Shoegaze

Shoegaze: 72 upcoming festivals, including 23 with tickets on sale.

Shoegaze is an alternative rock subgenre characterized by a dense, ethereal soundscape created through layers of heavily-effected guitars, often featuring distortion, reverb, and delay, alongside obscured vocals and a generally introspective, dreamy atmosphere. Emerging in the late 1980s in the UK, it was influenced by noise pop and psychedelic rock, with its name originating from the bands' tendency to gaze at their extensive pedalboards during performances. Iconic artists include My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride, who defined the genre's sonic palette. Shoegaze experienced its peak popularity in the early 1990s and has seen a resurgence in the 2010s, influencing subsequent indie and dream pop acts.

Parent genreAlternative Rock / Indie