A new study has found that festival headliners are getting older and older. Take, for example, AC/DC headlining Coachella 2015, or The Who closing out the final night of this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
So, in the name of all things up-and-coming, we’re gazing into the music festival crystal ball, and pondering 12 rising acts who could be the festival headliners of tomorrow.
Well, not literally ~tomorrow~, but you get what we mean — these are the guys who could save the world’s major music events from relying so heavily on majorly aging rockers who are trying to reclaim their youth and their bank balances.
In the gallery below, the 12 rising acts have been paired with major music festivals that they, under the right circumstances, could very well headline at some point. Not tomorrow, but one day.
Gallery: 12 Rising Acts That Could Be The Festival Headliners Of Tomorrow
12 Rising Acts That Could Be The Festival Headliners Of Tomorrow
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Courtney Barnett Photo Ashley Mar
Courtney Barnett (Coachella): The US fell in love with the 27-year-old Melbourne singer-songwriter even before she dropped her debut album ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit’ in March this year, and that love affair shows no sign of slowing down. Barnett performed at Glastonbury over the weekend, but she’s conquered the US Billboard charts and performed all over the American television networks, proving she’s definitely in demand in the US. -
Marmozets Press Pic
Marmozets (Soundwave): Arguably the heaviest act on this year’s Splendour In The Grass bill, Britain’s Marmozets might be more at home in front of a sweaty Soundwave moshpit, if anyone outside of the triple-j-listening Splendour massive knew who they actually were. The screamy yet fully-mainstream-accessible rockers have yet to crack Australia, but their powers are increasing at such an exponential rate overseas that it’s only a matter of time before the twenty-somethings explode here, and their Aussie debut at SITG16 will no doubt help them do just that. -
Black Summer Source Facebook
Black Summer (Stereosonic): This 11-year-old Aussie producer (who’s known to his parents as Rhys) dropped an impressive set at Groovin The Moo earlier this year after being discovered by triple j. Rhys has released tracks online, racked up over 22,000 Facebook followers and proved that you’re never too young to delve into EDM production. We don’t want to put any pressure on him, but wrap your eyes around this potential headline: “Black Summer To Headline Stereosonic 2030″ -
Fka Twigs Photo Annette Geneva
FKA twigs (Splendour In The Grass): 27-year-old singer/producer/dancer FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) has been nominated for the coveted Mercury Prize, performed huge sets at Laneway Festival and appeared on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’, all with only one studio album under her belt. With her third EP, ‘Melissa’, due in the coming months, FKA twigs’ profile will only continue to rise, and her dramatic live performances have the ability to captivate even the biggest Australian festival crowds. -
Flume Photo Rebecca Reid
Flume (Coachella): 23-year-old Harley Edward Streten, aka Flume, has played to huge crowds across the world this year, and now that he has officially left What So Not — the collaborative project he had with fellow producer Emoh Instead — he’s got more time on his hands. As the face of ‘the Australian sound’, Streten’s American fan base is solid, and the chilled out vibes of Coachella seem perfectly suited to his style. -
Jamie Xx Photo Ashley Mar
Jamie xx (Splendour In The Grass): The English producer — who is one third of The xx — is no stranger to big festival slots. The 26-year-old, who released his debut solo album ‘In Colour’ in May, has already left Aussie crowds on a high at festivals like Laneway, Field Day and Falls, so it could be only a matter of time until his local appeal reaches fever pitch on Splendour’s biggest stage. -
Royal Blood Source Facebook
Royal Blood (Glastonbury): With the critically agreed-upon accomplishment of resuscitating rock n’ roll, British duo Royal Blood have all the ingredients needed to take over the world. The head-bangable riff-slingers come with the endorsement of some of the world’s biggest rock and metal acts, including former Glastonbury headliners Metallica, and if they keep going the way they’re going, the current mid-level Splendour In The Grass act could easily go on to achieve their own glasto headliner status. -
Tame Impala Press Pic
Tame Impala (Glastonbury): The Perth band last performed at Glastonbury in 2013, on a stage which also graced by the likes of Foals, alt-J and Smashing Pumpkins. Since then, they’ve have announced their forthcoming third album, ‘Currents’, and frontman Kevin Parker has teamed up with Mark Ronson both in the studio and at Glastonbury 2015 — all good omens for bigger things to come. -
The Weeknd Facebook
The Weeknd (Coachella): The 25-year-old Canadian PBR&B artist (real name Abel Tesfaye) has already been called the “best musical talent since Michael Jackson”. His second album, ‘Chapter III’, is due later this year, and we can definitely see his smooth RnB-infused tunes filling the sunny fields of Coachella one day. -
Tkay Maidza Press Pic
Tkay Maidza (Splendour In The Grass): The 19-year-old rising star is another local festival favourite, having taken to the stage at events like Groovin The Moo, Laneway Festival, Falls Festival and triple j’s Beat The Drum concert. With an EP and a handful of big singles under her belt, she’s not yet ready to take a headline slot at Splendour, but she’s only going to keep rising through the ranks. -
Twelve Foot Ninja Press Pic
Twelve Foot Ninja (Soundwave): Melbourne’s heavy fusion rockers Twelve Foot Ninja are already achieving the incredible overseas. Their acclaimed live talents have seen them straddle festival bills alongside some of the biggest acts in the world, such as Guns N’ Roses, Avenged Sevenfold and Motorhead. Renowned for their entertaining music videos, hilarious live antics and heavy songs that ooze crossover appeal, these local boys have everything it takes to achieve Faith No More-level headliner status. -
Unlocking The Truth Source Facebook
Unlocking the Truth (Soundwave): This school-aged metal band locked in a $1.7 million dollar record deal with Sony last year, and even jammed with Marilyn Manson as they supported him on tour in the US. The boys are short on years and don’t have a headliner’s discography, but the combination of their monetary funds and the world’s passion for viral videos might see them establish themselves as more than just a major label experiment.
