Where the Phones At? A Reflection on Festival Szn ‘25

Festival season is fading, but one thing stood out: the phones were (mostly) down. Across fields and city parks, from London’s GALA in May to Glastonbury in June, we’ve noticed festival attendees less glued to their phones and more present on the dancefloor. 

At GALA, which marked its 10th year in Peckham Rye Park with a heavyweight lineup of Floating Points, Avalon Emerson, Caribou, and Moodymann, this shift was striking. Looking out over the crowd during HiTech’s high-energy rave or Floating Points’ disco-funk infused set, you saw hands in the air - not fumbling for a phone. A field of Londoners just dancing, moving, connecting. No screens or TikToks in the making - only real, collective energy.

The same trend carried through at Glastonbury with its sprawling crowds and seemingly endless stages. Yes, phones were out in force for the big headliners - the kind of sets people want proof they were at - but elsewhere and on the whole, they weren’t. During acts like Turnstile, Wet Leg, and rising DJs like Two Shell and Azyr, phones were tossed into tote bags and lyrics were screamed into faces rather than camera lenses. People locked in.

In the age of performative, on-screen presence, where every moment seems made for the grid, this summer has felt different. We’re used to phones raised high above the crowd - a sea of red recording buttons shining like buoys in the dark. Sure, the outfit pics still happened, but the urge to livestream your life? Not here.

Are we witnessing a soft revolt against our screen-heavy lives? Young people are reporting record levels of anxiety and dissatisfaction, and while the link between increased social media and mental health issues is still debated, many studies show a clear trend: as digital use has risen, real-world interaction has dropped. (1) According to the latest World Happiness Report, social disconnection among young people increased by 39% between 2006 and 2023, and people report feeling lonelier, especially teens and young adults.

Young people are also going out less. A 2024 study by Obsurvant on behalf of the Night Time Industries Association found that 61% of young people in the UK go out partying less frequently compared to the year before, and only 16% stay out more past 10PM. (2) 

Meanwhile, interest in offline activities promising real-life connection is booming. Initiatives like the Offline Club, which hosts unplugged hangouts and events in cities around the world, are gaining traction. Eventbrite reported that event attendees are looking for meaningful experiences, with 42% seeking hands-on activities like art and self-expression sessions. (3) London’s local communities are getting increasingly creative too, with a seemingly never-ending supply of pottery classes, book clubs, and crochet circles across the city. This suggests a collective craving for presence and engaging with others in real time.

In this context, the absence of phones this festival season feels like a quiet shift rather than a passing quirk: when young people do go out, they want to be all in. Fully in the moment, where the only thing lighting up their face is the stage, not their screen. 

Maybe this festival season gave people the perfect excuse to log off and live a little. Whether it marks the start of a broader movement across the UK live music scene remains to be seen, but for one festival season, music took centre stage - and that felt refreshingly real.

*****

References:

1. See, for example, Hilty, D.M. et al. (2023) ‘A scoping review of social media in child, adolescents and young adults: research findings in depression, anxiety and other clinical challenges’; Caroline Miller “Does Social Media Use Cause Depression?”, Child Mind Institute (1 April 2025); World Happiness Report (2019) Chapter 5: “The Sad State of Happiness in the United States and the Role of Digital Media”.

2.  Based on a UK wide survey of 2,001 respondents ages 18 to 30. Night Time Industries Association, Consumer Survey (June 2024)

3. Eventbrite, “75+ Eventbrite Event Statistics and Trends (+ Expert Insights)” (18 October 2024)