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Held for the seventeenth time this year from August 7-9 in Göteborg, Sweden, the Way Out West festival broke its own record by hosting a total of 78,000 music lovers. Kimmie Winroth, the festival manager from the organizer Luger, said: "This year's festival was special in many ways and will be remembered for a long time. The new record shows that the festival is as important to many people as it is to us; this motivates us to make Way Out West even better."
Taking place in the lush greenery of Slottsskogen Park, this three-day event brought together a wide range of artists, from indie rock to hip-hop, electronic to pop. I was there, and despite the rainy weather, the festival's energy never waned. With its stage performances, sustainability-focused approach, and an atmosphere intertwined with the city, Way Out West truly offered a fantastic experience.
Photo: Timothy Gottlieb
Having never been to Göteborg before and being intrigued by the festival’s line-up, I said, "Why not?" and arrived in Göteborg a day before the festival via a direct Turkish Airlines flight. It’s the country’s second-largest city with a population of around 1 million. I dropped my belongings at Hotel Riverton, which was a 20-minute walk from the festival grounds and conveniently close to bus and tram stops, then quickly set out to explore the city. Since this isn’t a tourist guide, I won’t go into too much detail, but in short, the historic Haga Nygata district, Järntorget neighborhood, Magasinsgatan, and the parallel Västra Hamngatan and Vallgatan streets make the city vibrant and worth seeing. Located on the Kattegat Gulf along the Göta Älv River, the city has bustling maritime traffic. I didn’t have enough time to visit, but the islands, reachable by a 30-minute ferry ride from the city, come highly recommended. Anyway, back to the festival! :)
Way Out West features three main stages: Flamingo, Azalea, and Linné. Additionally, there’s the Dungen stage for electronic performances and the Höjden by Spotify stage, mostly for local or emerging bands. Since the festival takes place in the massive Slottsskogen Park in the city center, transportation is very convenient. There’s a bus and tram stop right at the park entrance. The walking distance between the farthest stages is about 10 minutes. The Flamingo and Azalea stages are positioned opposite each other, so when a performance ends on one, another begins on the other. Meanwhile, simultaneous concerts can happen on the other stages.
Day One: Cymande, Nilüfer Yanya, Kneecap, Beth Gibbons, Fontaines D.C., Iggy Pop, and Queens of the Stone Age
With a packed festival schedule, it’s essential to plan which concerts to attend in advance. The festival’s app is fantastic for this! It clearly lists stage and concert times and allows you to create your own schedule by adding your favorite artists. It also has practical features like a map. In short, if you’re planning to attend the festival, definitely download the app.
The festival kicked off with Cymande on the Flamingo stage. The band performed for about an hour. Since it was only 2:00 PM, the area was still relatively relaxed, with no sign yet of the evening crowds. Still, the band’s energy was high.
Next, I headed to the Linné stage to catch Nilüfer Yanya. Having performed in Turkey before, Yanya is a rising star. She opened with her song “Method Actor” and stayed on stage for about an hour.
The most intriguing concert for me on the first day was by the “controversial” Irish band Kneecap, whose promotions were banned in the UK due to their pro-Palestine stance and political messages. They performed on the relatively smaller Linné stage, though I think the organizers should have given them a bigger one. The crowd overflowed the area, with people climbing trees meters away just to get a glimpse of the stage. :) As expected, Palestinian flags were raised, and messages criticizing the Swedish government for its arms support to Israel via Elbit were displayed. The text projected on the stage’s LED screens read:
"Israel begår folkmord på det palestinska folket" (Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people) and "Det möjliggörs av den svenska regeringen som beväpnar Israel genom Elbit och har dragit in finansieringen till UNWRA" (This is enabled by the Swedish government, which arms Israel through Elbit and has cut funding to UNRWA).
At one point, band member Liam O’Hanna (Mo Chara) shouted: “The Swedish government is complicit.” and “Until something changes, Kneecap will talk about this at every concert. This is bigger than all of us, and the Swedish government is complicit.”
The band took the stage at 4:15 PM and wrapped up around 5:30 PM, leaving everyone drenched in sweat. :)
Afterward, we caught our breath with Beth Gibbons’ soothing melodies on the same stage.
Recharged, we jumped and danced with the growing crowd at Fontaines D.C.’s concert on the Azalea stage. By 7:00 PM, Iggy Pop took the stage, and I saw him live for the first time. A 78-year-old punk legend, I watched him with admiration throughout the performance. Thousands sang along to hits like “The Passenger” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” and Iggy’s heartfelt remarks like, “This means so much to me, thank you for being here,” added an emotional touch.
