Victorious Festival 2025 Day Two: Vampire Weekend, Circa Waves, Rizzle Kicks and more
After the political censorship of Irish folk group The Mary Wallopers on the first day of Victorious Festival 2025, some push-back was to be expected – many artists pulled out midday on day two in solidarity with not only The Mary Wallopers’ cause, but also in defence of their right to free speech. The Last Dinner Party, a hot name on the lineup, posted to social media that they are “outraged by the decision made to silence The Mary Wallopers…and cannot cosign political censorship”. The Academic and Cliffords followed suit in support of the two groups, and gaps were left in their set times.
In response to The Last Dinner Party’s boycott announcement, the festival took to social media to apologise and share their perspective, stating that they “didn’t handle the explanation of [their] policies sensitively or far enough in advance to allow a sensible conclusion to be reached”. They went on later in the post to say that they will make a substantial donation to humanitarian relief efforts for Palestinian people.
While Victorious Festival’s social media was on the hot seat, the genre-defying, Brighton-born duo Rizzle Kicks were in the midst of a lively afternoon set. The electronic and horn hybrid found in Lost Generation sounded even more charismatic than ever, When I Was a Youngster displayed their ability to lead a crowd and Down with the Trumpets proved itself as the high point, as its explosive nature had the day crowd dancing freely and enjoying the sunshine. Despite Victorious receiving backlash behind the scenes, Rizzle Kicks helped attendees have the time of their lives.
Although it can be easy to focus on big names at festivals, Victorious has much more to offer – the World Music stage was a “festival inside a festival”, as its organiser, Arms Around the Child, says. Different small artists showcased their unique cultures and pulled in quite the crowd, while sales from various vendors went to support a central cause, which aids children living in adversity by finding them safe homes, healthcare access, education and much more. The World Music stage truly had a little bit of everything, whether it be the Brazilian funk fusion sounds of The Fontanas, or the traditional style of Zimbabwe’s Mbira-based tunes.
Over on the Castle stage, Scouse indie-rock group Circa Waves were ready to perform. After a long break due to The Academic’s absence, attendees mostly decided to lie out in the grass to take quick naps and work on their tans. However, as Do You Wanna Talk played, folks almost immediately sprang to their feet to get a better view. Circa Waves had Victorious in a trance, and the band motivated the audience to feel the music and to truly dance like no one was watching. Cherry Bomb, their latest single, was a great example of how Circa Waves are made for live performing, with its infectious chorus and bubbly production. The rest of the gig followed suit, and the famous track T-Shirt Weather was the perfect high to end on, with fans and new listeners alike feeling comfortable to dance and sing along from the barricade to the grassy hills near the sea.
Scottish rock group Travis took The Last Dinner Party’s sunset show slot, and although the latter were deeply missed, they put their all into their set, cracking jokes and ensuring every listener felt special. Lead singer Fran Healy was running around and even climbing off the stage to get deep into the crowd, and his dedication to connecting with Victorious was more than memorable. Healy would tell stories that reminisced about the 90s, giving a peek into the era that put Travis on the world’s radar – but the band is not all about the past. Travis performed a smooth rock cover of Justin Bieber’s Daisies to really draw in every ear surrounding the Common stage. The energy may have simmered down with the acoustic performance of Flowers in the Window, but anticipation for the headliner was still lingering in the air.
Vampire Weekend are known for their funky art-pop production style, and this translated excellently at Victorious. The band demonstrated they care for even the smallest of details – for example, not only did they have live strings and horns, but they also had an interpretive dancer. After the playfulness of Holiday, however, Vampire Weekend’s lead singer Ezra Koenig took time to support The Mary Wallopers, stating that whoever decided to silence the band owed them a huge apology. This is the first time the tension was addressed on the main stage, but it only made the crowd dial in to their performance more. The lively energy did not waver, but was rather elevated with the theatrical Ice Cream Piano. Hits from their most recent album, Only God Was Above Us, as well as well-loved tunes from their earlier work, expanded upon one another to showcase how Vampire Weekend is a one-of-a-kind band. The run of Diane Young, Cousins, A-Punk and Oxford Comma was truly electric, and the audience felt it.
As if Vampire Weekend could not be any cooler, they played a slew of classic rock covers: Buddy Holly by Weezer, Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys, Our House by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Common People by Pulp and Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne were given new lives in the baroque pop style the band is known for and was met with a crazed reception. Walcott finalised the evening on an elegant note, and anticipation for day three began as the massive crowd funnelled out of the festival.
Overall, day two may have had a few hiccups due to Friday’s mishap, but artists succeeded in keeping festival-goers in hyped spirits. From every corner of the field, great music was still alive, and artists were strongly committed to their performances despite the controversy. One thing is certain – Victorious has great taste in rockers.
Taryn Crowley
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Vampire Weekend’s website here.
Watch the video for Capricorn here:
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