Who would have imagined that spending three days in a park in Gothenburg could be so fulfilling? From Friday afternoon to Sunday night at the Way Out West Festival, we comfortably caught performances by over 20 artists and bands, only missing countless others due to the unchangeable laws of physics.
Despite record attendance numbers, this year's WOW maintained a pleasant atmosphere, thanks to its lush location in Slottsskogen Park. There are more picnic tables to enjoy the fully vegetarian food offerings, and the venue boasts a watery ambiance: the main lake features swan boats and wonderful views from the VIP area, along with streams and a small pond—which unfortunately led to a mishap for one enthusiastic attendee during Kneecap's performance. Unfortunately, some of the (sponsored) chill-out spots require a membership for entry, limiting access for many international visitors.
Music, of course, remains the primary attraction. The entrance on Thursday afternoon was a breeze after a stroll and tram ride from the Draken Hotel through the charming streets of Gothenburg. We quickly found the Linné stage at the far end of the site, the festival's third stage, covered with a massive curved roof resembling a musical hangar. Central to the site are the Azalea and Flamingo stages, two large stages directly facing each other across a vast open area (ingeniously minimizing gaps between larger sets), while the much smaller Höjden and Dungen stages, focusing on electronica, are nestled in grassy, tree-lined dips. There are also smaller performance spaces; discovering a local band playing in a compact, entirely glass box was a delightfully surreal experience.
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Kicking off the Linné line-up was Nilüfer Yanya. The British singer-songwriter offered a mellow yet concentrated set of lengthy, intricate songs that occasionally ventured into freeform territory. By the end, Yanya seemed to regain some confidence, sharing a few brief comments and delivering a powerful cover of PJ Harvey's ‘Rid Of Me’, which created a robust and enticingly aggressive sound.
Next, WOW peaked early with Kneecap's debut performance in Sweden. The beautifully unexpected sound of thousands singing back the group's Irish-language lyrics was a visual treat, and while discussions of political themes were unavoidable – including a pointed remark at the host government regarding their passive complicity in Israel's actions in Gaza—Mo Chara and his bandmates behaved relatively well. A slight disappointment lingered when Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten was only seen via a pre-recorded video during ‘Better Way to Live,’ especially since he was likely less than a hundred meters from the stage, but Kneecap's rapid songs ‘Fine Art’, ‘Get Your Brits Out’, and ‘H.O.O.D’ crackled with furious energy, culminating in a communal chant of ‘Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite’ that embodied the festival spirit.
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Mavis Staples delivered soulful, love-filled tunes while waiting for Fontaines DC on the opposite main stage. The Dublin band exuded confidence and poise, relying on their solid songs and inherent swagger to guide them. Their set emerged as an early highlight in Slottsskogen, starting with a soaring ‘Here’s The Thing’ and concluding with an extraordinary rendition of ‘Starburster’ that left the crowd—both loyal fans and newcomers—breathless.
Mid-set, ‘Boys in the Better Land’ built to a strong climax featuring the necessary shivery tambourine, ‘Favourite’ was sweetly dedicated to Kneecap, and ‘Modern World’ highlighted Chatten's soft vocals over a minimal instrumental backdrop.
Iggy Pop’s entrance at the Flamingo stage was iconic: he bounded on with a shout of “Yo!” and quickly removed his shirt, accompanied by heavy guitar riffs. Merging gravelly vocal tones with mostly hard-to-follow remarks, he put on a spirited, full-on show. ‘Passenger’ came just 15 minutes into the set, prompting a mass migration of festival-goers to join the energetic throng despite the first rain showers. Following that were ‘Lust For Life’ and Iggy's exuberant declaration: “This beats fucking everything! Thank you. Fuck!” The rest consisted of a powerful blend of Stooges and solo material—an undoubtedly strong set, although it didn’t hit that initial high again.
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A swift jaunt to the smaller performance areas rewarded us with a DJ set from Effy, filled with blissful ethereal and euphoric beats. Her early mix of The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ was exceptional, maintaining energy throughout, though Effy had a head-down DJ style, not excessively engaging the crowd. Nearby, Geordie Greep, joined by five fellow musicians, delivered skillful, free-form music that leaned toward jazz framed by rock—loose, winding tunes that solidified into coherence just in time.
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Who would have believed that dedicating three days to a park in Gothenburg could be so fulfilling? From Friday afternoon until Sunday night at Way Out.