Wilderness Festival, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, Thurs 31st July / Fri 1st August 2025 - Day 1 & 2 of 4

“I’ve never seen such a lovely, wild, safe, interesting festival. It’s a dream in the woods…Swimming, boating, paddle boarding, eating fine food in a dreamy forest setting, poet, book, political discussions, theatre, disco, big stage and small stage music.. and on and on. It’s somebody’s wildest dream come true…I love it!”

Describing their first trip to Wilderness. Who said this? Our talented photographer Manja Williams, that’s who. She is still on a natural high from covering this festival for four days, and camping there for the full experience, too.

Manja’s from-the-heart words may well echo most people on that picturesque and tranquil site, on the deer park of the Cornbury Park estate at Charlsbury, nestled in the Cotswolds countryside in Oxfordshire.

Wilderness [presented by Audi] 2025 is in its 14th season and attracted many thousands of people [capacity is 30,000] from across the UK and from overseas. Couples, singles, several generations of families, babes in arms to retirees; those who are there for the music lineup across several stages.

Those who are there for the wider arts side of things, and those who revel in the priceless peace and quiet and nestled in the bosom of mother nature to totally switch off, and recharge the internal batteries for four blissful days and nights. It is spread across many acres, but still has the vibe of a far more intimate, boutique festival.

It takes an extensive menu of delights to satisfy even the hardest to satisfy, to present this “wonderful”, “safe” and “different to other festivals”- words spoken by many ticket holders across the four days – experience.

Yes, it really is more of an overall experience than just another festival. No sign of drunken issues, no sign of aggressive behaviour. No sign of any hassle that one may well come to expect at many other festivals. Honestly. The camp site and fellow campers are all chilled and not causing anyone any problems either.

I have read that some people complained – presuming not many – about “over zealous” security on the gates and the searches of bags and of the person they carried out, and the time it took. Er, it is for your benefit, you numpty…

At events and airports in these troubled times, I have zero issue with thorough searches and tight security measures. Never. Ever. Keep us safe. Keep the weapons out. Keep the drugs out. Take your time and thankyou…

THURSDAY: We caught these artists: Soaked, Juju, Sleeping Together, Gok Wan’s DJ set, Mary in the Junkyard, Night Tapes, DJ Algy, DJ Jade Blakemore, Common Goldfish and Mista Trick Collective.

FRIDAY: Orbital, Air, Bear’s Den, Georgia, DJ Yoda, Berlioz, and chef /author and TV presenter Pru Leith.

The headliners are Basement Jaxx, Supergrass and Wet Leg on the Wilderness Stage, and House DJ Berlioz – aka Jasper Edward Attlee – who has become one of the most talked-about names in the underground electronic scene.

With viral mixes and a cult online following, he blends jazz-inflected rhythms, lo-fi textures and sun-drenched beats. In 2023, Berlioz released the EP “Jazz Is for Ordinary People”, followed by his debut album “Open This Wall” in 2024.

Antony Szmierek is one of the UK’s most compelling new voices. Often likened to The Streets and Loyle Carner, his poetic lyricism and everyday storytelling are matched by warm, laid-back grooves and a commanding live presence.

Mercury Prize-nominated Georgia delivers high-octane, emotionally charged electro-pop with a bold DIY spirit. A producer, songwriter, and vocalist in her own right, Georgia brings serious talent and dancefloor magic in equal measure.

Women In Jazz returned to take over The Atrium – the huge consortium of electrifying singer-songwriters, producers, instrumentalists and composers nurtures, elevates and empowers female jazz artists in the broader industry, releasing music from new artists and providing a platform and community.

This year Rosie Lowe & Nubiyan Twist delivered an electrifying masterclass in afrobeat, jazz, broken beat, soul and infectious rhythms.

W. H. Lung create synth-laced post-punk and psychedelic pop. Queens of Madrid’s indie garage scene, Hinds are raw, rebellious, and radiant, featuring sun-drenched guitars, breezy harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Straight from Australia’s vibrant indie scene, The Jungle Giants bring bright, bold alt-pop loaded with hooks: electronic dancefloor bangers meet sweaty guitar-band swagger.

Flo Naegeli is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Dresden, with a distinctive blend of indie soul and pop crafted on an array of instruments, synth pads, and drums. Fresh out of Melbourne, Radio Free Alice are all post-punk attitude and melodic bite. Channelling the likes of The Cure and Talking Heads with a modern twist, they wield guitars, poetic lyrics and a kinetic live energy.

Hot Dub Time Machine is “the world’s greatest time-travelling dance party” – touching down on the Wilderness Stage for the first time. Hot Dub takes you on an audio-visual journey through the biggest hits from the ’50s to now – “all killer, no filler.” Acoustic trio Thrill Collins return with their renowned skiffle-pop renditions of modern classics.

