By Grace Elizabeth
For the 40,000-strong crowd trudging back into leafy Henham Park, Saturday’s line-up promised a journey across generations and genres, a day stacked with serious musical heavyweights.
The afternoon began gently with Welsh breakout star Ben Ellis, greeted by cheers from a packed second stage. Wasting no time, he launched into his latest single Burner Phone, a punchy, energetic tale of a fleeting, secret connection. Under the glowing blue-and-red canopy, Ellis beamed with warmth, feeding off the love from his devoted fans.
In a particularly wholesome moment, he drew in newcomers with a stripped-back cover of ABBA’s iconic Dancing Queen. That intimate connection is a testament to the time he has spent building a loyal community online, and they showed up in force to support him.
A short walk away at the Alcove stage, London’s rising four-piece Saint Clair brought their moody, genre-blurring alt-rock to the forest hideaway. With atmospheric guitar lines, immersive soundscapes, and vocals that hit with raw force, their set felt perfectly at home in the hazy, crowded alcove.
Back on the Obelisk stage, Jade Bird blended Americana-country with indie-pop brilliance. Her piercing vocals and emotional honesty captivated the main-stage crowd, with Save Your Tears and My Motto drawing rapturous applause. A surprise guest appearance from fellow Brit Jo Hill lit up the set, the two teaming up for a playful rendition of Lily Allen’s Not Fair.
Further into the forest, the sunrise arena was overflowing for the radiantly stylish Chloe Qisha, making her Latitude debut. Her sleek, polished look contrasted with lyrics that often carried a provocative edge, giving her pop sound a darker, intriguing twist. One highlight, The Boys, struck a chord with the audience. A sharp, witty ode to “high school boyfriends that don’t call back.”
Perhaps the most touching set of the weekend came from Irish trio Kingfishr, returning to Latitude after last year’s Lake Stage debut, this time stepping up to the main stage. The heavens opened mid-performance, adding cinematic weight to a show already brimming with emotion and pride. Frontman Eddie climbed down to the barrier during I Cried, I Wept, holding a fan’s hand and accepting flowers in a moment of genuine connection. Between songs, they told the story of quitting safe graduate engineering jobs to chase their one-in-a-million musical dream, a journey reflected in Shot In The Dark, performed from the middle of the crowd. Already riding a wave of success, it’s clear Kingfishr’s adventure has only just begun.
Dublin’s Big Sleep also brought their indie charm to the Alcove, riding the momentum of a busy year. Tracks like Two Cents, a catchy, guitar-driven crowd-pleaser, landed perfectly with the audience.
Back at the main stage, Clean Bandit delivered a masterclass in festival showmanship. The award-winning electronic collective, joined by a rotating cast of guest musicians, kept the energy high with hit after hit. Symphony roared across the park, Rockabye became a mass singalong, and Real Love had hands waving in every direction. They closed with Rather Be, sending the crowd into the evening buzzing, with revived spirits.
At sunset, Nxdia took over the Alcove stage with alt-punk grit, threading wit and vulnerability into their storytelling. Fans came armed with handwritten signs and even gifted a flower crown mid-set, while tracks like Nothing At All and Boy Clothes pulled everyone deeper into Nxdia’s world.
The pre-headline slot on the main stage was joyfully filled by the ever-energetic Kaiser Chiefs, and they made sure it was anything but ordinary. For a gloriously peculiar opening, the indie-rock icons from Leeds were introduced by a John Hammond lookalike, before striding on stage to the cheeky funk of Was (Not Was)’s Walk the Dinosaur. With the scene perfectly set, they launched into the spiky synth of Every Day I Love You Less and Less, instantly igniting the crowd. Frontman Ricky Wilson, dressed in his trademark stripy suit, bounded across the stage with trademark charisma, pointing, posing, and leaning into the front rows to trade grins with the fans. The band’s playful banter kept spirits high despite the unpredictable weather, with Ruby and I Predict a Riot predictably sending the crowd into an unsurprising frenzy.
The night closed with a two-hour spectacle from Fatboy Slim. The veteran DJ-producer tore through an exhilarating mix of classics and remixes, pairing them with a barrage of visuals, pyrotechnics, confetti, and enough bass to shake the festival to its core. It was an electrifying finale to Latitude’s second day, one that left the fields glowing, even under the Suffolk night.
Photography Copyright 2025 Emeli Meagher/ADRENALINE Magazine
Text Copyright 2025 Grace Elizabeth/ADRENALINE Magazine
Ally Olis