Skindred Light the Fuse at Hellfest 2025 – A Genre-Smashing Explosion of Sound and Soul

Clisson, France – Hellfest 2025 may be a cathedral of distortion and metal, but when Skindred took the Main Stage One to open the day under a blazing French sun, they didn’t just kick things off — they detonated the weekend.

From the very first second, it was clear this wasn’t going to be your average “warm-up” slot. Skindred came out swinging with an energy that could’ve powered the entire festival site. With the sun already high and merciless, frontman Benji Webbe strode onstage dressed in a fur coat and hat — a decision that screamed confidence and defiance. He wasn’t here to play it safe. He was here to ignite.

And ignite he did.

Skindred’s unique fusion of ragga, metal, punk, and rock-reggae is an adrenaline cocktail that hits harder live than on record. Opening with the anthemic “set fazers” the band grabbed the early crowd by the throat and didn’t let go. Within minutes, the crowd — still filtering in with coffee, beers, and hangovers in tow — were bouncing, fists in the air, drawn in by the irresistible pull of that patented Skindred groove.

Benji, ever the master of ceremonies, had the crowd eating out of his hand. Equal parts preacher, party starter, and punk rock prophet, he danced, snarled, and sang with a power that defied the hour. His charisma didn’t just fill the stage — it spilled out into the field like a sonic tidal wave. The “Newport Helicopter” moment, of course, was carnage in the best way — T-shirts spun above heads, mosh pits erupted, and it felt like Hellfest had suddenly become a Caribbean carnival in the middle of a Slayer video.

“Warning,” “Nobody,” and “Kill the Power” tore through the afternoon haze like a freight train laced with dub. Dan Pugsley’s low-end throb shook the foundations, while Mikey Demus’s guitar riffs brought the crunch that kept the metalheads happy. Drummer Arya Goggin hammered away with the intensity of a main stage headliner, not an opener.

But what makes Skindred truly unstoppable isn’t just their sound — it’s their spirit. In a festival lineup packed with darkness and fury, they brought light, color, and soul. They didn’t just get the crowd moving — they made people smile, laugh, scream, live. It was unity in motion, under the hot summer sun, with thunder in the speakers and joy in the air.

By the time they closed out their set, the crowd wasn’t just warmed up — they were on fire. Skindred didn’t open Hellfest. They blasted it wide open.

HOT HOT HOT Hell is finally open!

Rating: 🌞🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