KiLLOWEN Tickets

KiLLOWEN, born Owen Pickston, has been setting festivals on fire with his driving blend of rap and UK garage, while winning over fans with his vulnerable, deeply-dug lyricism.

It’s a lethal combination, and one that’s set to make an even bigger star out of him yet.

Growing up in Buckinghamshire and introduced to music by his DJ brother, Pickston started DJing at the age of 13 and making beats aged 14. He chose the moniker KiLLOWEN, the name of a small town outside of Cork, as a reference to his Irish heritage. In 2018, he released the single ‘Solar’, a contemplative and soulful cut of alt hip hop which came out on London’s Trakk Records, signalling the beginning of his rap career in earnest. He released a follow-up single, ‘Let’s Just Be Friends’, in 2019.

In 2021 Pickston was in demand as an MC, with collaborations such as ‘Falling Up’ featuring p-rallel, ’Bicycle’ with Hån, ‘Algo-Rhythm’ with Mack Laren, and ‘Up’ with Yiigaa. 2022 saw Pickston release singles ‘Bar Fights & Poetry’ and ‘Break the Cycle’, signalling a shift to a UK garage sound that was instantly exciting.

He continued his ascent in 2023, releasing single ‘Sober’ which became a viral smash with 12 million Spotify plays, as well as the double single ‘2Geva’/‘Smile’. Off the back of that he appeared at massive festivals across 2023, including The Great Escape, Reading & Leeds and the Warehouse Project. Later in 2023, he headlined his first UK tour, as well as heading across to Australia for SXSW Sydney.

In October that year came his long-awaited debut project, Pub Therapy. Inspired by the sense of community and openness to be found among mates at the local pub, Pickston channeled that spirit into nine tracks of raw, poignant hip hop. Previous highlights such as ‘Sober’, ‘Bar Fights & Poetry’ and ‘Break the Cycle’ sat alongside new moments of brilliance like ‘Landmines’, ‘About Last Night…’ and ‘The Butterfly Effect’, winning him ever more critical acclaim and devoted fandom.

Pickston kicked off 2024 with an appearance in the US at SXSW Austin, followed by the release of the single ‘Rita Ora’. The track was yet another step up for KiLLOWEN, merging his most irresistible beat yet with pitch-perfectly cocky lyrics. He followed that up with another winner, ‘Top Bins’ featuring Tommy Villiers, in time to appear at Reading & Leeds and Parklife festivals across the summer.