The Headliner Stage returns to Pub In The Park 2025 alongside blistering Dizzee Rascal set

Foodies and music-lovers assembled once more for Pub In The Park St Albans 2025, with headline acts including grime lynchpin Dizzee Rascal and Kiwi pop maestro Daniel Bedingfield. Meanwhile, an impressively curated stage boasting QSC PA and monitors, a full complement of Earthworks microphones, and the new StudioLive Series III SE32 console from PreSonus saw Headliner returning for a second year, showcasing some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent on offer in the UK on The Headliner Stage.

Established in the stunning park location in St Albans’ Verulamium Park, named after the ancient Roman City, the affluent commuter town began life as Pub In the Park has been serving up food and music here for several years now. It was created by celebrity and Michelin-star chef Tom Kerridge, who festival attendees would have spotted putting on cooking demos and recording live podcasts as they browsed the site's stalls and stages.

On its opening night on a windy Friday evening in September, the Headliner Stage is ready to whet the appetites of music lovers right up until 8.30pm, before Mercury Prize winner Dizzee Rascal closes the first round of festivities over on the main stage.

First up is Joy Doc, who proved that 5.40pm is not too early for a bit of drum and bass. If there are any early festival cobwebs knocking around, she blows them away into the next county. Hailing from London, and riding high from a recent collaboration with Solid State Logic, Joy Doc treats early attendees with drum and bass that is perfectly balanced for the setting: sub bass that flows and gets bodies moving without crushing skulls when people are only on their first drinks of the evening, with her penchant for melodies ensuring everyone in the vicinity takes notice of her songwriting, vocals, and music production talents.

The evening then becomes a tour of genres, with 18-year-old RONAN giving a performance with buckets of confidence and seizing the chance to show off his vocal ability and pop songwriting. This is followed by folk music keytar with Lost Chimes, the project of Gemma and Nicky Kirk. The latter is on guitar duties and the instrument’s folk accompaniment, while the former enjoys belting out her powerful Celtic vocals, while having a white keytar strapped to her body, ready to add some soundscapes to the show.

Things get dancey once again, as dance-pop artist Emily Jade takes the stage – oozing charisma – for a more lowkey set than usual with her guitarist. It’s not often that up-and-coming artists are able to bring out enthusiastic audience participation with such ease, but Jade has people singing back and filling in gaps like it’s an everyday activity. There’s no chance to stop dancing thereafter, as DJ Mel P is ready to infuse back-to-back house tunes to proceedings. This means limbs are limbered up nicely for the Headliner Stage main headliner, Ace Clvrk. Hailing from Reading, the Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist draws the stage’s biggest crowd of the evening, and has them firmly in the palm of his hand. With his music featured in Love Island, and vocals as powerful as his stupendous dreadlocks, Clvrk, and his talented guitarist and drummer, ensure his name is one to jot down in a notes app on your phone if you weren’t already following his talent and music.

There’s about five minutes to dash to the main stage and grab a drink en route, as cometh the hour, cometh the Rascal. And what better way to announce your arrival in St Albans than with a song that repeats your artist name dozens of times? Dizzee stomps out to grime classic Jus’ A Rascal, and the responding pandemonium levels are wildly appropriate.

If anyone feared he would tone down the grime classics just because it’s Pub In The Park in Hertfordshire, thankfully those fears were misplaced, as I Luv U and Fix Up Look Sharp follow in quick succession. The former Roll Deep member is keen to squeeze in the pop hits, though, with the Calvin Harris collaborations, Dance Wiv Me and Holiday going down as well as the food and drinks on offer at the festival. That doesn’t mean the underground sounds are quashed thereafter; Dizzee and his DJ ensure genres like jungle and drum and bass are comprehensively covered during his hour set.

