Live Report: Chappell Roan turns Electric Picnic main stage into a fairytale of the Midwest

Punters start lining up at the barrier well before before Chappell Roan takes the stage, their pink cowboy hats populating the fringes of the stage.

The last time the queer pop sensation came to these shores was last September, where she played an unforgettable set at 3Olympia before hundreds of adoring, lucky fans. A live report from that fateful night reads: "It's likely that, by this time next year, Chappell Roan's crowds will be so big that the ordinary fan will barely even get a glimpse of the star".

Well, the prophecy was right. Following on from her more stripped-down 3Olympia gig, Chappell Roan's EP set offers an even bigger spectacle. Roadies dressed as Benedictine monks trade instruments with the band in-between songs. The stage itself has been transformed into a medieval castle, as Chappell descends down the gargoyle-lined stairs to the delight of her adoring, screaming fans.

Chappell Roan at Electric Picnic on August 29th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Chappell's set covers the bulk of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, the self-assured masterstroke that shot the singer to stratospheric heights of celebrity stardom with such hits as 'Red Wine Supernova' and 'HOT TO GO!'.

The singer kicks things off with the rousing 'Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl' which despite its obvious pop sheen, proves to be an all-out rocker that transitions beautifully to 'Femininomenon', which captures the album's essence as it transforms from a treacly, orchestral ballad to a pulsating anthem of empowerment, punctuated by a mid-song pep talk of absurd ad-libs.

The likes of 'Naked in Manhattan' and 'Guilty Pleasure' equally capture the burgeoning feelings of young love through a queer lens, each track balancing the ache of bruised nostalgia with an invitation to dance all of your cares away. Ballads like 'Casual' and 'Coffee' have fans reliving the frustration of their last situationship, set to a sugary soundtrack. The latter track sees Chappell become visibly emotional, fighting back tears as she struggled to sing the lyrics. As the crowd cheers even louder for her, the singer nods with gratitude as she basks in the weight of the moment.

Chappell Roan at Electric Picnic on August 29th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

A startling cover of Heart's 'Barracuda' offers a standout with its faithful guitar riffage and rollicking vocals from the Ann Wilson-incarnate. Meanwhile the theatric 'HOT TO GO!' has everyone mimicking the viral dance number, and the chart-topper 'Good Luck Babe!' sees the crowd joining Chappell and belting every lyric beat for beat.

The Missouri songsmith ends her set with the mesmeric 'Pink Pony Club', a bold, uproarious banger that stitches stories about love, sex and finding one's place in the world in the track's seams. The liberating anthem takes things to an even higher level, making Chappell's set a frontrunner for the best set of the weekend, delivering and endless stream of sonic and dance-worthy resplendence.