Edinburgh Psych Fest 2025: The Review

The third edition of Edinburgh Psych Fest is a welcome return, as other similar festivals in the capital have quietly disappeared over the past couple of years. Arriving just after the end of the Fringe could be seen as a risky move given the physical and financial fatigue that has usually set in by the end of August, but this all-dayer is remarkably well-attended and bodes well for the future of an excellent event. 

It might be a shrewd move to put The Moonlandingz on at 1pm at the Queen's Hall to kick things off, though their brand of brash, in-your-face glam punk is jarring to say the least so early in the day. The Orchestra (For Now) are similarly bracing over in Summerhall's Dissection Room, managing to channel a certain post-hardcore Black Country, New Road energy. It's all presided over by Joe Scarisbrick, answering the question nobody asked: what if Richard Ashcroft was really into Fugazi? Their tumultuous sound is pushed to the limit and the multi-part suites are a touch unwieldy at times, but you can't fault the ambition and originality.

Honeyglaze at Edinburgh Psych Fest. Photo: Dale Harvey

Honeyglaze feel more appropriately early doors; their moody rock is flecked with hints of shoegaze, art-pop and post-punk, while Anouska Sokolow's vocals ground the music in relatable details. Crocodiles have been at it for the better part of two decades now and have churned out dozens of scuzzy, noisy nuggets of darkness and depravity. Their unabashed love of The Jesus & Mary Chain is obvious before a single distorted chord is strummed; leather jackets, sunglasses and fuzzy hair all point to their pathological obsession with the brothers Reid. They sound exactly as you'd expect, which is nice enough but not particularly invigorating.

As you may have realised, few of the bands discussed so far are particularly psychedelic (the term is employed very loosely across the whole lineup), but Blind Yeo are here to scratch that itch. Their set in Summerhall's Main Hall is full to capacity and they bring a truly spellbinding mixture of cosmic beats, psych-folk and surprisingly gnarly guitars. They're also wearing wizard cloaks and spend the final song frog-hopping through the crowd. All bases are covered here, and the kaleidoscopic slideshow playing above the band feels about right for the first time today. Certainly one of the best sets of the day.

Back in the Dissection Room, Berliner Anna Erhard flits between deadpan irony and melodic earworms. Some of the punchlines are a bit repetitive (B.M.G Academy) but when she combines her storytelling zeal with a compelling hook the results are magical (Botanical Garden).

Getdown Services at Queen's Hall for Edinburgh Psych Fest. Photo: Calum Mackintosh

Sleaford Mods meets early Mac DeMarco? A modern-day Chas & Dave? The outrageously fun Getdown Services are tough to pigeonhole and are certain to test your patience for music that relies so heavily on humour. That goes for the between-song banter as well, with digs at Edinburgh and the crowd, mandated dance moves and some tasteful nudity. But when it works, it works: as long as you share a distaste for Jamie Oliver or a taste for crisps you'll be golden. They can get serious and even break out actual instruments on occasion, but it's in the beats and LOLs where the duo shine.

This edition of Psych Fest once again splits between the Summerhall/Queen's Hall end of Newington and the Sneaky's/Mash House block-or-so on Cowgate. It's a bit of a traipse if you want to see bands at opposite ends, but there's a steady march of recognisable wristbands on the way down for Bikini Body. The Edinburgh five-piece are a staple of these kind of events, and their jittery post-punk delights a packed Mash House with favourites like Young Dad and a particularly noisy Jazzy Boi. However, the band signal a bit of a new direction through new songs Dinosaur Profession and Samuel Beckett, and a near-unrecognisable cover of Canned Heat's Poor Moon, which brings out the band's funkiest impulses. But there's still room for the typical rave-up closer of Mr Tinnitus which is another of the day's highlights.

La Sécurité at The Mash House for Edinburgh Psych Fest. Photo: Andy Catlin

A dramatic shift follows with Mojo & the Kitchen Brothers, a gang of long-haired Belgians who revive the deeply untrendy sounds of early prog bands like Wishbone Ash and Hawkwind. But, hell, it's one of the more psychedelic shows of the Fest and some shredding and headbanging is a welcome jolt as we enter the home stretch. La Sécurité close the Mash House to a much smaller crowd than deserved as people move towards the bigger names at Summerhall and Queen's Hall, but this makes for a rare moment of space, which is all the better for cutting a rug to the dancey indie-punk rants of this Canadian band. It's high energy, big hooks and zero fucks given. A fitting end to an excellent mini-festival.

Or is it? For those with the stamina or stimulants needed, Bikini Body (the whole band!) are playing an afterparty DJ set at Sneaky's. Floorfillers like Hercules & Love Affair's Blind and The Rapture's House of Jealous Lovers ensure that the faithful are rewarded with some first-rate tunes. We're reliably informed that later selections range from grunge to disco to rockabilly – maybe those who stayed til the very, very end finally learned what it is that makes today so psychedelic...

---

Edinburgh Psych Fest returns on Sun 6 Sep 2026, early bird tickets on sale now