Cruel World Festival Archives

Post-Punk Legends Death Cult to Play Rare Intimate West Coast Club Shows Ahead of Cruel World 2025

Death Cult – the earlier, darker incarnation of The Cult – has announced a pair of intimate California concerts this May. The legendary post-punk outfit, featuring vocalist Ian Astbury and…

View Post

Cruel World 2025 Lineup Announced With Nick Cave, New Order, Death Cult, Til Tuesday, OMD, DEVO, Garbage, and More!

Cruel World Festival is set to return to Pasadena on May 17, 2025, transforming the historic Brookside at the Rose Bowl into a gathering of post-punk and new-wave royalty. Topping…

View Post

Watch Tones on Tail’s First Performance in 40 Years at Cruel World Fest 2024

This past weekend’s aurora borealis flares might have lit up the skies, but at the 2024 edition of Pasadena’s Cruel World Fest, one of the most anticipated reunions charged the…

View Post

Watch Ministry Perform Songs From “With Sympathy,” “Twitch,” and More During Their Cruel World 2024 Set

Hell froze over in sunny Pasadena courtesy of the Industrial music icons Ministry, who briefly transformed back into a synth-pop band (kind of) for Cruel World Festival 2024. This surprising…

View Post

Cruel World Festival 2024 Announced Featuring Tones on Tail, Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Ministry, Simple Minds, Heaven 17, and More!

In what’s shaping up to be a monumental third annual Cruel World festival, set for May 11, 2024, at the picturesque Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the lineup…

View Post

Cruel World 2023 was Two Days of Goth Heaven Culminating with the Triumphant Return of Siouxsie

As a somewhat “elder Goth” in his 40s, with a lifelong love for post-punk, darkwave, and gothic rock, and the many festivals celebrating these genres, I’ve seen many an event…

View Post

Siouxsie and Iggy Pop To Perform Make-Up Sets Tonight Following Cruel World Evacuation

Siouxsie and Iggy Pop are confirmed to perform this evening at Brookside at the Rose Bowl, according to the latest update from Cruel World festival organizers. Highlighting the uniqueness of…

View Post

Siouxsie Performance At Cruel World Festival Cancelled Due To Inclement Weather

Due to inclement weather and impending lightning, the 2023 Cruel World Festival abruptly ended tonight in Pasadena, California. The ’80s alternative music event orchestrated by Goldenvoice transpired at the Rose…

View Post

Twin Tribes Recommend 5 New Artists You Should be Listening to Right Now

Emerging from the heart of Texas, darkwave duo Twin Tribes have been making their mark on the international scene, ascending the ranks to become one of the subculture’s most talked-about…

View Post