In partnership with Open’er Festival
At a festival, you want a bit of everything. From discos to marvelling at the best rap verses around before dancing ‘til the sun comes up to house and techno.
Thankfully, Open’er Festival has the lot. With headliners including Dua Lipa, The Killers and Twenty One Pilots, to Eurovision winners Måneskin, one of the last ever gigs from jazz wizards Sons of Kemet and the return of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood to Poland via The Smile, this four-day bash has got you covered. Here are our 10 choices for what to catch.
Dua Lipa
Everywhere you go this summer, everyone is talking about Dua Lipa. ‘Future Nostalgia’ is the album that got us through lockdown dancing, and now Dua’s back with a stellar live show through which we can let out all of our pent-up energy and dance moves. 2022 will be remembered as the summer of Dua Lipa, so catching her headline set at Open’er is an absolute must.
Måneskin
Not since ABBA has a Eurovision-winning act launched a career as quickly and massively as Måneskin. Since their 2021 victory at the contest, the Italian rockers have become arena-dwelling masters. Ahead of a 2023 world tour of huge venues, including London’s O2 Arena, the band bring their fabulously eccentric rock’n’roll show to Poland and continue their ascent to becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet.
Sky Ferreira
This summer, Sky Ferreira is playing her first gigs in three years ahead of the release of long-awaited second album ‘Masochism’. Alongside the ‘Night Time, My Time’ classics we all know and love, expect tasters of new music from a generational talent that we can’t wait to welcome back.
Megan Thee Stallion
Mark our words, it won’t be long until Megan Thee Stallion is headlining festivals the world over. From her star turns on Dua Lipa collab ‘Sweetest Pie’ to casually calling up Beyoncé for a role on ‘Savage (Remix)’ and securing her crown on 2020 debut album ‘Good News’, she’s the hottest property on the planet right now. A lot of this comes down to her live show too, which has gained a reputation as a righteous barrage of beats, bars and positivity.
Sampa The Great
Zambian-born, Australia-based rapper Sampa The Great is making waves wherever she goes right now. Since the release of her debut album ‘The Return’ in 2019 – a superbly exciting mix of jazz, soul, hip-hop and beyond – she’s been working hard on new music. Promising that it will arrive this year, her Open’er set is an opportunity for you to get in on the ground floor with this remarkable talent before she blows up.
The Killers
Brandon Flowers and co. don’t need much introduction in 2022, but two decades into their career they still put on the best show around. With a back catalogue jam-packed full of era-defining indie rock hits and two new albums that have placed their influence firmly in the present day too, they remain one of the biggest bands on Earth, and for good reason. From ‘Hot Fuss’ classics to new favourites from ‘Imploding The Mirage’, it’s bound to be fantastic, and you might even get on stage to play drums too, as is the band’s wont to do.
KennyHoopla
Pop-punk is the hottest topic of 2022, and Wisconsin-based artist KennyHoopla sits at the cutting edge of the genre’s resurgence. Through collaborations with Travis Barker and riotous live shows where he’s been known to throw himself into the crowd at a moment’s notice, the youngster is making big waves in the rock scene and is bringing his relentless punk rock rollercoaster to Open’er. You have to jump on board.
Sons of Kemet
Last month, London jazz wizards Sons of Kemet announced that they would be breaking up after their current 2022 tour, bringing to an end a decade of brilliance that pushed their genre forward and earned them a Mercury Prize nomination. Led by dazzling saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, they’re a mesmerising live band, and the Open’er set is one of the last opportunities you will ever get to catch them in this form.
The Smile
Something magic happens when Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood play together. We’ve seen it in Radiohead for three decades now, and in The Smile, their new project with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, they sound revitalised and reinvigorated. Debut album ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’ is an all-encompassing portrait of what the pair do so well, and soon Yorke’s voice and Greenwood’s soundscapes will be ringing out across the fields at Open’er. It’s going to be magical.
The Chemical Brothers
After over 30 years in the game, The Chemical Brothers remain one of dance music’s true heavyweights, and for good reason. They’ll be performing at Open’er exactly 20 years on from their appearance at the festival (July 2, 2002). With 2019 album ‘No Geography’, the duo surged back into mainstream consciousness, and confirmed this with a series of truly stunning live shows. With ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ and ‘Galvanize’ in your back pocket, and a light show that’s simply unrivalled, it’s no wonder their reputation as one of the best live acts on the planet endures.
Open’er runs from June 29-July 2 at Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport, Poland. Tickets are available here