Entering its fourth year, FORWARDS Festival is quickly becoming an end-of-summer staple in Bristol. Well, it does help when you’ve got Team Love (Love Saves The Day, Love International, Silver Hayes) behind you. Taking place on Clifton Downs over the August bank holiday weekend (August 23 and 24), it’s just announced the complete line-up too—and it looks like another banger!
Joining critically acclaimed Barry Can’t Swim and Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, the main stage Saturday line-up is rounding off with genre-blurring singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya, and Berlin-based artist Anna Erhard. Then Sunday sees boundary-pushing rapper Pa Salieu and experimental rock band Squid, alongside Doeschii, Jorja Smith and The Last Dinner Party.
FORWARDS will also debut a brand-new dance tent, The Arches, in 2025, too, with Annie Mac as its first-ever headliner on Saturday. She’s joined by DJ Jamz Supernove, Helena Star, Feel The Real and SPICYIVY, before Sunday sees jungle trailblazer LTJ Bukem enter the new tent, alongside DJ Shy One, DJ REA, Smith & Mighty and Miss Mash.
True to its name, The Arches will feature a semi-open-air tent beneath an impressive wooden beam structure with towering arches. The design takes inspiration from the skeleton structure of a ‘crook’ barn, using organic raw materials to create architectural lines. This new dance tent will offer an open-space layout ideal for high-energy performances and an immersive dance music experience.
They’re far from all the acts announced, either. Across the August bank holiday weekend, the likes of Confidence Man, Orbital, Happy Mondays, Mount Kimbie, Olivia Dean and many more will perform at FORWARDS. And we haven’t even mentioned the late-night performances on The INFORMATION Stage—home to major social initiatives and timely debate.
Each evening on the INFORMATION stage, expect an intimate music experience spotlighting the next wave of local talent. This is a clear reflection of Team Love’s ongoing commitment to championing local Bristol artists, like Bossa Nova-inspired singer Ava Zarate, and the smooth blend of R&B, pop, and soul from Laura Dia. Plus, MOULD, Alamy, Omar Cassius, Guy, Waldo’s Gift, Disraeli & Joy Machine, and Red.
FORWARDS Festival 2025 line-up:
Saturday:
Main Stages:
Barry Can’t Swim, Ezra Collective, Confidence Man, Orbital, Mount Kimbie, English Teacher, Happy Mondays, Nilüfer Yanya, Katy J Pearson, Ishmael Ensemble and the Rituals Orchestra, Mermaid Chunky, Anna Erhard
The Arches:
Annie Mac, DJ Jamz Supernove, Helena Star, Feel The Real and SPICYIVY
The INFORMATION by Night:
MOULD, Alamay and Omar Cassius, Ava Zarate, Laura Dia
Sunday:
Main Stages:
Doechii, Jorja Smith, The Last Dinner Party, Olivia Dean, Fabio & Grooverider Orchestra and the Outlook Orchestra, Pa Salieu, Squid, Moonchild Sannelly, The Silhouettes Project, Alemeda, Snapped Ankles
The Arches:
LTJ Bukem, Smith & Mighty Soundsystem featuring special guests, Dhy One, Rea, Miss Mash
The INFORMATION by Night:
Dizraeli & Joy Machine, Waldo’s Gift, Guy, Red
To learn more about FORWARDS Festival and to get your tickets head here.