As he walks back onto the stage for his encore, he says, “Are you still here?!” Everyone already knows what time it is, and that time is for everyone to get Bonkers. Well-established as his signature hit, the collaboration with Armand Van is predictably well-received with its huge EDM drop and bass that is still outrageous to this day. He doesn’t end on the chart-topper, though, instead introducing many people to Fader, a single from this year that is less chart-friendly but every bit as huge, with a bass line that makes Bonkers sound like classical music.

Sounding sublime: QSC, Earthworks, and PreSonus power The Headliner Stage

Headliner’s own live sound engineer and reviews editor, Rick Dickerson, talks us through how he got the audio right on the money using QSC's award-winning K Column loudspeakers, a full complement of Earthworks mics, and the new PreSonus Series III SE32 console at FOH, running the manufacturer's proprietary Capture and Control software...

“The whole stage was Earthworks,” Dickerson says. “I've been a huge fan of the SR117s since I first heard them - they're tremendous sounding vocal condensers, and punch way above their price point. We had a handful of these on stage to accommodate all the performers over the weekend, and each and every one of the singers cut through really nicely. What's so impressive about these mics - and it's all in the design - is the way they handle plosives: they neutralise plosive energy before it hits the diaphragm, which means you get a clear, natural vocal out front, that lends itself beautifully to live recording. I've also used SR3117 capsules on a few tours this year with my Shure Axient system, so for the energetic performers who preferred not to have a cable, we had a couple of those on hand - again, they sounded terrific."

Dickerson also deployed Earthworks SR20s drum overheads and DM17s across the kit.  

"The SR20s were incredibly clean-sounding and required no EQ-ing whatsoever; they provided a balanced stereo image across the kit," he explains. "I also had [Earthworks] DM17s on the snare and toms - really beautiful sonics, zero EQ or compression on those either, and they're clip-on which makes life a lot easier. We got what I'd describe as a very open 'live' sounding drum kit."

25 artists performed across the weekend on The Headliner Stage; at FOH, the new PreSonus StudioLive Series III SE32 was at the helm, talking to an NSB 32-16 stagebox and running PreSonus' proprietary Capture software to record the show. 

“What is very interesting about the console is that it competes with much more expensive boards in terms of its one-touch recording, so you can record each set either for later mixdown or virtual sound check," Dickerson explains. "The mixer also sounds great - it's got nice clean pres, lovely onboard effects which I used to easily program a warm reverb and slap-delay, and I was really impressed with the simplicity of PreSonus' Capture for audio recording.

“Capture can also record desk parameters which is incredibly useful when transferring to PreSonus’ DAW Studio One, as the software mirrors the desk's settings and recreates your mix. It’s a very good place to start from a post-production standpoint. However, that doesn’t mean you’re tied down to the PreSonus ecosystem - you can export all the files after the event and drop them straight into any DAW."

Dickerson is also a fan of the console's Universal Control: 

"For me, that [Universal Control] takes this compact console to another level: real-time control of additional layers as well as scenes and many other parameters while mixing,” he says. “For example, I can AFL a monitor mix and control its component levels from my laptop while continuing to mix FOH on the desk. It’s a very comprehensively featured console and software package, especially for its price point."

The QSC K Columns - in striking white - were somewhat of a show-stopper, Dickerson says: 

"We had a pair of them at FOH and they sounded just as good as they looked," he smiles. "We augmented this with an additional QSC KS212C subwoofer, which really gave us the depth we needed when it came to our DJ sets. For on-stage monitoring, we used a pair of QSC K12.2 active speakers, which were actually our FOH system at last year's Pub in the Park, but those work just as well and are shaped in such a way as to perform both duties with equal gusto!

“I can absolutely see why the K Series won Best in Show at NAMM last year,” Dickerson asserts. “They have a great throw, and when you add the additional KS212C sub, it takes it up another level. Especially for those DJ sets!"

Headliner Stage artists sing Earthworks’ praises

Headliner catches up with several artists as they come off stage to hear how they found performing at Pub in the Park 2025, and how their vocals translated through the Earthworks SR117 condenser microphones.