Comedians this year include Live at The Apollo and QI fave Tom Ward and Spirit of The Fringe Award winner Auri Styla with Welsh comedian and writer Morgan Rees hosting.

The Forum features a selection of talks, panels and debates from politicians, writers, experts and professors on a range of subjects. This year, acclaimed restaurant critic, broadcaster, and bon vivant, Jay Rayner brings his signature wit and storytelling flair for a special live edition: Food Stories with Jay Rayner.

Brand new venue The Dive showcases exciting new bands such as Moreish Idols – part of the UK’s post-punk renaissance – to bold, no-nonsense, riot grrrl revivalists Baby Said, electrifying sister-fronted rockers Hot Stamp, Irish-American transatlantic duo DUG and energetic Manchester indie-rock four piece Florentenes.

We liked Night Tapes and their dream pop. Brighton-based band Welly are rising stars.

Experimental rock trio Mary in The Junkyard were worth a listen, as were indie-punk outfit Soaked, and the psychedelia, funk, and 90s electronica group common goldfish.

A good find was Japanese jazz and Jpop singer Juju. One to watch…

Supergrass, who, 30 years on from the release of platinum debut “I Should Coco”, performed the whole album and all their hits. In 1995, the Mercury-nominated album hit the charts at Number 3, rose to Number One in the week following Glastonbury and ended up shifting over 500,000 copies in the UK and a million worldwide.

The album features “Caught By the Fuzz” and ‘Alright’, the band’s fourth single which catapulted them to global success. “I Should Coco” now stands at more than a million sales worldwide, and impressively, is the biggest-selling Parlophone debut album since The Beatles.

Super chef Pru Leith in the banquet kitchen at Wilderness

Pru checking in to make sure diners were enjoying their meal

A real high spot of the four days was the set from 90s rave pioneers Orbital, the duo famed for their improvisational approach to live electronic music, mixing and sequencing their tracks on the fly, always donning their trademark head-mounted torches behind banks of equipment.

The Hartnoll brothers have been responsible for producing a trove of underground rave classics in their 35+ years career, and delivered a monumental Glastonbury performance in ‘94. They gave a stunning Wilderness performance.

Wet Leg came to impress and boy oh boy, did they? They are the Isle-of-Wight’s multi-award-winning indie rock duo who exploded in 2022, winning Brit Awards for Best British Group and Best New Artists in 2023 – as well as Grammys the same year for Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Alternative Music Album. Another cracking performance at Wilderness 2025, riding on the crest of the wave of their current # 1 album.

Basement Jaxx are back after 10 years away from the main stages of the world, and are this festival’s most requested artist. Their tour celebrates 25 years of the seminal album “Remedy.” Basement Jaxx have always taken a maximalist approach to their live performances, uniting an eclectic array of talented singers, musicians, MCs and whole carnivals of dancers onto one stage.

From their underground roots on their own Atlantic Jaxx label, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe’s upfront and sometimes rowdy fusion of house, garage, global influences and punk attitude thrived on a sense of organised chaos. Debut album “Remedy” in 1999 was an instant classic. Ragga, disco, r&b, yielding singles “Red Alert”, “Jump and Shout” and “Bingo Bango.” 2001’s follow up “Rooty” – named after their intimate Brixton club night – featured “Romeo”, “Get Me Off” and crossover smash hit, “Where’s Your Head At.”

Other Wilderness goodies on the music front included French dream-pop duo Air, performing much of their 1998 debut “Moon Safari”. Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel use many studio instruments (including Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS-20, Wurlitzers and vocoders) on stage.

Ethereal Norwegian singer Aurora has captivated global audiences with her beautiful voice and unique blend of electronic pop and folk.

Gentleman’s Dub Club – the rocking nine-piece dub, ska and roots reggae band – make their energetic Wilderness debut.

Indie-folk outfit Bear’s Den returned and won new friends; they’ve amassed a dedicated and international fanbase with their anthemic songs.

THURSDAY

Much-tipped songwriter and artist Jalen Ngonda made his debut on canopied multi-arts hub The Atrium. Signed to Daptone Records, the funk and soul independent record label based in Brooklyn, and already tipped by the likes of Jill Scott, Snoop Dogg and Elton John, his music blends classic and contemporary soul influences.

Brand new venue The Dive showcases exciting and innovative new bands storming the live music scene across the UK. This is the place for dazzling performances and unscripted anarchy. Night Tapes play atmospheric soundscapes and fresh, envelope-pushing dream pop. Brighton-based band Welly crash together the best bits of escapist pop, indie-disco, punk and DIY electronics.

We enjoyed experimental rock trio Mary in The Junkyard [check out the message written on the head gear of the singer in our photograph!!], cinematic ‘desert rock’ band The Howlers, indie-punk outfit Soaked, psychedelia, funk, and 90s electronica group common goldfish and Japanese jazz and Jpop singer Juju,.