I think the advent of Desertfest in London and Berlin, subsequently in Belgium, once in Athens (and of course New York as well), is arguable as the best thing to happen to European heavy underground rock and roll in the 2010s. Set up with its two flagship editions each Spring, complemented by what was an outright stunning bill in Antwerpen this past Fall, Desertfest has helped shape the European touring circuit in ways that make shows possible that couldn’t otherwise happen, and Desertfest has become an epicenter around which releases and bands’ promotional plans are executed. It’s a place for new artists to emerge and headliners to reign. If you asked as much as Desertfest London 2025 is giving, you’d be overdoing it.

I haven’t been to Desertfest London since 2013 and I don’t expect the invite presumably because I’m a jerk and no one wants me around, but it’s been an honor to watch at a distance as this festival has become a landmark in each year of heavy. The full poster with day and venue splits follows here, and from Kind and Josiah at The Black Heart to Dopelord closing out the Underworld, to that entire Friday bill at Electric Ballroom eating your whole night, it’s a thing of beauty, I’m sure you’ll agree.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON ANNOUNCES STAGE SPLITS AND 14 FINAL ARTISTS FOR 2025

Friday 16th May – Sunday 18th May 2025

Weekend and Day Tickets on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have released stage splits and announced a final round of artists, completing its diverse line up for the festival’s 2025 edition.

As Desertfest continues to celebrate all killer no filler independent heavy music, the festival has completed its 2025 line up with some formidable final additions that honour the current landscape of this subterranean scene.

Melbourne, Aus based distortion artist Divide & Dissolve will bring their ceiling-shaking soundscapes to Sunday’s Electric Ballroom, while Danish deathdoom quintet Konvent will open up affairs at Saturday’s Roundhouse.

Friday at The Underworld will see genre expansive Italian duo OvO bring their sinister sounds to London, before blackened sludge heroes Hexis celebrate their 15th anniversary alongside co-headliners, Norwegian noise-rock outlanders Årabrot.

Brighton doom beasts Sea Bastard make their long-overdue return to the Desertfest stage after 10 years. Elsewhere, The Black Heart will be buzzing with punk rock rebellion courtesy of Brazilian duo Yur Mum, while Canterbury doom devotees Famyne will close it out with their crushing riffs.

Desertfest London welcomes:
↠ DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE
↠ KONVENT
↠ HEXIS
↠ ARABROT
↠ FAMYNE
↠ CALLIGRAM
↠ OvO
↠ SEA BASTARD
↠ WALLOWING
↠ YUR MUM
↠ BILE CASTER
↠ OUTBACK
↠ OLD BLOOD
↠ INDICA BLUES

Weekend and Day Tickets can be found at: www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London ↠ 16th -18th May 2025
Camden Town, London

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Kind, Close Encounters (2023)

I don’t know what you say about Desertfest London beyond I wish I was going. That’s all I’ve got. It’s a beautiful thing the Desertscene crew put together for 2025. A thing to admire. Whether you look at it with Elder‘s ascent to headliner status alongside Zeal & Ardor and Earth, all representing an expanded-style mindset, or are stoked for the likes of Stoned Jesus, Lowrider, Maha Sohona (who told me on Facebook they have a new album completely done; sadly there was no follow-up with “…and here it is so you can hear it”), Josiah, Dopelord, Bobbie Dazzle and Slift, or if you’re just happy Elephant Tree are getting back out, or that 10,000 Years are getting a look, or Black Willows who are so fucking heavy, or maybe you’re me and you’re just happy for a couple killer American bands set to make the trip: Kind, Hippie Death Cult, Worshipper, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Castle Rat. I could go on here, but the point is there’s a lot to like. I won’t be there to see it, but knowing it’s a thing that’s happening on the same planet where I live is some comfort.

Oh, and yeah, like the headline says, day splits happened and Lowrider, Dopelord, Khan and a slew of others have joined the bill, which I guess is done now? We’ll see. Here’s what came down the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON ANNOUNCES DAY SPLITS, DAY TICKETS & 15 NEW ARTISTS FOR 2025

Friday 16th May – Sunday 18th May 2025

Weekend And Day Tickets on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have announced day-splits along with 15 more bands for 2025 in a line-up that promises to take its audience on a cosmic trip across the heavy realms this Spring in the heart of Camden Town.

The latest artists to join the 2025 fold include French celestial psych-metal trio Slift, seminal Swedish stoner rock trailblazers Lowrider, and Polish doom smokers Dopelord, making a long-awaited return to the Desertfest stage since their last appearance in 2018.

