Festival Review: Homegrown 2025 Friday @ Wellington Waterfront – 14/03/2025

2025 marked the 18th year of Aotearoa’s biggest celebration of Homegrown artists. The recent announcement that this would be the final year in Te Whanganui-a-Tara has been the talk of the town, generating a lot of buzz and setting high expectations across the nation. I’ve had Homegrown on my bucket list for an eternity, so I was doubly keen to experience the capital’s swan song.

The turnout for Friday was fantastic, with a diverse mix of generations all buzzing with excitement for the first day of acts. Che Fu & The Kratez were representing hip-hop in Friday’s lineup. They were engaging and brought the energy from the get-go, getting the crowd to draw in closer to the stage. King Kapisi joined the fun at about song three, receiving a hearty welcome from the audience and wasting no time showing his hip-hop prowess on his 2011 track Safari. The live band kept the beats going, with attendees trickling in and getting straight to dancing along; there were even people climbing onto shoulders, which I find can be a barometer of how much fun the crowd is having. I was happy to hear beloved throwback Misty Frequencies, Che Fu’s vocals were expressive and smooth through each song. Finally, closing the set with another old school favourite Fade Away; I loved the addition of te reo Māori into the track. Overall, I think they achieved the goal of warming up the crowd and kicking off the weekend with a bang.

Friday’s lineup was MC’d by DJ Duo Rain & China; The Katayanagi Twins. They kept the party going between acts, with their sets including mixes of R&B hits Fugees and Kendrick Lamar, eventually pulling some friends on stage to bust some moves. The twins didn’t overly engage with the crowd but that didn’t matter as their setlist was enough to keep everyone entertained between acts.

I was very excited to see Stan Walker perform and clearly, I wasn’t alone. This is when the Park Stage area really started filling up. The setlist included throwbacks Choose You and Little Black Box, total pop hits even over a decade later. I loved the mashup of Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey and Etta James’ Rather Go Blind, showcasing Walker’s mastery of R&B and soul. His powerhouse vocals and charisma really made the show; particularly during an incredibly uplifting and moving performance of Bigger/Tua. Wherever I looked, the crowd were singing along word for word and were totally tuned into the performance. Backed by an 8-piece band, including vocalists, brass (saxophone & trumpet) drums, keys, bass that made it even more sonically rich. A personal favourite from the Homegrown band was the saxophone player, lighting up the ensemble of monochromatic outfits with a festive sparkling waistcoat. The excitement and show respectively reached a crescendo with a soul-stirring rendition of Māori Ki Te Ao/national anthem, where Stan and a few additional guests performed the haka. It was an hour of true performance art, incorporating pride of Aotearoa, and celebrating a sense of belonging and whānau through music. I would have been happy if that had been the last of the acts for the night, but there was more fun to be had once the sun went down.

There was a serious vibe change with Lee Mvtthews, who did not hold back with their set. I could see some very confused baby boomers who likely weren’t aware they were going to be experiencing some serious face-melting bass drops after the soothing vocals of Stan Walker. Tom Lee took to the mic a few times to hype up the crowd, and the pair had a lot of fun on stage despite over 10 years in the drum & bass racket. Award winners for New Zealand’s best electronic artist in 2020, the duo threw some naughty bits of jump into the set and a lot of singalongs, such as their 2024 single featuring Tiki Taane, Kick the Doors Down, and their most popular 2019 track Takeover. The lads went hard from the first minute onstage all the way through to the end, thankfully Te Whanganui-a-Tara stayed true to form with some strong squalls, undoubtedly a welcome send for those sending it up in the mosh.

If you’ve never seen a Synthony performance, you are missing out on a one of kind experience. They offer a real niche in the music scene: a full orchestra performing dance anthems & EDM bangers, with special guests joining for vocals. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, having never seen their performances before and being unsure how orchestral music could translate modern electronic hits. I’m happy to admit that I got in my own way with this one, and it ended up being the most exciting 90 minutes of 2025 so far. Not only did we get the coolest immersive light show, but Savage joined them to perform Swing! Iconic. Some of the other hits performed were Calvin Harris’ Sweet Nothing feat. Florence Welch and Fedde Le Grand’s Let Me Think About It.

This act had the most hype surrounding it, and now I see why. The ensemble was immaculate, conducted with flair and grace, and most importantly all enjoying their performance and hype from the crowd. The live vocalists were exquisite, each time I’d think “now that is a set of lungs!” Paora Apera, AKA P. Digsss, lead singer of Shapeshifter, was the perfect MC, introducing the vocalists and partying along with the rest of us. Now a fervent Synthony supporter, I’m already looking at tickets for their upcoming festival in Auckland Domain.

Friday’s lineup was definitely a contrast of genres but represented exactly what Homegrown is all about: There’s something for everyone, whether it’s a new experience or a dip back into the water of familiar favourites. Despite the predictability of the lineup having been a point of contention in previous years, the turnout and diversity of attendees was evidence enough that it isn’t a deal breaker. Besides, I think that the balance of the weekend’s acts, including the new and of yore, was better than apt. By the end of the day, I was giddy imagining the scale of Saturday’s turnout and entertainment across the five iconic platforms.

Photo Credit: Taylor Vincent Photography
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