13 of the best photos from Forbidden Forest's verdant 2025 edition

Thousands of ravers went down to the woods over the weekend, and they were in for some big surprises — including unmissable sets from some of electronic music's biggest stars, spectacular stages, and an all-new-and-improved site.

Taking over the ancient woodlands of Leicester's Belvoir Castle once again this year, Forbidden Forest 2025 stuck its flag firmly in the ground for the UK festival season, starting on Thursday (May 29) until Sunday (June 1). One thing that was expected for this year's festival was its stellar line-up, with FF having locked in the likes of FISHER, Camelphat, Chris Stussy, Skepta, Hedex, Gorgon City, Hybrid Minds, Jamie Jones and many many more.

Though as crowds approached the festival site, they were greeted with a whole host of new improvements, implemented as part of Forbidden Forest's £1 million investment to elevate the festival experience — including dedicated WIFI hotspots, upgraded soundsystems, additional lighting, water facilities, info towers, walking routes and more.

“Our audience spoke and we listened," says festival promoter James Cohen. "Forbidden Forest 2025 saw site improvements across the board - from upgraded soundsystems and enhanced lighting to better accessibility and improved recycling facilities. We look forward to continuing to raise the bar for our festivalgoers and invite them back for another unforgettable year in 2026."

Another new addition for 2025 was the Hive Stage, an intimate tent located in the heart of the woods that played host to the tech house stylings of Max Dean, Obskur, and East End Dubs — the latter of which providing the closing set on Saturday night. Forbidden Forest's other stages also had a sprinkle of additional magic this year, including the majestic Reactor Stage featuring a brand new K1 soundsystem courtesy of L Acoustics.

Whether you made it down to the woods over the weekend and want to relive some of the action, or you want to get a taste of what Forbidden Forest is all about, check out our selection of the best photos from this year's edition below.

The festival's next edition will take place at Belvoir Castle on 4-7 June 2026. Sign up for tickets for Forbidden Forest 2026, here.