A festival Weekend in full Bloom: Superbloom 2025

Munich’s Olympiapark has seen its share of iconic concerts, but last week, it once again transformed into the grounds for the Superbloom Festival 2025. Over two days, the festival welcomed over 60,000 people each day, proving that this four-year-old festival has quickly become one of Germany's most well-sought-after festivals. From the shimmering waters of the Olympic Lake to the colorful installations and steel actors scattered throughout the grounds, the festival had cool guest experiences besides the lineup. What makes the fourth round of Superbloom special is its well-thought-out lineup as well as the way music and community collide through fun activities and cool chill areas, which make it feel alive in every corner.

Day 1

The festival opened with a sense of ease. Rising German indie stars Jassin and Aaron brought soft energy to the smallest NeoNeo Stage, their sets giving festivalgoers a chance to get to know these newcomers, as well as to groove to their popular songs. Jassin had a mass of people singing his new song Bitte Sei Vorsichtig and performed great new unpublished tracks from his upcoming release. A release we will surely await after that little preview we got during Superbloom. Newcomer Aaron held the energy high during his performance and surprised the fans with a duet with Esther Graf. He later could be found doing a surprise gig at the almost hidden Aperol stage, where he mingled with his fans and performed a few of his bangers for a second time.

Highly awaited Montell Fish performed at the NeoNeostage. He showcased a moody sound and created one of the day’s first personal standout musical performances. His soulful vocals floated over moody instrumentals, setting a cinematic tone. Another clear fan favorite was singer Omar Rudberg. His dedicated fans were screaming once he and his dancers underlined what it means to perform pop music on stage. He delivered some great vocals mixed with a smooth dance performance - a great start to the weekend.

By nightfall, anticipation reached a fever pitch as vocal queen Raye took one of the two main stages. During Superbloom, the Main stage Superstage presented by TK Maxx is split up into two sides, which makes it quite convenient to go to your act and have a bit of a higher chance to see the artists up close, as fewer people could camp on just one stage all day like it is the case with various others festivals (not that this didn't happen - especially with a lineup like this). Raye brought everything you wanted to the table with dramatic vocal endings, catchy songs, and fun performances; she became one of our highlights during the whole weekend. It was a confident, genre-bending performance, with her voice effortlessly shifting between jazz and pop influences. Her heartfelt talking breaks about her music brought the listener closer to her as an artist, but also lightened the mood if some of the sadder lyrics had hit the right places. Especially her slower rendition of Prada and her upcoming unreleased song were something that was stuck in ones head after.

As the last highly anticipated Act of the night, Post Malone, entered the stage in a cowboy manner, one could tell it's gonna be a fun, yet new side of Post Malone. He managed to blend his older hits with his newer country flair in a set that felt like a journey through every era of his career. Circles and Sunflower became massive sing-alongs, while his signature humor kept the crowd engaged between songs - even if I have to say that his beer-throwing action could've been left somewhere else.

Day 2

If Day One set the stage, Day Two was where Superblooms' lineup truly bloomed. With Nelly Fortado, Bebe Rexha, Ikkimel, and Suki Waterhouse, day 2 had most of the powerful women performers during the festival weekend.

An expected fan favorite was Conan Gray, who brought a perfect balance of glossy pop and raw lyrics to the stage. With a fun ship stage setup and his vibrant visuals, Gray’s set felt like a carefully curated journey through his most well-known songs. Tracks like Heather and Maniac had the entire crowd singing along. What stood out most was his connection with the audience. Despite the massive scale of Superbloom, Gray managed to make his set feel personal, speaking candidly between songs and always waving to the crowd.

This Superbloom review would not be complete without mentioning the explosive stage energy of Giant Rooks, who delivered one of the weekend’s most electric performances. The German indie-pop band brought undeniable musical power and dynamic to the stage. All while blending their signature mix of soaring melodies, tight instrumentation, and infectious stage charisma. Their set felt like a celebration as it was one of the few concerts they had this year due to their break to take things slower after the past years on the road. The Bands sound and the Frontman's vocals were as powerful live as they are on their record, which made all fans sing along to hits like Morning Blue and Wild Stare.

Then came one of the most anticipated headliners, Shawn Mendes, who delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Mendes’ warm connection with the audience was palpable; even in front of tens of thousands, he managed to make the performance feel personal. Fans sang along to every word of all of his many hits and at the end he personally came close to them during a barricade run.

A sure highlight and great way to end the festival was Hozier’s set. It included all of his songs, and the vocal arrangement was nothing short of breathtaking. His soaring vocals and poetic lyricism created an atmosphere of reverence and power. When he played his hit Take Me to Church the crowd sang loudly and an LGBTQ+ flag was raised high by Hozier. Yet a real highlight was his 3-minute-long empowering speech about the importance of various social topics (we love to see it). Hozier delivered these with the conviction of a preacher and was met with roaring cheers; his words were smoothly followed by a powerful performance of his song Nina Cried Power. All in all, a fantastic artist to sum up the energy of this great weekend.

Beyond the Stages

Production-wise, Superbloom was great. The sound quality was impeccable across every stage, and the lighting design was breathtaking as each headliner’s set was unique. Even with its massive attendance, the festival felt surprisingly navigable (besides the long walkways between the Superstage and NeoNeo stage - but that was also manageable). Only the placement of bigger artist such as Ikkimel on the NeoNeo Stage was the only small bit which we have to criticize, as the way up to the stage often closed due to a overcrowded pit with more fans attending the shows there. However with a set security system in place, this was still quite organized.

With headliners like Post Malone, Hozier, and Shawn Mendes drawing massive crowds, and performances by Jassin and Raye adding emotional richness and depth, the Superbloom 2025 lineup alone could have made this weekend memorable for every guest in attendance. What truly distinguishes Superbloom from other major festivals is its commitment to creating a multidimensional cultural experience, from educational meeting places with innovative start-ups to fun dance workshops and karaoke opportunities. During these we got introduced to a music startup called Sounts, an online platform where musicians can compose together and make music with strangers from all around the world. Sounts and other environmental or political start-ups had interactive try out stations close to the NeoNeo stage. Such little side activities is what made the festival culturally rich besides the great performances throughout the day.

For anyone considering a German pop festival trip next summer, Superbloom in Munich can be one to truly consider. We can't wait to see who the next lineup will bring to Superbloom.