George Ward
Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.
Nia Archives capably replaces Doechii at pop-heavy Forwards Festival 2025 in Bristol with headline slots from Jorja Smith, The Last Dinner Party and more
Running a festival at the size of Forwards Festival must be a nightmare as it is. With multiple headliners, thousands of attendees and a serious reputation to uphold, it’s no easy feat. Now imagine that your buzziest act drops out of the lineup four days before the weekend, with no explanation given whatsoever.
This was the reality for Forwards Festival 2025, when on 19th August, it was announced that one of hip-hop’s most promising new voices, Doechii, would no longer be performing. Obviously, fans were not pleased, with many claiming she was the main draw, and others selling Sunday day tickets. And while a reason for this cancellation has still not been given, you’ve got to give it to Forwards; within two days, they’d added Nia Archives, filling the gap. But before we got to that set, we had a whole Saturday to get through first.
Saturday
One of our first highlights from Saturday came from the Mercury Prize-winning Leeds band English Teacher. Riding their wave of hype from last year’s win, they brought their debut album ‘This Must Be Texas’ fully to life on the West Stage. You can’t help but be incredibly impressed watching this band live, and though their tracks may seem like simple indie rock at first, take the time to watch each member’s craft, and just how smoothly they gel with one another. From effortlessly performed but trickily complex basslines to the ever-more-confident vocals of Lily Fontaine, English Teacher are just getting started.
Similarly confident is Nilüfer Yanya on the East Stage. Having developed her sound from dreamier indie pop to heavier rock at times, Yanya is one of the most unique voices on the lineup, with inimitable vocals and a tight band to match. Highlights included one of our favourite tracks from last year, ‘Like I Say (Runaway),’ whose insanely catchy hook and explosive chorus burst into life as the evening sun began to cool.
It wouldn’t be a summer festival season without at least one appearance from Confidence Man. Though slightly disappointing to see so many repeat acts from 2023 (along with Ezra Collective, Katy J Pearson and Olivia Dean), the second that the duo re-entered the stage, the crowd welcomed them home with open arms. Providing everything you could possibly desire from a festival set, Confidence Man delivered their signature slightly awkward dance moves, champagne sprays into the crowd, and banger after banger after banger. Cheesy as anything, Confidence Man never let us down, and it was one of the funnest crowds of the whole weekend.
Even more energetic, however, were the legendary London jazz group Ezra Collective. Though jazz may not have been this crowd’s ideal choice for this slot on paper, it is unbelievably impressive and exciting just how pumped up Ezra Collective continue to get their audiences, even at such a pop and electronic-heavy festival. Rattling their way through classics and tracks from their new album, they of course had to make their way into the crowd playing their instruments while dancing hard with fans. Despite no lyrics, their instrumental hooks were the catchiest thing of the day and you could hear people singing the horn lines across the whole site.
East Stage headliners Orbital proved why they continue to be complete legends in the electronic game, this many years on from their peak. Their set was otherworldly, transporting the sun-kissed crowd somewhere else entirely. When the opening synths of ‘Belfast’ kicked in, you could feel an intense warmth wash over the crowd, with friends hugging and preparing for one of the most iconic dance tracks of all time. Afterwards, as if this wasn’t enough, Confidence Man burst onto the stage, in one of the most unexpected appearances of the weekend, for a performance of their hit ‘Holiday’.
While it was impossible to reach the heights of the previous headliners, Barry Can’t Swim closed out the night with his crowd-pleasing piano house tracks, and while not quite as memorable as Orbital before him, he held the crowd nicely, pumping them up and easing them back down for bed.
Sunday
Saturday was a hot one and Sunday was even hotter. With suncream on and no food and drink on our persons allowed, we made our way back onto the Downs for day two of Forwards.
Moonchild Sanelly was a breath of fresh air on such a hot day. Her energy was insane, both in her performance and in her chat between tracks, with her combination of rap, afrobeat and all sorts of electronic genres in the mix providing one of the funnest sets yet.
Olivia Dean, having performed here much earlier in the day in 2023, showcased just how big she had become in the last two years, performing as a true pop star in front of thousands of fans. Smoothly working through her soulful pop discography, she looked right at home on a stage this size and, shouting out fans proudly holding their cardboard signs up at the barricade, Dean captivated the crowd effortlessly. Expect to see her continue to grow and don’t be surprised when she’s headlining much bigger festivals in years to come.
An unexpected addition to this lineup were CLUNK favourites Squid. Though wildly different to most other acts across the weekend, the art-rock group more than held their own on the large East Stage, in what must have been a monumental moment in their history of playing their hometown of Bristol. With a refreshing mix of tracks from all three albums, the band even threw in fan favourite ‘The Cleaner’. Hearing Squid’s experimentation through speakers of this size was a real treat, and we were so happy to catch them.
Nia Archives had the most challenging task of the entire festival: match the energy that thousands of people had longed for from previous act Doechii. For those who know her already, you won’t be surprised to hear this, but we’re extremely happy to report that she fucking killed it. Playing to a packed crowd, Nia Archives roared through her setlist, blending jungle and pop like it was a walk in the park. Both DJing and singing, she’s an absolute legend of the scene, and was more than capable of taking on such a monumental task.
On a different note, The Last Dinner Party also showcased their growth on the East Stage, performing a confident and slick headline set shortly after bravely pulling out of Victorious Festival, after the organisers’ cowardly decision to cut short The Mary Wallopers’ set due to their support of Palestine. Though the band have only one album under their belts, you wouldn’t be able to tell, as fans lapped up their classy blend of baroque pop and indie rock. ‘Nothing Matters’ continues to sound huge, especially on a stage this size.
Closing out the festival was Jorja Smith, another true pop star. Smith’s voice, as strong as it’s ever been, is seriously powerful, and even if you don’t think you know too many of her tunes, you were soon proven wrong, as she strutted her way through her discography. Though a more mellow end than some may have been wanting, the crowd soon eased into her slower pace, closing off another successful Forwards Festival.