Friday night headliner Ace Clvrk is buzzing as he steps off stage, saying, “I love the vibes. I love the energy. It’s always interesting when you perform at a festival; there's going to be half the people who know you and half who don't, which is very similar to busking. I played some new music that's not out yet, and the reaction was cool. The mic was insane. It's super important whenever you're performing live to trust the equipment, and I really felt from the soundcheck that it was gonna be fine. It was perfect.”

Reigns has a similarly enthusiastic take, enthusing, “This is my first time at Pub in the Park, and the energy has been off the charts, incredible. It was the perfect balance of Sunday vibes, but also, it had great energy. The Earthworks mic was absolutely incredible. It's very rare that you get to the end of a set and you go, ‘Wow, sound-wise, everything was perfect.’ And on that microphone, I loved it.”

Returning artist Madi C also enjoyed the all-rounder experience from a festival, performance, and live setup standpoint. “This place is my home; we made it last year, and the vibes are incredible. I loved every moment. The mic was incredible – I don't think I've ever heard my voice like that. It was amazing. Normally, it’s hard to hear through monitor mixes, but the voice just cut through so clear. I’m going to buy one of these mics! I want one so bad.”

Brooke Law was not one to buck the trend, saying, “I absolutely loved it. It was really intimate in a way — I mean, you can’t really get an intimate gig in a massive open field — but everyone was really listening and really engaged. They sang along; it was really special. I want to buy an Earthworks microphone now, I love it. I’ve only used the same mic all the time, so it's amazing to be able to hear such a powerful mic.”

Headliner also got a band’s perspective on things, with Burr Island commenting that, “It was a good craic. It was a great crowd, a really attentive audience. It's only our second ever festival, so it was lovely to play on a big stage. And the microphone was very, very clear. It was a substantial sound, and strong. It was definitely better than what we’re used to. It's so important to be able to hear pitch because we're harmonising all the time. I feel like it was separating our voices a lot — we could hear each other more clearly than we normally could.”

Keytar-wielding folk duo, Lost Chimes were also happy to chime in on the experience: “Thank you so much for having us. It’s such a vibe here, with a warm atmosphere and everybody having a good time. We could hear ourselves very well on the stage, and it was really enjoyable. The mics were amazing. That's the best sound we've ever had. When you sing through a mic like that, you can really play with what you bring out in your voice. There’s something quite magical about it.”

Amy Birks had nothing but praise for her experience on stage: “It was one of the best experiences ever. I had so much fun up there, and the sound was coming through so well. I felt immersed in my own music, my own voice, and I love that. It’s always good to hear yourself when you’re on stage and not get distracted. I've never ever used that mic, but that was incredible. My voice was so crisp, so clear, I loved it.”

Irish artist Codyy had a specific goal for his performance slot: “People are walking past, and I suppose my objective was to rope them in, and I did quite a good job of that for the first half,” he says. “The second I started playing Oasis, the crowd started swarming, so it's probably a good shout to sneak in a little cheeky cover like that. I really enjoyed it. The stage was great. The crew were all great. 10 out of 10.”

Helping to draw in the crowd was his Earthworks microphone. “The mic was really good,” he says. “It was crazy powerful. I want to know more about these Earthworks guys!”

Emily Jade was also looking to draw as many people in as possible: “Gravitating a crowd in felt really special – everyone was there to hear the moment. I’m really grateful for everyone that stopped by. The mic was also really good, too,” she points out. “I was actually really surprised because we didn't sound check, we didn't do a line check, we just got up and did it. I could just hear everything. I felt clear and really crisp.”

And the final word is from Max Ryan, who shared the positive sentiment: “Anytime we get a chance to play some original songs, it’s good fun. I’m going to have to get one of those Earthworks microphones! When the sound on the stage is brilliant, it really reminds me why we get up there and do it. The mic was amazing.”

