All Points East – Weekend 2 - A Dusty Ride Through Genres - Review
- Sonic Hub
- Aug 26, 2025
- 4 min read
The iconic All Points East took us on a (dusty) ride through electronic, R&B, and indie for its second weekend at Victoria Park. Naturally, the Sonic Hub team couldn’t miss out on all the action – here are our highlights:
Day 1 – Barry Can’t Swim, Confidence Man, Shygirl – Victoria Park turns into a dancefloor
Barry Can’t Swim, aka Josh Mainnie’s first-ever headlining show, gave it all on the dancefloor of the main stage. Since rising up the charts with his dance album ‘Loner', the producer & DJ gained notoriety in the UK electronic music scene and beyond.
With a show packed with surprises, he left no one indifferent. It was also his birthday, which made the date even more special and got the crowd singing Happy Birthday impromptu. With a live orchestra and incredible stage work, with lasers lighting up the stage, it was a night of electronic music to remember. Highlights included the beloved ‘Sunsleeper' and ‘The Person You’d Like To Be’ and guest appearances from Låpsley for ‘Woman’, as well as Irish poet Jack Loughrey, who recited the monologue on ‘Deadbeat Gospel’.
Before that, Confidence Man, Shygirl and many others took to the festival's stages on what was a great night celebrating electronic and dance music on the most coveted stages in town.
Day 2 – Raye, Jade, FKA Twigs – R&B, Experimental Jazz and all the in-betweens
Day 2 brought a full women-led extravaganza for the R&B and experimental lovers.SISTRA, pop and sister duo, wowed everyone at the AMEX Unsigned Stage to a sizable audience who swayed to ‘Rollerskating’, ‘You’re a Lot ‘and even a rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’. We can’t wait to see them reach greater heights.
Afterwards, on the main stage, an emotional Jade thanked the crowd for making her dreams come true. In a poignant moment, she got everyone to raise an FU to patriarchy, the cut of essential benefits for vulnerable people, transphobia and homophobia. Jade is a master of her craft, and although we all miss Little Mix (reunion asap, please!), she is doing so well on her own, you don’t want her to stop. ‘Shout Out To My Ex 'saw thousands singing the words, and so did ‘Angel of My Dreams’, the song which catapulted Jade’s solo debut to new heights.
Meanwhile, FKA Twigs performed a jaw-dropping set, a masterclass in performance art, dance and visuals. A last-minute confirmation to replace Grammy-winner Doechii, who had cancelled earlier in the week, her set almost got cut short, but it ended beautifully with the astronomical ‘Cellophane’, one of the most show-stopping performances of the entire edition of the festival. From the set design to the dancers, to Twigs’ performance both vocally and physically, it’s evident why she continues to sell out arenas.
Headliner Raye needs no introduction. A yapper by nature, as she self-described, she took us on a journey of hard work, vulnerability, loss and joy.
With an amazing orchestra (at times it felt like we were at a jazz night at a local club, which felt significant given her early roots and influences), Raye delivered one of the most professional sets of the whole festival. Her rendition of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ by James Brown, as an homage to all the powerful women in our lives, didn’t leave a dry eye in sight. In a tender and reflective moment, she performed ‘Ice Cream Man’, a difficult song on the topic of SA. Then came the disco portion with ‘Prada’ and the chart-topping ‘Escapism’, which got everyone moving – a journey of ebbs and flows through evocative emotions, complex feelings and the pure joy of live music.
The moments in which the orchestra was able to shine solo added even more to the set. During it, she spotted someone aged 69 in the crowd who, funnily enough, shared her name, and declared she wanted to keep playing until she was 69 herself – we truly hope she does.
Day 3 – The Maccabees Return
Day 3 brought a highly awaited return – The Maccabees. Once the band took the stage, it was clear their fans had been eagerly waiting for nearly 10 years. The band and audience fed off each other from the start. Guitarist Felix White even told the crowd, “This is the best feeling in the world… We came back to do this for a reason. We wanna make this the best Maccabees show.” They repeatedly thanked the festival for bringing them back together and, despite some sound issues, fans sang along loudly, reminiscing about the early 2000s. To top it off, the band brought out Jamie T to perform one of their songs as well as his biggest hit ‘Sticks ’n’ Stones’.
Other memorable performances included country-pop singer CMAT, who got the entire crowd — even the security guards — doing the side step during I Wanna Be A Cowboy. The Irish singer isn’t just an incredible vocalist but also a captivating entertainer, constantly engaging the audience and even throwing her belt into the crowd after jokingly asking one of her crew members, “Is it expensive?!”
In a poignant moment, she dedicated the title track of her newest release album, Euro Country, to “people not from London that have to live here because there’s nothing for them back home.”
Everything Everything had people on each other’s shoulders and singing along early in the day, while The Murder Capital spoke out about Palestine and the recent incident involving fellow Irish band The Mary Wallopers at Victorious Festival, applauding other acts like The Last Dinner Party for pulling out.
Although the crowd was somewhat reserved during their set, the band still brought high energy and delivered memorable rock tunes. Bombay Bicycle Club, joined by CMAT on stage, easily got the crowd warmed up before the headliners, their huge balloon letters spelling ‘My Big Day’ matching the celebratory energy.
All Points East keeps affirming itself as one of the most exciting summer festivals, painting a truthful and exciting picture of the UK music landscape, from established acts to newcomers alike. Until next year!
WORDS BEA VASQUES AND NADINE GOETZ
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OUTSIDE ORG AND THE CREDITED PHOTOGRAPHERS
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