After a triumphant summer comeback, Dot To Dot Festival has announced the very first wave of artists to join their line-up for 2023. The one-day festival will bring some of the hottest emerging musicians to Bristol’s coolest city centre venues next May 27. The news comes fresh after it was shortlisted in the Best Metropolitan Festival category at the UK Festival Awards.
Minimalist post-punk four-piece, Yard Act, will headline the festival, which will take place over the May bank holiday weekend next year. Since performing on the line-up at Dot To Dot Festival in 2021, the band has skyrocketed to success. Their debut album, The Overload, was nominated for the Mercury Award and received rave reviews from Pitchfork, NME and many more.
Joining Yard Act will be the Toronto-based quintet, Alvvays. Since their debut in 2014, their infectious combinations of indie pop, sugary melodies and noise rock has drawn much praise from the likes of NME, The New York Times and Pitchfork. After the long-awaited release of their latest album Blue Rev this year, we’re excited to hear these new songs live.
In keeping with the festival’s tradition of showcasing the very best emerging talent, Dot To Dot has also announced an innovative selection of 15 emerging artists. Fin Foxell will be showcasing his smoky, electronic atmospherics. Kofi Stone will bring his introspective and relatable brand of soulful honest hip-hop. While Malaysian-Irish producer and songwriter yunè pinku will bring the late-night party. Other acts include BEKA, Heartworms, Cathay Jain, Nell Mescal, High Vis, Personal Trainer, Divorce, Opus Kink, Cryalot, Nix Northwest, Mickey Callisto and Yot Club.
“We want to showcase the most exciting emerging music, and our favourite thing to do is see artists grow from being further down the line up to becoming headliners,” said Dot To Dot Festival booker Conrad Rogan. “This year we are thrilled to have yet another example of this with Yard Act, who like our two previous headliners, Sports Team and Squid, have performed at the festival on smaller stages.”
“We want you to find your new favourite artists, and watch intimate live performances you won’t forget,” added Joshua Ward, Dot To Dot Festival booker.
The venues around Bristol used for the festival include O2 Academy, Bristol Beacon, Thekla, The Louisiana, Rough Trade, The Fleece, The Lanes, Mr Wolfs and Strange Brew. Second-tier tickets for Dot To Dot Festival are available now at £25. To learn more head here.