Pitchfork Music Festival London is a multi-day highlight of the best music has to offer. Pitchfork are the taste-makers – their reviews having been the point of discussion alone; expertly curated tastemakers. It was only a matter of time before they put on a festival and it expanded to cities of culture – London’s music scene is unrivalled; next to nothing else compares – no other city can you have clashes every night of the week, every day of the year. It runs concurrently with the Paris festival – November 3 through to the 9th – its sister festival which features headliners of A.G. Cook, Blood Orange and De Blonde. But look closer and the London lineup has all the draws – utilising all its venues to maximum effect.
The fifth anniversary of Pitchfork Music Festival London sees the prolific King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard make a name for themselves at the Royal Albert Hall; where the ever-prolific Australian math rockers do the most King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard thing and that’s pair up with an orchestra the same weekend that they take over Electric Brixton for a rave. They’ve dipped their toes into a variety of genres – psychedelic rock, garage, acid and surf rock among others – pairing with the Covenant Garden Sinfonia for an experience at one of London’s most famous venues – I saw Bob Dylan play his never-ending Rough and Rowdy Ways tour there last year. Look out for King Gizzard at the Royal Albert Hall Tuesday 4 November; and their Rave over the weekend – both days – which should get through about 10% of their back catalogue. They’re so prolific that by the time this post has published, expect three more albums.
Village Underground, one of London’s most lively venues – plays host to Upchuck – a ferocious band with rage and fury that a regular supports to punk rock breakouts Amyl and the Sniffers, now looking ready for their own headline show. Ratboys are a fun one – the Chicago band return once more to the UK with a subtle Americana undertone to their Midwestern indie rock; and songs like Elvis Is in the Freezer and Charles Bernstein show their love letter to American titans. Their compatriots Ekko Astral – join them from Washington – noise rock and pop punk with a touch a “mascara mosh pit”; are touring their debut album Pink Bloons and have a strong believe in trans rights advocacy which can only be applauded today. One of the most eye-catching nature of Pitchfork London is its ability to switch genres at will – go for the whole festival and you’ll be experiencing a plethora of culture and diversity from around the world. Last year I attended four out of the five nights and saw Arooj Aftab, Keeley Forsyth, Alan Sparhawk, Jessica Pratt, Anastasia Coope and Bloomsday among others – and you could see acts like Marika Hackman and Moor Mother if you wanted to. This year is no different – the first wave of artists leaves you with talented rapper MIKE bringing a showcase from his 10K Global label to Hackney’s Colour Factory – Sideshow, Anysia Kym, Niontay, duendita, Jadasea and more all feature in a variety of names. This whole day is MIKE telling you – this is where all the good music is, come and see it – and the next names in hip hop are right here, waiting for you. This takes place on November 6 – and you’d be wrong to overlook it in the lineup.
Clashing with Upchuck and taking over Koko is the long-awaited UK return of Unwound; who last played here 25 years ago. Post-hardcore emo-adjacent noise rock create a angular; noise-rock that feels incredibly insane in their approach. Compared to bands like Jesus Lizard they’ve often flown under the radar – but with their return there are few better places to stage it than Pitchfork London. Their music stands the test of time and is a real-eye catcher for the older generation, and they are simply one of those bands that fail to age. Noise rock metal fans are in for a treat – Divide and Dissolve represent a unique BIPOC voice in the metal scene with a doom approach embedded with anti-colonialist white-hot anger. They’re at the Great Escape and Bloodstock this year – so expect great things from this band to come. Joining them on the day is deathcrash – two albums into a slowcore rock that allows them to perform a homecoming show of epic proportions.
The one bad thing about Pitchfork London is that there’s almost too much choice – on the same day, November 5, you can also find superstar Kali Malone take centre stage at EarthH for a legendary, ethereal performance in the making that’s sure to set the crowd alight. Joined by Rachika Nayar and Kathryn Mohr Pitchfork’s curation goes international – Nayar is an American experimentalist based in Brooklyn with an ethereal vision to compliment Malone, and look set to find yourself at home on one of the most enveloping venues in London.
One of the most buzzworthy artists of 2025 will play at the Roundhouse on November 7, Oklou, famed for her unique imagery and stellar sound. Her debut album Choke Enough is taking the electronic scene by storm – captivating nostalgia, desire in a purely visceral form all the way down to the ground. It’s emotional and real – wearing its heart on its sleeve with a style befitting of the Roundhouse’s high tempo energy. The Roundhouse set should be a riot – the electronic pop darling has shades of Yuele and it’s a clear cult favourite already – taking the zeitgeist by storm. Her Roundhouse set already looks to go down a riot – with support from Erika de Casier, who I saw make the most out of Rally festival’s debut in the torrential rain last year to play a mesmerising set. They’re also joined by Malibu – who is coincidentally, set to play at Rally 2025 – a highlight of this year’s DIY culture and grassroots movements scene.
One of my favourite days out last year was the multi-venue Dalston Takeover that split itself between a variety of locations. Panchiko, Sideshow, Slate and Momma all take up the lineup – I was a massive fan of slate; almost like the “Welsh Fontaines DC” and they’re so excellent live it’s an instant must for me, and Momma I’m seeing live a fair few times over this summer at different festivals and they’ve rapidly become a comfort band. They’re a thriving band from Brooklyn who have put lots of hard work to get to this point – and for those who can’t make it down to Brighton’s The Great Escape it’s the next best thing. The sheer variety of venues allow you to experience one of the trendiest scenes in London – last year I was at St. Mathias Church for a ghostly experience that saw Anastasia Coope and Hannah Frances headline a small, intimate set.
Pitchfork London returns in November of 2025.
Learn more about the festival, including how to buy tickets, at the official website.
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