Burna Boy Set for Major Wireless Festival 2025 Debut with Drake at Finsbury Park
Jun, 28 2025
- By: Asira Flowers
- 12 Comments
- Entertainment
Burna Boy and Drake to Ignite London’s Finsbury Park
The 2025 edition of Wireless Festival is pulling out all the stops for its 20th anniversary, and it’s tough to ignore the star studded Burna Boy entry on the lineup this year. For the first time ever, the Nigerian superstar will step onto the Wireless stage, adding yet another high profile UK appearance to his rapidly growing list. Meanwhile, fans are buzzing for Drake, who’s making his long-awaited return to British soil—big news considering he hasn’t headlined a show in the UK for six years.
Running from July 11 to 13 at Finsbury Park, the festival is going all-in on surprises and heavy hitters. Drake, the Canadian rap giant, doesn’t do half measures: he’ll headline all three nights. No two nights will be the same rumour has it he’s preparing unique setlists for each show, so superfans might just find themselves snagging tickets to more than one day.
A-List Lineup Shakes Up the Scene
It’s not just Drake and Burna Boy catching the spotlight. Sunday, July 13 looks set to be a standout date with Burna Boy sharing the stage with his own collaborators—including Jamaican dancehall legend Vybz Kartel, who’s making his first-ever UK festival performance. Fans of modern R&B and hip-hop are in for treats too, with Summer Walker and PARTYNEXTDOOR landing high up on the bill.
Homegrown grime collective Boy Better Know (BBK)—the crew founded by Skepta and JME—are also back to represent UK talent, headlining Saturday’s main set. The full lineup is already causing a stir online, as festival-goers debate setlists, predicted guest appearances, and the likely wild party atmosphere of the event’s milestone year.
If you’re thinking about securing your spot, you might already be behind: pre-sale tickets were snatched up by Three mobile customers and registered fans as early as February 17 and 18. The general sale kicked off February 19 and, as with most Wireless announcements, tickets are disappearing fast.
2025’s Wireless brings in a couple of practical changes too. Organisers have confirmed the festival will be fully cashless, meaning you’ll need card or mobile payments for everything from drinks to merch. Plus, with ongoing parking restrictions at Finsbury Park, everyone’s being pushed to use public transport—think buses, tube lines, and trains rolling through north London.
Burna Boy’s Wireless debut comes on the back of some big moments. He electrified huge crowds at Glastonbury 2024 with his bold stage presence and will headline again in Manchester in May 2025. His rising profile in the UK is setting him apart as not just an Afro-fusion trailblazer but a true global festival heavyweight.
12 Comments
For anyone looking to grab tickets, the cashless system means you’ll need a contact‑free card or phone payment method for drinks and merch, so make sure your bank app is set up ahead of time.
Super pumped for the lineup it’s going to be epic can't wait to see the vibes at Finsbury Park.
Yo, this mashup of Afrobeats n’ UK grime is gonna be lit, i bet the crowd wull go wild when Burna and Skepta cross paths.
What they don’t tell you is that the festival’s new cashless policy is just a cover to harvest every attendee’s spending data for a massive surveillance grid, and the “unique setlists” rumor is really a ploy to keep fans buying premium ticket upgrades.
Strategic brand consolidation via high‑profile festival slots is textbook industry maneuvering.
While the promotional material mentions “cashless” transactions, it fails to specify that contactless payments must comply with EMV standards, which could cause compatibility issues for some older devices.
Burna Boy’s ascent in the global music scene over the past few years is a testament to the power of cross‑cultural collaboration and the universal language of rhythm. His performance at Glastonbury 2024 demonstrated not just a commanding stage presence, but also an ability to fuse Afro‑fusion with the stadium energy that western crowds crave. The upcoming Wireless debut will likely showcase a setlist that blends his recent hits like “Last Last” with deeper cuts that highlight his lyrical depth. Moreover, his partnership with Vybz Kartel hints at a possible surprise guest appearance that could bridge Caribbean dancehall with West African melodies. This kind of genre‑blending is exactly what keeps audiences engaged night after night. Participants should also note that Drake’s three‑night headlining run is unusual; each night’s distinct setlist could reflect a narrative arc, moving from introspective R&B to high‑energy rap anthems. The inclusion of Summer Walker and PARTYNEXTDOOR reinforces the R&B vibe, offering a smoother contrast to the more aggressive grime and Afro‑beat segments. Boy Better Know’s slot ensures the festival retains a strong home‑grown element, anchoring the event in UK culture while still embracing international flair. Ticket availability is already scarce, so for those who value early access, securing a spot now is crucial. Transportation logistics, especially the shift toward public transit, will also affect the overall experience; arriving early can mitigate the crowd flow issues that often plague large festivals. Lastly, the cashless payment model, while convenient, may exclude fans who rely on cash, potentially impacting vendor sales and the overall atmosphere. All in all, Wireless 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark moment that reflects the evolving landscape of modern music festivals.
Looking at the roster, I’d say we can expect a hybrid set structure: Drake will likely open with a few deep‑cut intros, then transition to the chart‑toppers, while Burna Boy might weave in a mash‑up of “Kilometre” and “Alajé”. The synergy between those two could trigger a live remix, especially if Vybz Kartel jumps on stage for the closing jam.
The festival runs July 11‑13, and tickets announced on February 19 have sold out in under a week.
Yo bro, get ur tickets now or u’ll miss out – im super excited :)
While the lineup appears impressive, the reliance on headline acts such as Drake may detract from the festival’s original mission to spotlight emerging talent.
It’s concerning that the festival’s marketing glosses over the potential safety risks associated with massive crowds and limited emergency access.