As summer officially comes to an end, so does festival season.
This year, I had the opportunity to attend three music festivals: Boston Calling in Boston, Governor’s Ball in New York City, and Shaky Knees in Atlanta.
While the lineups for these major festivals were all stacked, the experiences for each were vastly different. As a first-time attendee at these festivals, I walked away feeling excited about returning for another year, while others left me hesitant to return to the festival experience.
Without further ado, here’s a ranked review of experiencing these three festivals’ 2025 run:
1. Shaky Knees (September 20th)
Shaky Knees was surprisingly the most enjoyable experience out of all the fests. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this alternative-focused fest took place in a new venue, the iconic Piedmont Park, this year.
Admittedly, the park layout wasn’t the easiest to navigate, especially with a giant hill separating the two primary stages, which was a huge accessibility issue. Additionally, the excessive dust made the trek across the mountain even more challenging.
On the bright side, the park had plenty of space for sitting and lounging around to enjoy the music. Compared to Governor’s Ball or Lollapalooza, I saw more people sitting on blankets and soaking up the sun at Shaky Knees than I did at other festivals.
I only attended on Saturday because of My Chemical Romance and Cage the Elephant’s appearance on the bill, but the lineup across all three days had several powerhouse bands (Devo and Vampire Weekend on Sunday made me wish I had stayed!).
The consistently stacked schedule also made up for the few activations they had on-site.
The curation of Saturday’s acts was a delight, as I got to see a variety of female bands, including The Linda Lindas and The Beaches, as well as bands fronted by people of color, such as TV on the Radio.
Unfortunately, a lot of alternative-focused fests are still very centered on bands with only white men, so it was so refreshing to have some variety.
The lineup also featured numerous crowd-pleaser acts. Johnny Marr had the crowd singing along to classic songs from The Smiths, All-American Rejects brought their house party energy, and Cage the Elephant offered an electric act just as the sun started to set.
At the end, My Chemical Romance brought their Black Parade album to life, playing their iconic record from start to finish. As a MCR fan, I had a terrific time with their theatrics, but I also get that their elaborate performance may not have been for everyone.
Overall, the Shaky Knees festival experience was fantastic. Security personnel were great about handing out water to the crowds, and fest-goers were generally friendly and welcoming. I hope to return to Atlanta for another Shaky Knees soon!
2. Boston Calling (May 24th)
I’ve been eyeing Boston Calling for a few years and was super excited to attend this year. This historically alternative-centered festival took place in Harvard Athletic Field in Cambridge, Massachusetts, its usual venue.
Harvard Athletic Field did the job in terms of providing what a festival needs. It had plenty of space with a relatively intuitive layout, but it isn’t anything to write home about.
Like Shaky Knees, brand activations were few and far between, but I didn’t mind considering the limited time between sets, thanks to the rotating stage setup.
I loved the quick transition between acts because I got to hear so many great artists without having to run back and forth between two big stages. I pretty much stayed at the Green Stage from the beginning to the end of the festival and loved every act.
Some unexpected highlights included Valley and The Maine, both of which kept the crowd relatively engaged. The Maine, in particular, did a ton of crowd work, even pulling an audience member and a security guard on stage to help with a song.
Cage the Elephant also played this fest and absolutely smashed it, per usual. Avril Lavigne also brought out the nostalgia for the millennials, which seemed to please the large majority of the Boston Calling crowd.
The headlining act, Fall Out Boy, was the main draw to the festival for me. They put on their festival act, titled “The Days of Fall Out Past,” which took the audience through different album eras with gorgeous visuals and a mix of deep cuts and hits.
It was a great choice to have them headline, as both dedicated fans and those who only know Fall Out Boy from the radio walked away having at least heard one of their favorite songs.
Unfortunately, the on-and-off pouring rain and the security personnel who refused to hand out water to struggling crowd members soured the experience.
I’m not surprised that Boston Calling has been put on pause for next year, but I wouldn’t be opposed to returning to this festival at some point in the future if the lineup were to call out to me.
3. Governor’s Ball (June 7th to 8th)
Out of all the festivals, I was most enthusiastic about Governor’s Ball and was also the most let down by it. It took place in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, NYC, which wasn’t too hard to get from the heart of Manhattan.
I loved how expansive Corona Park was, especially with the numerous brand activations available. However, it wasn’t great for the rain, considering how deep inside the park the festival was located, making the soggy trek to the train station a miserable experience.
While it might seem like I dislike rain at festivals (which is partly true), the rain at GovBall genuinely ruined the festival experience, as the first half of Saturday was cancelled due to shortened performances by the remaining acts.
This decision was made on the day of the festival due to the thunderstorm warnings, but no compensation was offered to fest-goers. Even the artists who were set to perform early in the afternoon expressed frustration at being pulled off the lineup at the last minute.
Thanks to the delayed start, getting into the festival on Saturday was a chaotic experience, with the line wrapping around the entire park and security struggling to keep the crowds organized.
Although Marina, Wallows, and Car Seat Headrest had great performances, I was still disappointed with the overall poor experience of Saturday. At least Olivia Rodrigo finished the night strong, entertaining everyone from young kids to older fest-attenders.
Sunday’s experience, unfortunately, was not much better. Although the intermittent rain still dampened the experience, the sound system proved to be the most disappointing aspect.
I spent most of my day by the Kiehl’s Stage and was relatively close to the stage. For some reason, the bass was so heavily boosted that I can barely hear the performers singing in the videos I recorded.
The lineup was decent, with some names like Ammarae and Clairo drawing in huge crowds, but overall, I only really enjoyed Glass Animals‘ set (the main reason I attended) and Hozier’s.
Part of my issue with Governor’s Ball also stemmed from the crowd. This fest drew in much younger attendees, which drastically decreased the general etiquette of the crowd.
I don’t think I’ll be returning to Governor’s Ball anytime soon, especially since I don’t feel like I’m the target audience they’re catering to.
All in all, the 2025 festival season was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Still, I’m sad it’s wrapping up already and eagerly await hearing about next year’s lineups!
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Which festivals did you attend this year? What festivals are on your bucket list? Comment your thoughts below, and maybe I’ll see some of you around the fest scene next year!
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