The sixth edition of Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival wrapped up last night after a sun-filled weekend of incredible music and so much more in the Dorset countryside. After announcing it had sold out for the 5th year in a row, We Out Here 2025 opened its gates to its biggest attendance yet, with the record crowd enjoying over 400 live acts and DJs across 15 stages, as well as an amazing array of talks, wellness activities, food and more.
For those already looking ahead to next year, plans have been confirmed for We Out Here 2026, which will take place on 20-23rd August. Tickets for returning customers go on sale at 10am on Thursday 21st August with early birds available from 10am on 28th August. Sign up on the We Out Here website to access early birds. Coach and shuttle bus tickets will also be available from the 21st and festival goers are encouraged to book these to keep We Out Here 2026 as environmentally friendly as it can be.
Thursday saw an eclectic mix of artists kick We Out Here 2025 off with a bang, with acclaimed Chicago rapper Noname taking to the main stage, while revered selector Theo Parrish played a marathon eight hour set at Rhythm Corner. The fun continued on a sunny Friday with the likes of Nala Sinephro, James Mason and Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou gracing the main stage before a high energy set from Gambian rapper Pa Salieu and a spellbinding performance of his breakthrough album Sincere by garage royalty MJ Cole. Friday night included sets from celebrated DJs including Carl Craig, Batu, Coco Maria, Ben UFO and Josey Rebelle.
The sun-kissed vibes continued into a Saturday that saw stunning performances from Everything Is Recorded, Joe Bataan, Bashy and Jalen Ngonda, alongside a celebration of 40 years of The Bristol Sound with artists including Smith & Mighty, Daddy G, Queen Bee, DJ Die, Roni Size, Om Unit, Yushh, Peverelist and more. Performing a special headline set, their first outside of their native Chicago, was Rotary Connection 222; a commissioned orchestral celebration of the life work of Charles Stepney, the musical genius behind classic albums by Earth, Wind & Fire, Minnie Riperton, Marlena Shaw, Terry Callier, and Rotary Connection. In what proved to be a festival highlight, they brought out original Rotary Connection member Shirley Wahls as well as The Stepney Sisters for a euphoric finale that ended with the classic ‘I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun’.
Sunday brought a hugely special weekend to a close with performances from Ganavya, Aba Shanti-i, Emma-Jean Thackery, Kokoroko, A Guy Called Gerald, Norman Jay, Jamz Suopernova and many more, before headliner Loyle Carner. Having stepped in after previous headliner Michael Kiwanuka had to cancel all his remaining summer shows due to an ongoing illness, the Mercury Prize and BRIT nominated artist pulled in the biggest crowd of the weekend, finishing things off in style with the crowd captivated throughout a set that included tracks from his acclaimed discography, including new album ‘hopefully !’, exclaiming: “This is the best festival I’ve ever been to in my entire life”.
Festival organiser Gilles Peterson then brought proceedings to a fitting close in The Bowl with a celebratory, genre-spanning set. He spoke to the packed crowd before finishing, saying: “I want to say thank you to everyone who’s come this weekend. Honestly, last night with Rotary Connection and bringing over Shirly Wahls was unbelievable. For me it was a career highlight. When I was there listening to 10,000 people singing the words to ‘Les Fleurs’ in a field in Dorset, in England, I couldn’t believe it. Thank you so much ‘cos that’s what it’s all about. The way we can mix the heritage music, the forward-thinking music, the UK DJ culture; there’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.”
Over the weekend the festival welcomed an incredible array of pioneering stage partners from across the left-field musical spectrum, including Tomorrow’s Warriors, Distant Planet vs Future Retro, Brainchild Festival, Club Coco x Somewhere Soul, Trinity Centre, Outlook, Cosmodelica, Out Since Friday, Lemon Lounge, Near Mint, Love Dancin’, Brawnswood and more, playing host to groundbreaking new and established artists.
Alongside the stellar music lineup, festival goers were treated to a wide-ranging selection of talks, food, workshops and wellness activities, which included yoga, saunas, hot tubs and free onsite therapy. For those who couldn’t make it down, the festival’s onsite radio station, WOH Radio, welcomed 13 different stations from across the country (and one from Berlin), including Worldwide FM, Reform Radio, Voices Radio, 1BTN, Soho Radio, Brixton Radio and more, all embodying the central theme of ‘Out Of The Shadows’, celebrating underrepresented communities.
The We Out Here team wishes to thank everyone who was involved in the show, but also the growing family of We Out Here festival goers who put their trust in us each and every year. Without our community this wouldn’t be possible! Love and thanks to each and every one of you who came down and we look forward to seeing you again in 2026.
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