The big picture: Brighten The Corners Festival will return for its fifth year on 13 and 14 June, featuring performances across five stages throughout Ipswich.
Why it matters: The festival's initial lineup reinforces Ipswich's growing reputation and status as a shining light in the UK's grassroots music scene, bringing together established names and emerging talent across multiple genres.
The details: Twelve diverse acts have been revealed in the first wave of announcements, with more artists, including a second headliner, to be confirmed. The first wave of acts includes:
Post-punk powerhouse Dry Cleaning, known for their critically acclaimed albums New Long Leg and Stumpwork, are the first headliner to be announced
Lime Garden, one of the UK indie scene's most exciting new bands
corto.alto, the Mercury Award-nominated project of multi-instrumentalist Liam Shortall
Gruff Rhys, Welsh indie icon and Super Furry Animals frontman
JD Cliffe, dubbed 'UK rap's newest rockstar' by NME
DEADLETTER, delivering politically charged post-punk
W. H. Lung, Manchester's forward-thinking synth-pop outfit
Experimental avant-pop duo Mermaid Chunky
Jazz-electronic fusion group oreglo
Folk innovator Rich(ard) Dawson
Noise rock outfit THE NONE
Seven-piece art rock ensemble The Orchestra (For Now)
What they're saying: "We are so pleased to announce the initial wave of artists for our 2025 event including Dry Cleaning, our first headliners, who we have been trying to entice to Ipswich since their first single back in 2019," says Marcus Neal, Programmer.
What's next: Further artists, including the second headline act, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The bottom line: Now established as a fixture in the UK's independent festival circuit, Brighten The Corners continues to champion both emerging and established artists while positioning Ipswich as an important cultural destination.
