First we had a date, now we have a lineup. The Cruel World festival is returning for 2023, setting up shop May 20 at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. And Goldenvoice’s classic alternative and darkwave festival has a pretty stellar bill shining bright in black, led by headliners Siouxsie and Iggy Pop, plus the reunited Love and Rockets, Adam Ant, Echo & The Bunnymen, Billy Idol, and The Human League.
In addition to the legacy lineup, which also features Gary Numan, Modern English, Gang of Four, ABC, The Vapors, and others, more modern acts playing Cruel World include Vanyaland faves Molchat Doma, Boy Harsher (pictured), The Soft Moon, and Riki.
Siouxsie’s appearance will be her first in the United States in 15 years, and Love and Rockets, birthed out of goth pioneers Bauhaus, have not performed live since 2008. Echo & The Bunnymen and Numan were originally part of the inaugural 2020 Cruel World lineup, but that event was cancelled due the pandemic. When the fest resurfaced last year, it included Echo & The Bunnymen, but the iconic post-punk band did not perform due to visa issues.
Check out the full lineup below. Tickets go on sale starting FRiday (January 27) at noon PST; hit cruelworldfest.com for the latest info.
