Charli XCX Confirmed as Belsonic 2025 Headliner in Belfast

Belfast is set to experience another “brat summer” next year, as Charli XCX has been officially announced as a headliner for Belsonic in 2025. This annual outdoor music festival, held in Ormeau Park, has become a significant fixture in the festival landscape. Thousands of attendees typically gather at the venue for the three-week event, which usually takes place in June. Charli XCX will perform alongside other notable artists such as Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morissette, and local favorites Snow Patrol, with further names still to be disclosed. The album “Brat,” and the “brat summer” concept it introduced, emerged as a major pop culture phenomenon in 2024. Charli’s sixth album, released in June, achieved critical acclaim globally, and a subsequent remix album topped the UK charts in October. The album’s minimalist artwork, featuring the word “Brat” styled in a low-resolution Arial font on a lime-green background, quickly became material for internet memes, with both individuals and businesses adopting the “brat summer” trend. Some fans embraced the “brat” idea as a rejection of the “clean girl” aesthetic, which gained popularity on TikTok. On social media, Charli described “brat” as a girl who “is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times”. She further elaborated, “Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” The phrase even entered the realm of American politics after Charli used it to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on X. Following this, the Harris campaign incorporated references to the album across its social media accounts, renaming her profile to Kamala HQ. Additionally, “Brat” was selected as Collins Dictionary’s word of the year. Lexicographers have defined it as someone with a “confident, independent and hedonistic attitude.”