The day closed with Queens of the Stone Age. While the festival grounds shut down, the festival continued under the “Stay Out West” at various clubs around the city. Exhausted from the first day, I couldn’t join the nightlife, but from what I saw, young people with festival wristbands enjoyed free entry to these clubs and kept the party going. :)
Day Two: Hermanos Gutierrez, Little Simz, Khruangbin, Wet Leg, and Charlie XCX
The second day opened with Hermanos Gutierrez, whom we recently saw at the Istanbul Jazz Festival. Taking the stage at 12:40 PM, the brothers charmed the audience with their stories and delivered a delightful musical feast.
The biggest surprise of the day for me was Little Simz. I expected high energy, but I didn’t anticipate having this much fun! I don’t usually listen to her music, but I’ll definitely try to catch her concerts from now on. :) The British rapper electrified the crowd. By the third or fourth song, she shouted, “Let’s open a circle pit, let’s pogo!” and the crowd did just that, jumping and forming circles. This interaction drove the audience wild. She joked, “I brought this energy from London, but Göteborg doubled it!” It was truly amazing.
Next up was Khruangbin, the Texas trio we’ve seen in Istanbul before and will see again soon. On the Flamingo stage, Laura Lee and Mark Speer performed with their signature coolness. Their tour-specific stage decor was also eye-catching, and I hope they bring it to Istanbul.
After balancing Little Simz’s intensity with Khruangbin’s calmness, it was time for Wet Leg, the band I was most curious about. The young English indie-rock group has performed at nearly every major festival, and I think they delivered the best performance of the second day at Way Out West. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers’ chemistry on stage was perfect, and they never let the energy drop. I’m already eager to see them again!
Charlie XCX closed the day. I’m not a fan of her music, and I found her concert disappointing. Most songs were lip-synced, and the stage show felt lackluster. Still, around 50,000 people, especially the 15-20 age group, seemed to enjoy it. :)
Day Three: Lola Young, GOAT, Pet Shop Boys, and Chappell Roan
I started the final day with Lola Young’s concert at 6:35 PM. The 24-year-old British musician opened with “Good Books” and performed hits like “Fuck,” “Charlie,” and “Messy.” After an hour, I headed to the Linné stage for another highly anticipated act, the Swedish band GOAT.
GOAT is a seven-member alternative and experimental music group. Their live performances feel like a “voodoo” ritual. :) With masks and costumes, they’ve played festivals from Coachella to Roskilde. Their Way Out West performance was a psychedelic show filled with tribal elements. They hypnotized the crowd with their music, and I had a blast. :) I’m officially a GOAT fan now!
Then came Pet Shop Boys! After their acclaimed Nonetheless album last year, seeing this legend live was incredible. Despite heavy rain showers, no one’s spirits were dampened. Neil Tennant changed costumes four or five times during the show. :) Hits like “West End Girls” and “Always on My Mind” energized the crowd, and the band stayed on stage for nearly two hours.
The festival closed with Chappell Roan, when the crowd was at its peak. She started with “Femininomenon” and continued with “HOT TO GO!,” “My Kink Is Karma,” “The Subway,” and “Pink Pony Club.” Between songs, she teased her exes and kept shouting, “This night is magical!” :) It was an energetic finale for the festival.
Greentopia and Film Screenings
Way Out West is more than just a music festival; it’s a cultural platform. The Greentopia area hosted panels, talks, and workshops on sustainability, environmental awareness, and art. Topics like the climate crisis, vegan living, and social change were discussed in depth.
The festival also welcomed art lovers with its Cinema section. From independent films to documentaries, short films to artistic projects, a wide range of screenings showcased the festival’s support for various art forms and its cultural richness.
A Few Important Notes About the Festival
- There are a lot of bees in the festival area and throughout the city. They’re generally harmless but can be a bit bothersome. :)
- Way Out West is a fully vegan festival. No meat or animal-derived food is sold inside.
- As a family-friendly festival, alcohol sales are restricted to specific areas. Minors have different wristbands and cannot enter these zones. In Sweden, alcohol sales are state-controlled to reduce consumption. Drinks with over 3.5% alcohol are sold only at state-run Systembolaget stores.
- There’s no “front stage” section at concerts. To get closer to the stage, you need to be at the venue at least 30 minutes early.
- The weather is consistently cool and rainy. Even in August, daytime temperatures were 18-20°C. The first two days had heavy storms and intermittent rain. If you plan to attend, bring a raincoat and warm clothing.
- Despite the large crowds, the festival area was incredibly organized and clean. There were no long lines for food, bars, or toilets. The organizers deserve huge applause for this!
- Kidney Pass! When tickets sold out, the festival launched a notable campaign to encourage organ donation: the “Kidney Pass” allowed those over 18 with a social security number to pre-register for posthumous organ donation and enter a raffle for festival invitations—a standout initiative.
- The festival app is extremely useful. If you plan to attend next year, I highly recommend downloading it beforehand.
- Way Out West 2026 will take place from August 13-15. The first tickets are already on sale! You can check them out here.
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