FORWARDS Festival announce star studded first wave of artists for 2023

FORWARDS Festival announce star studded first wave of artists for 2023

Posted on: 21 Mar 2023

Following a highly praised debut last year, FORWARDS returns to Bristol this September for two action packed days of music and discussion with a focus on social initiatives and positive change.

 

FORWARDS Festival runs at The Downs, Bristol on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September 2023.

 

The 2023 edition of the festival sees a plethora of massive acts from all over the world descend on Clifton this summer with headline appearances from experimental techno legend, Aphex Twin, and much-loved neo-soul pioneer, Erykah Badu.

 

General release tickets go on sale at 10 AM on Friday 24 March.

 

BUY TICKETS HERE

 

 

Friday 1 September sees veteran Texas hitmaker Erykah Badu headline the festival’s opening day with Simon Green’s downbeat electronic project Bonobo also given a prominent spot on the bill.

 

These exciting names will be joined by dynamic pop artist RAYE, cult Australian electro-pop band Confidence Man (pictured below), rising singer-songwriter and former Rudimental collaborator Olivia Dean, eclectic R&B artist Biig Piig and indie pop singer-songwriter Wesley Gonzalez. Esteemed producer Goldie will also perform a set accompanied by a live ensemble.

 

One of electronic music’s most influential artists, Aphex Twin, will headline FORWARDS on Saturday 2 September, in a show that is sure to draw in music fans from all over Bristol and beyond. Saturday will also see sets from Bobby Gillespie’s alternative rock mainstays Primal Scream feature high up the bill.

Other acts announced today are Mercury-award-winning singer-songwriter Arlo Park (pictured below), acclaimed progressive house act Leftfield, Australian garage punks Amyl and the Sniffers, chaotic Swedish post-punk outfit Viagra Boys, experimental electro-pop duo Jockstrap, local country-tinged singer-songwriter Katy J Pearson and Nottingham soul singer Yazmin Lacey.

 

Debuting last year, FORWARDS compliments a star-studded music line-up with a unique space for discussion and debate at ‘THE INFORMATION’, featuring a range of experts, disruptors, creatives, writers and thinkers. More than just a music event, FORWARDS looks to set the benchmark of what festivals can be today and how they can do good, from the inside out. 

 

Speaking about the festival’s 2023 plans, Team Love co-founder Tom Paine has said: “We’re proud to be bringing FORWARDS back this year to the best city in the world, and our hometown Bristol. Building on our work from our inaugural year, we are incredibly excited to be able to pull together a musical offering with such an amazing array of talent. It continues to be our aim to make FORWARDS a space which invites debate and challenges the status quo.”

With such a busy first-wave announcement, Bristol music fans are sure to be buzzing to see what else FORWARDS have in store. The festival runs at The Downs, Bristol on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September 2023.

 

General release tickets go on sale at 10 AM on Friday 24 March. Secure yours HERE.


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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.