Only entering its fourth year, Forwards is already an iconic Bristol festival. Well, it helps 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 its 2025 headliners too – and it looks like another banger.
The renowned electronic producer and DJ, known for his vibrant performances and critically acclaimed releases, Barry Can’t Swim, will electrify the stage on Saturday with his jazz-infused beats and pulsating house rhythms. He’s joined by Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, merging afrobeat, jazz and hip-hop for an unexpected, dynamic and captivating session.
Then, on Sunday, expect all-female co-headliners at Forwards. Following her 2025 Grammy award and Super Bowl performance, The Swamp Princess, aka Doeschii, will make her Bristol debut with a unique blend of hip-hop and R&B. Jorja Smith also brings her soulful voice and globally acclaimed hits to the Downs, last year’s ‘Rising Star’ at BRIT Awards, The Last Dinner Party will unleash their opulent, cinematic indie rock.
They’re far from the only 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. More than just a music festival, discover major social initiatives and timely debate on the Information stage, too. Forwards always offers an incredible end to the Bristol summer.
Forwards will debut a brand-new dance tent, The Arches, in 2025 too, with Annie Mac as its first-ever headliner on Saturday, following a sold-out show at The Prospect Building in Bristol earlier this month. The new tent will bring together heritage acts and rising stars from across the electronic spectrum for dance music fans, with a full line-up announced later this Spring.
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.
Tom Paine, co-founder of Team Love added: “Having Annie Mac join us at FORWARDS is a massive moment for the festival and for Bristol’s music scene. The Arches is all about creating a space that feels as dynamic and exciting as the artists performing in it. With Annie Mac headlining, we’re bringing something truly special to the festival, and we can’t wait to see it come to life.”
Tickets for Forwards Festival 2025 are on sale now. You can learn more about the festival here.
Forwards Festival line-up:
Saturday
Barry Can’t Swim, Ezra Collective, Confidence Man, Orbital, Mount Kimbie, English Teacher, Happy Mondays, Katy J Pearson, Ishmael Ensemble and the Rituals Orchestra I, Mermaid Chunky, Annie Mac
Sunday
Doechii, Jorja Smith, The Last Dinner Party, Olivia Dean, Fabio & Grooverider Orchestra and the Outlook Orchestra, Moonchild Sannelly, The Silhouettes Project, Alemeda, Snapped Ankles