Open’er 2025 through five key performances

Returning with a line-up that spanned rap, pop, and techno and featured some of the biggest names in music, Poland’s Open’er Festival saw standout performances from Little Simz, Fcukers, Doechii, Brutalismus 3000, and Nemzzz.

Held at the gigantic Gdynia-Kosakowo Airfield on Poland’s northern coast, Open’er is one of Europe’s largest and most eclectic festivals. This year, over 140,000 people gathered to revel in a mighty four-day party, drawn in by a line-up that balanced international icons with genre-bending stars. Headliners including Massive Attack and Justice brought stadium-scale spectacle, while performances from Polish artists such as Bambi and Fukaj proved that the local scene is every bit as dynamic and essential. 

Despite its vast scale, Open’er 2025 was defined by moments of collective intimacy and closeness. On Friday night, FKA twigs plunged the crowd into her world with an exquisite performance on the Tent Stage, at one point stepping down to sing directly to a breathless fan who looked up at her adoringly. Later that night, A. G. Cook’s Polish debut pushed his digital maximalism into new terrain, with the artist taking to the mic at times to deliver live vocals to a pumped-up crowd. And as the salty Baltic breeze picked up on Saturday night, Wolf Alice put on a beguiling show, blending their signature indie grit with outrageous glam rock. Ellie Rowsell’s vocal range, especially while performing their recent single Bloom Baby Bloom, evoked all the drama and power of classic Kate Bush, sending chills through the tent.

What truly sets Open’er apart is its fearless embrace of musical diversity, reflected not only in its adventurous programming but in the spirit of the crowd. Whether moving as one to long-loved anthems, or stumbling across new favourites on a late-night stage, they were open, exuberant, and ever-willing to give themselves completely to the experience. 

Here are five of our standout performances from this year. 

  • © Jessica Eli Hill

  • © Kamila Staniszewska

  • © Kamila Staniszewska

Fcukers

New York duo Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis played their first show as Fcukers a little over two years ago, and their debut EP, Baggy$$, only came out last year. But their status as 2025’s hottest party starters is unquestionable. Blending trip-hop, indie rock and big beat with 90s house, the duo has concocted a thrilling, sexy sound that feels intimate even in the biggest crowds – like the one they drew at Glastonbury just days before appearing on Open’er’s Alter Stage. Low-key in loose trousers, a Nike hoody and wraparound sunglasses, Wise bounced across the stage as she sang the band’s cult track Homie Don’t Shake to open their set, before Lewis swaggered up front to play their first single, Mothers. With his cherry-red guitar and nonchalant air, he could have been mistaken for a third Gallagher brother. He later joined Wise on the mic to perform an unreleased track that samples the refrain “I wanna rock right now” from Rob Base and DJ Ez Rock’s It Takes Two – their chemistry at its most intoxicating. 

Doechii

Doechii’s 2024 mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal shot her almost immediately to legendary status. But while it was only last year that we watched her prodigious rise, the artist’s live performances make it clear that she’s no novice. During her Saturday evening slot on the Open’er Main Stage, she pulled us through a whirlwind set, barely coming up for air as she filled every moment with almighty, exhilarating artistry. Doechii is a force of nature, but also a razor-sharp showwoman: slick bars, mesmerising choreography, playful interactions with the crowd, and of course, an immaculate fit. She’s generous too, and reminded the crowd of their power during Persuasive, where she led a mass affirmation session: “I’m that bitch, I’m serving face.” Her deep knowledge of the greats shone through, with Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z and Daft Punk seamlessly woven into the set by her DJ and hypewoman Miss Milan. Their warm relationship made you feel like you were on a night out with your friends, even if you were spellbound by their company. Standing tall on a mossy green plinth, Doechii told us: “Poland, we came all the way from America to show you some hip-hop shit,” before she rapped the biting lyrics to Swamp Bitches, while the camera circled the crowd and landed on two friends dancing on shoulders, beaming in the rain in just their bras. 

  • © Dominika Scheibinger

  • © Jessica Eli Hill

Little Simz 

On Friday evening, under a softened sun, Little Simz lit up the Main Stage. Making her presence known with Thief, her voice jolted the crowd to attention before they even caught sight of her. When they did, the north London rapper embodied the unflinching energy of her latest album Lotus – understated yet commanding in black Prada shades, leather gloves and a Martine Rose bomber. This performance was one of her first since the new album dropped, a record that’s her most vulnerable and impassioned to date. Her set also featured long-loved favourites such as Venom and Woman. As an artist who’s constantly setting new benchmarks for herself and others, Simz’ remarkable graciousness shone through. Taking her time to soak it all in, she created moments of deep humility that the crowd felt in their bones. “I think it’s my job to try and spread love and light. I do my best. I’m only human,” she shared before performing the luscious and grounding Free, closing the track looking across the dense audience with a warm gaze, her hand resting on her heart.

Nemzzz

After making a name for himself with breakout track Elevate in 2021, Manchester rapper Nemzzz has quickly gained a loyal following and support from those at the very top of the game, including co-signs from Central Cee and Headie One. Whether he knew it or not, his debut performance in Poland confirmed he’s built a fanbase as dedicated and energised abroad as at home. In a fresh turquoise Nike Tech tracksuit, crisp white Air Force 1s and icy chains, Nemzzz worked the crowd with ease. “She’s saying I’m nonchalant, / I’m glad you know how to listen”, he rapped on COLD to a tent quickly multiplying in size. A noticeable number of Manchester United shirts were spotted in the young crowd, repped by those keen to mark their allegiance to the northern star. At one point, a Ronaldo shirt was held up and passed up to Nemzzz, who reminded everyone, “If you don’t know, Manchester United is my team,” to enthusiastic shouts. Right up to the end of his performance, people were running in, eager to catch his distinct blend of introspective lyricism and bouncing beats. His energy clearly jumped up a couple of levels while performing BAD DECISIONS, feeding off how much the crowd were feeling it. “You lot are lit,” he told them with a smile, before asserting, “I put the “l” in lit” on MONEY AND VIBES. 

  • © Jessica Eli Hill

  • © Jessica Eli Hill

Brutalismus 3000

Musical and romantic partners Theo Zeitner and Vicky Vassiliki Daldas took to the Alter Stage in the early hours on Sunday morning, awaited by a packed-out crowd who were determined to party hard until the very last minute. A project cultivated in lockdown, the Berlin-based duo have quickly become clubland stars, their blistering mix of techno, post-punk and gabber resonating with a generation in desperate need of fierce fun. But there’s a paradox that drives Brutalismus 3000’s magnetism – their supercharged power is just as much about intentional presence as it is about hedonistic release. This nuance was encapsulated by their set beginning with gently spoken manifestations floating over a dimly lit stage, before the couple set things ablaze – Zeitner shelling out racing, hardcore beats beneath Daldas’ distorted vocals. The crowd, clad in fur hats and ski-goggle shades, were all-in from the start, but when the crushed and bleary badthiings (rip avicii) was performed, their energy spiked to new levels. When the Skrillex remix of Avicii’s Levels blended in, they couldn’t contain themselves, thrashing about as Daldas kicked and spun under flickering yellow lights.