Qulture Magazine

Words: Kaitlyn Smith

Psych Fest Artwork: Thea Bryant

Just as Edinburgh started to wind down from a month of madness at the Edinburgh Fringe, Psych Fest 2025 jolted the city back to life on Sunday the 31st of August and pulled the crowds back into the chaos. Now in its third year, the sister festival to Manchester and Brighton’s Psych fest has already earned its rightful place in the hearts of the people of Edinburgh. Promising “mind bending sounds, trippy visuals and a celebration of all things Psychedelic,” this year’s edition definitely lived up to the hype.

Spread across four iconic venues – Queens Hall, Summer Hall, The Mash House and Sneaky Pete’s, the day-long festival felt like a psychedelic treasure hunt across the city. With a great line up, boasting names like Nadine Shah, George Clanton, The Moonlandingz, Heartworms, Horse Jumper of Love, Deadletter, Bikini Body and more the third instalment delivered on both scale and atmosphere.
Ticket prices ranged from £40 to £50, with discounts for under 24s and NHS workers. Early bird tickets sold out before the festival but were priced between £24.50 for the first round and £30 for the second release making regular tickets the main option.

Unfortunately, Du Blonde cancelled due to injury and Bin Juice were also unable to attend so the first band I saw was “Heartworms” at the Queens Hall. Heartworms set the bar high with a hypnotic punk energy that had the crowd dancing and nodding along to the music with some who seemed to be “rocking out” in their own world.

Over at Summerhall Bubble Tea and cigarettes provided the perfect contrast with an ethereal, dreamy vibe which boasted crisp vocals and perfect melodies that made the crowd sway in admiration. The band had a romantic vibe offering festival goers more soothing moments. Bubble Tea and Cigarettes was definitely one of my favourites.

At the Mash House, Bikini Body performed at a smaller venue that was packed to the brim which already made me question why they weren’t in a bigger space like the others I had previously seen as they are a local band based in Edinburgh. The packed sweaty crowd seemed fitting and more concert-like so a bigger space could also jeopardise the chaotic and sweaty atmosphere. For many I’m sure Bikini Body was the highlight of the festival as the bouncing room proved the love, punters had for them and also further showed that homegrown acts remain integral to Psych Fests identity.

Headliner Nadine Shah closed the night at The Queens Hall with a masterclass of presence. Her smoky vocals and politically charged lyrics carried an intensity that filled the room but also felt intimate and deeply personal. Shah’s performance was perfect for an end to the festival. Psych fest wasn’t just about the music though, with an appearance in the Summerhall beer garden from Pizza Geeks and an authentic curry stall offering mouthwatering food and drinks, not to mention an outdoor bar as well as Summerhall’s inside “Dicks” Bar which offered more than your usual pints. And for those who refused to call it a night, the after party at Sneaky Pete’s kept the vibes going until late.

Edinburgh’s Psych Fest once again proved itself to be a vital fixture in the city’s cultural calendar and it has already left the crowd dreaming of what is instore for 2026.