Elsewhere, Melbourne, Australia’s Khan will bring their hazy psychedelia back to the UK, while Norwegian quintet Dunbarrow have been summoned to bring their brand of proto-doom, played the old way, in a new age.

Desertfest 2025 welcomes its newest additions:
↠SLIFT
↠LOWRIDER
↠DOPELORD
↠KHAN
↠DUNBARROW
↠MAHA SOHONA
↠TORUS
↠WORSHIPPER
↠LONGHEADS
↠FROGLORD
↠DEVILLE
↠BLACK ELEPHANT
↠VERMINTHRONE
↠YETII
↠FREE RIDE

These latest additions join festival headliners Zeal & Ardor, returning to London to headline the Roundhouse after a triumphant sell-out of Shepherd’s Bush Empire on the heels of their critically acclaimed 2024 release ‘GREIF’.

Sunday sees Seattle drone legends Earth make their Desertfest debut, headlining the Electric Ballroom. This show marks their first appearance on UK soil in 6 years. Meanwhile, Friday headliners Elder will usher in the festival’s 13th edition with their progressive psychedelic sounds as they celebrate 10 years of ‘Lore’ at its rightful home on the Desertfest stage.

Desertfest 2025 Day Splits
FRIDAY 16TH MAY 2025
ELDER
STONED JESUS | LOWRIDER
THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES | ELEPHANT TREE | HIPPIE DEATH CULT
SERVO | KIND | 10,000 YEARS | BLACK ELEPHANT | DEVILLE
VOLCANOVA | YETTI | ERRONAUT | FREE RIDE | DRESDEN WOLVES

SATURDAY 17TH MAY 2025
ZEAL & ARDOR
AMENRA | PALLBEARER | CONAN
PLANET OF ZEUS | AVON | SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI
MAHA SOHONA | SCOTT HEPPLE & THE SUN BAND | TORUS
GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE | JOSIAH
EL MOONO | FROGLORD | WORSHIPPER | LONGHEADS
BARBARIAN HERMIT | LUST RITUAL | WITCHORIOUS | VERMINTHRONE

SUNDAY 18TH MAY 2025
EARTH
SLIFT | CHÖD | DOPELORD
CASTLE RAT | KHAN | RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL | DUNBARROW
MR BISON | THE HAZYTONES | BOBBIE DAZZLE | BLACK WILLOWS
KING BOTFLY | SLUMP | THIS SUMMIT FEVER

Weekend and Day Tickets can be found at: www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London ↠ 16th -18th May 2025
Camden Town, London

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Kind, Close Encounters (2023)

Now we’re talking. If you weren’t expecting Desertfest London to drop a fresh batch of 20 names for its 2025 lineup, well, happy holidays. There’s a ton to unpack here, from Pallbearer and Conan — who’ll tour together in Australia before — to Kind making the trip to Boston, Elephant Tree signing on for what will surely be a celebration, Earth joining the ranks of the thus-far headliners Zeal & Ardor and Elder, Hippie Death Cult, The Hazytones (who rule, look them up), and a new Isaiah Mitchell collab called Chöd (I guess Brü couldn’t make it?) — it’s a ton of stuff and you can see on the poster below it’s just the tip of the Desertfest iceberg.

As a flagship of the Desertfest brand alongside Berlin, the London lineup should be stunning, and it is. Whether you’re going for Stoned Jesus, Amenra or 10,000 Years and the slew of others making their first appearances, 2025 promises to be a landmark for those lucky enough to be there to see it.

Could be you if you’re up for it. Here’s the latest:

DESERTFEST LONDON ANNOUNCES 20 NEW ARTISTS FOR 2025

Friday 16th May – Sunday 18th May 2025 | Weekend Tickets on sale here: https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

The time has come for our next artist announcement! We are over the moon to welcome Seattle veterans of drone n doom EARTH as our third 2025 headliner, joining Zeal & Ardor and Elder. This appearance marks the band’s first UK show in 5 years as well as their first time on the DF London stage.

Arkansas doom quartet Pallbearer will join our stacked Saturday line up at Roundhouse, while homegrown local heroes Conan will make their long awaited return to Desertfest London.

We will also welcome the UK debut of Chöd, an audio-visual collaboration between Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless), artist Arik Roper, and Doc Kelley (Psychedelic Sangha) that is sure to take you on a psychedelic meditative journey for the ages.