Perfecting the visual backdrop

Digital designer Emma Briggs got to work with a Leyard LED video wall to provide the perfect visual backdrop for the artists performing on the Headliner stage. She also worked with Renewed Vision's ProPresenter, Martin lighting fixtures, and an Avolites Tiger Touch console. She talks us through her experience of working with the technology at Pub In The Park 2025.

"At Pub in the Park, the Leyard LED wall on the Headliner stage proved to be a real showpiece,” Briggs says. “It brought logos to life in bold scale and delivered vibrant, dynamic graphics that lit up the stage.

"The supplied controller handled scaling impressively, ensuring that every piece of content fit the screen’s resolution perfectly. From a technical perspective, the screen panels were a dream to work with: IP-rated for outdoor use (always reassuring for British weather) and designed for speed of assembly. The clever clip system between panels, along with integrated power and data connections, meant no digging around for extra cables or rebuilding from scratch. That streamlined setup not only saved valuable time but also gave us more breathing room for testing and fine-tuning content.”

For the back-to-back live performances and keeping the visuals consistently on point, Briggs went with her go-to software for the job.

"For playback, I relied on ProPresenter, which remains my go-to software for shows like this," she explains. "It’s intuitive for running graphic videos with text and image overlays, and its ability to cast to multiple screens with varied content makes it perfect for small-to-medium stage setups. In practice, it kept the Headliner stage content crisp, smooth, and flexible throughout the event.”

The Headliner stage further came to life thanks to the seamless integration of Avolites lighting control with Martin fixtures, delivering a dynamic and visually striking production.

"The Avolites [Titan] control software onboard the Tiger Touch console is long regarded as industry standard, and it was flawless across the festival weekend," Briggs continues. "Its intuitive interface and extensive in-built features enabled rapid setup, smooth programming, and flexible live busking, ensuring that the lighting design could evolve in real-time with the energy of the performances.”

Briggs opts for Martin fixtures so that she can carry out her tasks with scientific precision, and inject some creative flair.

“The Martin kit is really versatile, so the system provided both precision and creativity,” she reveals. “Martin Washes offered sophisticated colour mixing, producing warm tungsten-style tones that enhanced atmosphere and mood for both live audiences and broadcast cameras; and the moving heads at the back of the stage added depth, texture, and excitement through cross-lighting, gobos, and dynamic motion effects.”

A series of pre-built fixture profiles setup within the Tiger Touch console eliminated the need for any manual patching, saving valuable setup time. 

"The [Avolites] console’s built-in colour palettes and effect engines further streamlined programming, so I was able to create versatile looks that matched the energy of each band and performer," Briggs explains. “Avolites’ real-time editing capabilities meant that colours, movement speeds, and effects could be adjusted instantly during performances, giving me full creative control to react to the atmosphere on stage. So that combination of Avolites and Martin gave me a powerful combination of reliability, flexibility, and artistry – ensuring that the stage lighting not only supported, but elevated the performances throughout the event. Add the Leyard LED wall to the mix and you've got a pretty serious rig for a stage of this size. It was a great success."

It wasn't just the 20,000 festival-goers that got to enjoy The Headliner Stage in real-time, however. Headliner partnered with TikTok LIVE and streamed the whole event.

"Working with TikTok LIVE was a fantastic experience, and vastly amplified the reach for our emerging talent," said Headliner CEO, Paul Watson, post-event. "We went live for the whole festival on the platform, which amounted to 12 hours of music, and a further 71,000 people watched in real-time. That exceeded our expectations, and we were delighted to be able to give our artists that kind of exposure through partnering with the biggest - and I'd say the most important - vehicle for championing emerging talent.

"What's also great is our partnership with SoundOn - TikTok's label and distribution arm - who also sponsored The Headliner Stage. Their forward-thinking, artist-first approach is key in today's industry, and with SoundOn, Headliner has been giving away free studio time to artists who need it, helping them get their original music recorded and out on the SoundOn platform. I've had a couple of the performers who played Pub in the Park in to record over the past couple of weeks, and the results have been great - amazing talent which we look forward to supercharging together!"