn’t disappoint. Opening with the acidic sleaze of ‘Here’s The Thing’ into the brooding ‘Jackie Down The Line’ from ‘Skinty Fia’, they delivered the kind of career-spanning set that only a band at the top of their game can do. There was the youthful, punky exuberance of ‘Boys In The Better Land’, the gothic ‘Death Kink’ with its stuttering, hollering refrain and ‘Amazing To Be Young’ – a blissful celebration of what it feels to be alive.
Confidently strutting the stage, Grian Chatten has grown into a formidable frontman and it was almost impossible to take your eyes off him. He broke the spell only a couple of times, once to dedicate ‘Favourite’ to Glasgow – which initiated a sea of bodies being flung on shoulders for a mass singlong. “Home away from home. We love you.” He said.
It was the finale of ‘I Love You’ that took the set to a whole new level though – the words ‘selling genocide’ landed like a sledgehammer blow before ‘free Palestine’ and ‘Israel is committing genocide, use your voice’ appeared on the screen to rapturous support. A band who have never been afraid to take a stand, their choice to do so on Saturday, when many of their contemporaries are facing backlash for doing so, felt all the more poignant and important.
The sharp inhale of ‘Starbuster’ saw the set out in triumphant fashion – reinforcing their status as one of the best guitar bands of their generation. They’ll be headlining the biggest festivals in the world before you know it.
Before official headliner Biffy Clyro took to the stage, we nipped over to catch VLURE who were headlining the BBC Introducing stage – and they showed exactly why they’re one of the best live bands about in Scotland right now. Hot, sweaty, unhinged; every track was met with a fervent mosh pit as they took over the stage with an insatiable ferocity, from ‘Cut It’ to ‘Feels Like Heaven’ to ‘This Is Not The End’. And after such a euphoric performance, the band already have a show the Art School in Glasgow plugged in for later this year – so we suggest you don’t wait about to nab a ticket.
While Underworld did their thing on the King Tuts stage, Biffy Clyro brought the day to a close on the Main Stage. The band have been headlining these big stages for years, but they continue to deliver – elevating their blistering rock tunes with incredible stage presence and production.
“Glasgow, we’ve missed you – I hope you’re all ready for some serious singing tonight, in Costa Del Glasgow.” Simon Neil said, decked in a black kilt. The band dipped back into their immense, 20-year back catalogue with ease – opening with ‘The Captain’ and ‘That Golden Rule’, before setting the crowd alight with ‘Who’s Got A Match?’, Simon Neil swinging a light around his head maniacally.
‘Wolves of Winter’ unleashed streamers into the crowd, a full-throttle version of ‘Mountains’ took the volume to 100, while new single ‘A Little Love’ was also aired. Like the older tracks before it, it elicited a rapturous response and showcased the band at their bombastic best. Of course, there was plenty of singalongs throughout, while the likes of ‘Rearrange’ and ‘Machines’ provided quiet moments, with the crowd singing along every word.
“We’ve been excited about playing this show since we found out last year so thanks very much for being with us,” Simon admitted.
For the encore, they delivered a welcome rendition of ‘Living is a Problem Cos Everything Dies’ – taken from their seminal album ‘Puzzle’ and showing the band at their most playful – before the anthemic ‘Many of Horror’ saw things out in a triumphant display of pyrotechnics. ‘We are BIFFY F***N’ CLYRO!’ they screamed as they left the stage after another rapturous performance in front of an adoring Glasgow crowd.
Sunday was a quieter affair, but highlights included a Main Stage appearance from The Lathums, who recently released their third album ‘Matter Does Not Define’, and Dictator, who put in an impressive display earlier in the day on the BBC Introducing stage, getting the crowd moving with their genre-fluid stylings. They’re a band defined by brash hip hop beats, boom-bap stylings and funky basslines as much as they are anthemic choruses and indie licks – and it all comes together in a fun, high-energy live show. Nell Mescal pulled in a strong crowd on the same stage later on, while Rianne Downey returned to the festival a couple of years after performing with Paul Heaton. Taking on the King Tuts stage this time around, Downey is very much a star in the making, as seen by her thoughtful lyrics and gift for melody – and she dropped a couple of Beautiful South tunes in for good measure.
Another rising Scottish star, Brooke Combe, appeared on the same stage later in the evening, winning over the crowd with her effortlessly cool soul songs and charismatic stage presence. Having just released her debut album ‘Dancing At The Edge of the World’ earlier this year, the songs sound all the better when accompanied by her band, while her thundering vocals lend real weight to the songs – from the irresistible dancefloor ready ‘This Town’ and ‘Are You With Me’ to the more emotional moments like ‘Guilt’. It was a gorgeous sunny hour of soul for one of the country’s most exciting rising stars.
So, that’s it for another year at TRNSMT Festival. It’s a festival that continues to provide a great platform for emerging artists, both from Scotland and beyond – which is only a good thing for the it’s future. What’s more, it’s also a lot of fun.
