As Bonnaroo approaches, the long-running Manchester, TN festival has revealed the addition of a unique, cross-genre collaboration to its 2025 lineup: King GRiZzard, a one-time-only collaboration between recently reactivated electro-soul producer GRiZ and shape-shifting Australian rock-plus outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
The King GRiZzard set will take place during King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s previously announced “After Hours” slot on Saturday, June 14th, one of three different sets for King Gizzard taking place across the weekend as part of Bonnaroo’s first-ever “Roo Residency.” The group is also due to perform at the festival on Friday, June 13th and Sunday, June 15th. GRiZ was not on the 2025 Bonnaroo lineup prior to the King GRiZzard announcement.
More than just two acts with compatible names, the two comprising King GRiZzard are uniquely primed for the upcoming cross-genre collaboration at Bonnaroo.
GRiZ, the producer and saxophonist born Grant Kwiecinski, recently emerged from an extended stint away from the public eye with the announcement of his own festival, Valley of the Seven Stars Campout, and the surprise release of a new EP, GEMiNI. In a post announcing the arrival of the EP, GRiZ indicated both an influx of recent collaborators and continued experimentation with new sounds: “I’ve been working on so so many things and it was really tough to pick which ones so I decided on a few things from all across the universe of sounds I’ve been traveling through … Really just been having the best time making tons of music, playing around, workin w friends n sending sounds around.” Watch the GRiZ Chasing the Golden Hour set from Bonnaroo 2023 below.
GRiZ – Chasing The Golden Hour (Full Show) – Bonnaroo 2023
While King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have never shied away from veering off on new creative directions, they have notably developed an affinity for electronic and synthesizer-based music in recent years. From synth-focused albums like Butterfly 3000 (2021) and The Silver Cord (2023) to the increased role of Nathan, the group’s full-band synth station, during live shows to a recent “Experimental Rave Set” in San Francisco, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are as ready as ever to dive headfirst into bass-heavy electronic music with GRiZ when King GRiZzard makes its debut at Bonnaroo in 2025.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Experimental Rave Set – 11/6/24
Other scheduled 2025 Bonnaroo After Hours sets by Dom Dolla, Insane Clown Posse, Joey VAlence & Brae, Glass Animals, Tipper, Megadeth, Of The Trees, JPEGMAFIA, Justice, Arcade Fire presenting Santa Pirata, Gorgon City, and Crankdat.
April fools!