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STOWAWAY FESTIVAL 2025: REVIEW -
STOWAWAY FESTIVAL 2025: REVIEW -
A SMALL FESTIVAL WITH BIG AMBITIONS
A SMALL FESTIVAL WITH BIG AMBITIONS
21st August 2025
Stowaway festival has been running long enough now to feel established. Yet, it still feels burgeoning with future promise – with the ability to continue to figure out exactly what kind of festival it wants to be year-upon-year. This year’s edition showed plenty of strengths: good organisation, striking production, and a relaxed family atmosphere, but with some inevitable compromises.
Credit - Alastair Brookes via Stowaway Festival 2025
First, the woodland site is a huge asset, with stages tucked into the trees beautifying the landscape in harmony with the environment, all supported by excellent lighting and lasers with a crisp sound. The swimming pond was another touch that added to the weekend, and in general, facilities were also handled better than most UK festivals: no queues worth mentioning, clean showers and toilets, and a sense that logistics were a priority.
Musically, the programming was a mixture of triumphs and compromises. Jungle and The Wailers drew inevitable singalongs, but it was Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 who delivered the most visceral performance of the weekend – not forgetting the goosebump-inducing piano soundscapes of Leifur James, that I’m sure was a memorable experience for many others.
Elsewhere, bookings leaned towards recognisable names on the 2025 festival circuit like Fabio & Grooverider, Shy FX, and Horse Meat Disco – with smaller acts carrying the majority of surprise and edge. While the balance between nostalgia and discovery is admirable, it sometimes felt as though Stowaway was relying on the comfort of recognisable names instead of pushing harder into risk-taking curation.
The spread of stages gave the site plenty of character and immersion, but it also stretched audiences a bit thin. Smaller acts often played to sparse gatherings, unable to compete with bigger acts, which dulled the momentum that helps festivals build collective energy. The family-friendly daytime programme added warmth, though it occasionally left the night-time schedule feeling less charged than it could have been.
Credit - Stowaway Festival 2025
Stowaway 2025 was well-executed, enjoyable, and thoughtfully put together. For a festival that prides itself on creativity and community, there were moments where it still felt safe and cautious, but its highlights – from Seun Kuti’s electrifying set to the simple act of walking through the illuminated woodland – showed just how much character it already has. If it continues to lean into those moments of distinctiveness, Stowaway has every chance of establishing itself as one of the UK’s most rewarding small festivals.
We thank Stowaway Festival for a wonderful weekend!
All images by Alastair Brookes & George Harrison via Stowaway Festival.
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