Concert News

Full Roskilde Lineup Announced

• 29th Apr 2017

With a whopping 77 new acts announced today, the line-up for Roskilde Festival 2017 is complete. 173 acts will play in total, representing more than 30 countries and playing a variety of genres that reflect the diversity of the non-profit festival.

From the biggest to the smaller stages, from Australia to Iceland, from Jamaica to Palestine, Israel and Denmark and everything in-between: 130,000 music fans from all over the world will party together in the name of charity – to the sound of the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow.

Joining giants such as The Weeknd, Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire, graceful heavyweights The XX are more than ready to headline Roskilde Festival. Their acclaimed third album has secured them a global breakthrough, and the young trio – aged 26, 27 and 28 – will be playing to their biggest ever crowd in Scandinavia when they take to the iconic Orange Stage this summer.

The British band is one of several acts in the line-up who have proven early on in their careers that they are here to stay, including Lorde, Solange, Justice, Father John Misty, Halsey and Nicolas Jaar.

The rest of the line-up equally reflects this focus on the future: the Danish festival has long been known as a talent factory, presenting artists at an early stage. Many of the urban artists such as Princess Nokia, G-Eazy, Lil Uzi Vert and Bryson Tiller will be playing to the biggest crowd so far in their careers.

Last year, Danish act Phlake packed the Rising stage – a stage dedicated to new, upcoming talents – to the brim. In 2017, they have the prestigious task of opening the Orange Stage. Norwegian Sigrid, Swedish DIY prodigy Shitkid, Icelandic aYia, Danish trio Irah and many other Nordic acts are ready to be catapulted to the next level with the help of the ever-curious audience at Roskilde Festival.

Head of Programme Anders Wahrén says:
“It’s a crazy, climactic feeling to finally present the full line-up with 173 acts that collectively represent what we think is the most defining, challenging and relevant music in 2017. Artists like Solange, The Weeknd, Lorde and The XX have generated so much buzz around the world at a young age. They are, to us, proof that the world won’t run out of headliners anytime soon. They represent both the present and the future, performing alongside emerging artists such as Sigrid, Princess Nokia, Shame and Noah Carter.”

This year’s line-up offers several female artists who – apart from creating and delivering amazing music – fight for gender diversity, equality, civil rights and women’s rights.
Jenny Hval, Princess Nokia, Solange, Madame Gandhi, Discwoman, Alsarah & The Nubatones, Noga Erez, Elza Soares, Jah9 and Weyes Blood all use their music as a platform to inspire the audience to fight for equality. The strong role models can challenge and affect the imbalance in an industry with far fewer women than men on the stages.

Anders Wahrén says:
“We have a responsibility when it comes to changing the gender imbalance. We see our role as a platform where role models – of all genders – can inspire change and equality. This includes a change that will influence the gender balance of artists on our stages. Princess Nokia and Madame Gandhi are examples of urban artists that are shaking things up with an abundance of talent and attitude. They’re showing a new way in an otherwise male-dominated field.”

The line-up is full of artists that are highly involved with the world, politically and socially, reflecting how music, art and attitudes go hand in hand at Roskilde Festival.
Only hours before Donald Trump was initiated, Arcade Fire released ‘I Give You Power’, their first single in three years. A Tribe Called Quest caused an uproar at the American Grammy awards with their criticism of the newly elected president’s travel ban from various Muslim countries. Father John Misty, not long ago the king of irony, is no longer shying away from political discourse either, and Solange tackles subjects such as emancipation, racism and civil rights.

A further exploration of the line-up reveals many more politically engaged artists, using music to shine a light on various topics. Puerto Rican star Residente addresses LGBT rights and trafficking, receiving a Nobel Peace Summit Award for his progressive and vocal approach to these matters. Sean Kuti’s latest album is, not coincidentally, titled ‘Struggle Sounds’, whilst 47Soul are touching upon the struggle for freedom and equality in their native Palestine. They will be playing on the very same day as Noga Erez from Israel, united through art, music and ultimately humanity.

This year’s Roskilde Festival is also an opportunity for young music fans to meet the acts that have been shaping music in the last couple of decades. Foo Fighters last visited the non-profit festival in 2005, and Arcade Fire and Justice both return for the first time in 10 years.

The masters of sampling, The Avalanches, enjoyed a remarkable comeback last year, releasing their long-awaited album ‘Wildflower’ a full 16 years after their groundbreaking debut album. Scottish noise-poppers The Jesus & Mary Chain just released their first album in 19 years, whereas Slowdive have had fans wait 22 years for their self-titled, third album that will be released this May. Metal heads can expect to be blown away by Anthrax, who have reclaimed the throne of thrash with last year’s For All Kings.

With an average age of 24 years, the majority of Roskilde Festival’s 130,000 participants haven’t had many chances to see Danish legends The Savage Rose. Widely regarded as a band that could have been the country’s biggest music export, the band chose to stick to smaller, more political shows instead. Now celebrating a full 50 years together as a band, 2017 will give them the chance of showing their legacy to a new generation.