We Out Here is a beautiful melting pot of a festival – embracing so many genres, from rap, reggae, funk, disco and jazz – there truly is something for everyone with a passion for great music.
Curated by legendary DJ Gilles Peterson, it should come as no surprise that the music on offer each year is truly special.
Looking through the line-up, there are few artists which may be household names…yet. But that does not mean it is not one of the strongest selection of music found at any festival this year. With WOMAD festival taking a hiatus in 2025, this is the true kaleidoscope of the year and offered the best discoveries of 2025.
There are too many highlights to list – record stores selling incredible signed vinyl, talks from inspirational writers, or even the chance for a wild dip or paddle-board in the surrounding rivers or relax in the Sanctuary. You can take part in art therapy or yoga classes…or even the simple glory of finding some shade from the Dorset sun next to the rollerblade disco.
As previously mentioned, with over 100 artists across the weekend, there is something for all lovers of good music. There were so many discoveries which have been added to heavy rotation on Spotify playlists once returning home.
The appropriately named Lush Life stage offered artists – from the lesser known Fulu Muziki (an Afro-futurist music ensemble from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with an incredible rhythm section), to the well known A Guy Called Gerald. Hearing him on vinyl or in a bar is enjoyable, but seeing him live is truly where the magic happens and the only way to fully appreciate the man’s work.
Rhythm Corner is a mix of hay-bales and superstar DJ’s including Carl Craig, Josey Rebelle, Ben UFO and one of jungle scene’s most respected names, Roni Size.
Over on the main stage, there truly were some inspirational acts to discover. One highlight included Jalen Ngonda, who is such an incredible talent. Wearing flares and an incredible smile, Jalen will surely be a future headliner, not only at We Out Here but possibly Glastonbury – he’s that good. With an incredible soulful voice on par with John Legend, with touches of Marvin Gaye’s falsetto, it truly was a stunning performance.
On Sunday, the main stage opened with Kahil El Zabar – possibly the best jazz multi-instrumentalist you’ll see this year. At 70 years young, he’s a 5-time recipient of the Jazz Journalist Association’s Percussionist of the Year award and no wonder. Sublime. In the eloquent words displayed on stage during the set ‘we need to release the spirit within both as an act of resistance but more importantly as an act of love.’
The headliners this year certainly did not disappoint either, with such a diverse mix. Thursday offered the beautiful Noname, a Chicago rapper with boundless energy and charisma. Friday offered a treat with MJ Cole performing his album ‘Sincere’ in its entirety. Live it still sounds as good today as it did when it was released, the true test of a timeless classic.
In the words of Gilles Peterson ‘the Saturday headline felt like a perfect embodiment of everything I ever hoped WOH could stand for.’
The Rotary Collection 222 was truly mindblowing and such a privilege to experience. Celebrating the life work of Charles Stepney, who I’m ashamed to admit I was not familiar with before this festival, it was dazzling how many people have recorded his songs, or sampled his creative genius. From working with the beautiful Minnie Ripperton to Earth, Wind and Fire, he has also been sampled by the mighty Jay-Z and Kanye West.
No-one can sum up their performance better than Gilles himself – ‘Bringing together tradition, family, energy and a large community of musicians from disparate provenances to express the beauty of Charles’ compositions and arrangements with a packed field singing and swaying in the light of the moon was beyond anything I could have imagined. The goosebumps and tears were real – a true expression of what music can make us feel.’
It was incredible to see, and be part of the crowd – the musicians truly appreciated the adulation from the audience also and responded to the love they richly deserved.
Unfortunately, Michael Kiwanuka had to cancel his remaining summer shows due to an ongoing illness, so we didn’t get to see him at We Out Here, or the upcoming Victorious festival over the bank holiday weekend.
But what a replacement the festival managed to secure at the last minute. Loyle Carner, having headlined The Other Stage at Glastonbury drew in the biggest crowd of the weekend. Such a young talent, it’s no wonder he won the Mercury Music Prize and will shortly embark on an arena tour throughout the UK. Clearly he loved the festival, saying simply : “This is the best festival I’ve ever been to in my entire life”.
We couldn’t argue with that. We Out Here truly was special.
Gilles Peterson brought proceedings to a fitting close in The Bowl with a celebratory, genre-spanning set. He finished an incredible weekend by summing it all up so well “I want to say thank you to everyone who’s come this weekend. Honestly, last night with Rotary Connection and bringing over Shirly Wahls was unbelievable. For me it was a career highlight. When I was there listening to 10,000 people singing the words to ‘Les Fleurs’ in a field in Dorset, in England, I couldn’t believe it. Thank you so much ‘cos that’s what it’s all about. The way we can mix the heritage music, the forward-thinking music, the UK DJ culture; there’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.”
We Out Here truly is a joyous festival and we can’t wait for it to return to Dorset next year.
This truly is one of the, if not THE best festival for discovering exciting new music in the UK.
Early Bird Access for next year will go on sale from Thursday 28th August 2025. Don’t miss out and sign up here https://weoutherefestival.com/sign-up-for-woh-2026/
WORDS: GRAHAM TARRANT
PHOTOS: PRESS / AS CREDITED.