Please welcome our latest additions to Desertfest London 2025:

↠ Earth headlining Sunday at Electric Ballroom
↠ Pallbearer
↠ Conan
↠ Elephant Tree
↠ Chöd
↠ Hippie Death Cult
↠ Castle Rat
↠ Avon
↠ Green Milk from the Planet Orange
↠ Servo
↠ Mr Bison
↠ Kind
↠ El Moono
↠ The Hazytones
↠ King Botfly
↠ Lust Ritual
↠ Slump
↠ Witchorious
↠ The Summit Fever
↠ Dresden Wolves

TICKETS ↠ https://link.dice.fm/desertfest2025
MORE INFO ♠️ www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London ↠ 16th -18th May 2025
Camden Town, London

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Kind, Close Encounters (2023)

A strong first impression from Desertfest London 2025 is no big surprise. The UK’s premier heavy festival will feature Elder, as previously noted, as well as Zeal & Ardor, Amenra, Stoned Jesus, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Planet of Zeus, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Josiah, and others. Note 10,000 Years supporting their new record and first for Ripple. Note Volcanova because they’re a new-ish band on the way up. Note Bobbie Dazzle as Sian Greenaway moves forward from her time with Alunah. Note Sons of Alpha Centauri because they don’t tour a ton. Note Black Willows because they rule, on and on. There’s a lot to be unpacked here even before you get to Barbarian Hermit, Erronaut or Scott Hepple and the Sun Band, but the bottom line is the news is good.

Some of these acts will be shared with Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest Oslo, and I haven’t seen a lineup announcement for either of those yet, but it seems fair to think of it as imminent. In the meantime, Desertfest London 2025 has tickets on sale, should you either want to purchase one or spend the rest of your week until payday fantasizing about doing so and then make the buy. I haven’t been there since 2013 — would go, happily — and still feel comfortable heartily recommending the experience as life-changing for the better.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF BANDS FOR 2025 INCLUDING ZEAL & ARDOR, ELDER, AMENRA AND MORE

Friday 16th May – Sunday 18th May 2025

Weekend Tickets on sale here: www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have announced the first wave of bands for their 13th edition, which will take place across multiple venues in Camden on Friday 16th – Sunday 28th May 2025. Weekend tickets are available HERE: www.desertfest.co.uk

Swiss avant-garde metallers Zeal & Ardor are confirmed to headline the Roundhouse on Saturday night. Led by Manuel Gagneux, the group will undoubtedly deliver a masterclass in genre-pushing riffery following the release of their highly acclaimed fourth album Grief in August.

Desertfest favourites and psych-rock masters Elder will be headlining Friday night with a special performance celebrating 10 years of their album Lore, which was the band’s third full-length release and a watershed moment in their history cementing the hallmark Elder sound.

Frontman and lead guitarist Nick DiSalvo adds, “Lore is turning 10 years old. This album marked a point of departure for Elder upon a path which the band is still walking now. For us, this is the record where the band came into its own as a unique voice in the heavy rock underground. As we approach our second decade as a band, we feel it’s appropriate to look back on this landmark for us and acknowledge it properly, which is why we’re doing a tour performing the entire album along with some other tracks from our earlier catalogue; we’ll give this era of the band a proper celebration before turning our attention once again toward the future and the next album, currently being written.”

After their crushing performance at Desertfest London in 2019, the boundary defying postmetal titans Amenra will be returning to deliver shared catharsis and indoctrinate more to the Church of Ra with their undeniably powerful and haunting atmospherics.

Currently celebrating their 15th anniversary, the Ukranian trio Stoned Jesus will be bringing their mix of doom, prog and grunge whilst The Devil & The Almighty Blues will be hardhitting heavy- slung blues rock.

With new music on the horizon and known for their thunderous live reputation, Planet Of Zeus will be stirring things up, as will Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol with their selfprofessed brand of Doom-Wop.

Also announced are Josiah, Sons Of Alpha Centauri, Volcanova, Black Willows, 10,000 Years, Scott Hepple & The Sun Band, Barbarian Hermit, Erronaut and Bobbie Dazzle.

Weekend Tickets for the event are on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk with more bands to still be announced!

FULL LINE-UP SO FAR
ZEAL & ARDOR | AMENRA | ELDER |STONED JESUS | THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES |
PLANET OF ZEUS | RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL | JOSIAH |
SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI | VOLCANOVA | SCOTT HEPPLE & THE SUN BAND |
BLACK WILLOWS | 10,000 YEARS | BARBARIAN HERMIT | ERRONAUT | BOBBIE DAZZLE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – www.desertfest.co.uk

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Black Willows, Shemurah (2021)