By Cameron Lee
July 9, 2025
North Carolina’s largest indie music festival, Hopscotch, has unveiled the lineup for its 15th edition, returning to downtown Raleigh from September 4-6. Founded in 2010, Hopscotch has earned a reputation for booking eclectic lineups that span genres and generations, and this year is no exception. Headliners include psychedelic folk-rock titans My Morning Jacket; introspective lo-fi rapper Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future fame (who recently collaborated with Charlotte artist Mavi); British indie art-pop singer-songwriter and guitarist Nilüfer Yanya; seminal Montreal post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor; and beloved indie rock pioneers Built to Spill.
Mac McCaughan, who helped put the Chapel Hill indie scene on the map in the early ’90s as co-founder of Merge Records alongside Laura Ballance, will perform with his band Superchunk on Saturday at Moore Square. Also featured on the bill are art-pop pioneers Sparks; Brooklyn-based psychedelic dream pop band Crumb; experimental soul singer Swamp Dogg; Singaporean-born, London-based synth-pop artist Yeule; and Brooklyn’s dynamic post-punk outfit Geese.
Staying true to its roots, the festival once again spotlights emerging North Carolina talent. This year’s lineup features several Charlotte acts, including alt-country slack-rockers Woody, indie folk singer-songwriter Ali Forrest, psych-doom/metal quartet Cosmic Reaper, glitchy electronic punk project Girl Brutal (Grace Nelson), avant-garde Brazilian folk artist Curiosidades de Bombrile (Davey Blackburn), and Latin experimental pop multi-instrumentalist La Brava (Liza Ortiz).
Rounding out the Carolina performers are Durham’s folk-country rockers Fust, the cosmic Americana duo Blue Cactus (Chapel Hill), Asheville’s electro-indie dream-pop band Pink Beds, Durham’s experimental Appalachian folk duo Magic Tuber Stringband, Winston-Salem indie soul-pop singer-songwriter and producer Victoria Victoria (Tori Elliott), Durham alternative R&B/soul artist Tre. Charles, and Charleston indie rockers Secret Guest.
The festival sprawls across downtown Raleigh, with its main stages at City Plaza and Moore Square, along with club venues like Lincoln Theatre, The Pour House, Kings, Neptune’s, Slim’s, Transfer Co. Ballroom, Nash Hall, and more. It’s a whirlwind of genres, unique sets, and endless musical discoveries.
Beyond the music, the weekend will be packed with local vendors at Moore Square, day parties throughout the city, and an outdoor skatepark (Skate Raleigh). More lineup additions are also expected in the coming weeks.
Hopscotch Music Festival runs September 4-6, and three-day passes ($135) are on sale now at HopscotchMusicFest.com.
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