Victorious Festival 2025 Day Three: Kings of Leon
For festivals, Sundays are not typically seen as the craziest, most action-packed day out of the weekend – attendees are exhausted from partying from midday to late in the night, so it is no wonder that lineups are on the more easy-going side. The artists at Victorious Festival, however, made it their mission to keep the festival alive, and it was arguably the most climactic and wonderfully chaotic day thus far.
For those who were not too wiped from Saturday’s intensity, especially considering all the dancing that Vampire Weekend’s set required, Craig David arrived on the Common stage at 1pm in a wildcard moment to truly start the party bright and early. Then it was Bradley Simpson’s chance to have his time to shine; the stars aligned, and the singer put on an epic show.
For some ex-boyband members turned solo artists, it seems hard to fully detach from the persona fans have grown to love. Simpson, however, proved that although he has not shied away from The Vamps, he is growing into his own as an excellent live performer. Simpson’s set may have only lasted 30 minutes, but it was filled to the brim with elation from the groovy Getting Clear and Not Us Anymore to the rock style of Cry at the Moon and Always Like This. The studio versions do not compare to Simpson’s live renditions, and his performance demontsrated that he is more than deserving of such a massive stage.
While the Common and Castle stages continued to promote effervescent rock shows, Under the Trees was a different scene entirely. Absolutely Elton by Martin Cox was a brilliant tribute to the work of Elton John, and The Hill Brothers played a round of well-loved covers of English classics, thus creating a sense of community among perfect strangers. When The Hill Brothers played Oasis’s Don’t Look Back in Anger, they let the audience take over completely. When Polly Money, an up-and-coming indie-pop artist, graced the stage, folks were magnetised and drifted her way. Her soft, clean vocal style was like a siren call, and although it went by with the blink of an eye, Victorious was dialled in to her every move.
Polly Money may have provided a gripping set tucked away in the trees, but Bloc Party had an impressive crowd of their own over on the Common stage at the same time. The band took attendees on a journey throughout their 20-year-old discography – moments like Like Eating Glass and Banquet off their debut record had an undertone of nostalgia, whilst being effortlessly cool, and newer hits like Traps fit in seamlessly. Between frontman Kele Okereke’s ability to command a crowd and Russell Lissack’s outstanding guitar work, Bloc Party reminded guests that their work has aged like fine wine.
To close out the weekend, Tennessee natives Kings of Leon performed the set of a lifetime – the audience’s singing could surely be heard from the festival grounds all the way to the city centre. From the very beginning, Supersoaker had Victorious’ undivided attention, and the energy remained at a constant high. Of course, tunes from their most well-loved album Only By the Night were laced throughout the set: Revelry, Manhattan, Use Somebody, Closer, and, finally, Sex on Fire were major highlights that demanded good spirits. Fans were on each others’ shoulders, dancing like no one was watching and no song was left unsung. Over roughly an hour and a half, Kings of Leon proved to be one of the most memorable acts of the weekend.
Although attendees must have been suffering from extreme exhaustion from the rare heat and blistering sunshine, they were able to power through because each set was as exciting as the next. Day one may have left a sour taste in festival-goers’ mouths, but it hardly showed as artists continuously fed off one another’s success this Sunday to ensure that listeners were never short of a good time. Overall, Victorious Festival 2025 was one for the books.
Taryn Crowley
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Kings of Leon’s website here.
Watch the video for We’re Onto Something here:
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