Ones To Watch At Forwards Festival 2026

Forwards Festival returns to Bristol’s Clifton Downs this month – here are some of our picks, from local legends to international stars

Forwards Festival is set to return to Bristol for its fifth year this month. From 28th August to 30th August, The Downs will be filled with fans and artists, from massive headliners to local legends. This year, as well as the usual Saturday/Sunday dates, the festival will also open up on the Friday, with Forwards hosting New Zealand pop superstar Lorde, alongside Djo, Audrey Hobert and many more.

Saturday will see Tems, Self Esteem and Wet Leg stepping up to headline, while Sunday crowds will be treated to Little Simz, Dijon and Amyl And The Sniffers. As well as these headliners, there’s plenty more to catch – here’s a few of our picks.

---

Viagra Boys

Viagra Boys are one of the most anticipated bands in Forwards Festival’s 5 year history, with many fans still mourning their cancellation from the 2023 edition due to Visa issues. The band, hailing from Sweden, have been one of the most consistently entertaining and chaotic forces of nature in the post-punk scene of the last few years, and are known for unhinged antics.

Last year’s ‘viagr aboys’ kept their winning streak going, standing strong as one of the year’s very best albums. With its hilarious lyrics, catchy hooks and huge fuzzy riffs, we’re buzzed to catch it all live in Bristol on the Sunday.

---

Little Simz

It’s honestly about time that we see Little Simz headlining festivals. The London rapper has long been regarded as one of the very best lyricists and performers in recent memory; whether playing with a full band or simply a backing track, Simz’s energy is unmatched.

Her blend of styles has been fascinating to watch over the years, one minute fusing hip-hop with jazz, the next with trap, the next with neo-soul. Her newest album ‘Lotus’ contains some of her most vicious material yet, with sharply pointed jabs at those who’ve wronged her. Her headline set on Sunday is not one you should even consider missing.

---

YHWH Nailgun

By far the most experimental name on the lineup, we were delighted by the wildcard pick of YHWH Nailgun. The New York band have been making a name for themselves on recent festival runs, known for their deranged vocals and hypnotic drum performances.

If you’ve not yet listened to these guys, don’t worry too much – they only have two albums to their name. Oh, and you can listen to both of them in about half an hour. This year’s album ‘Magazine’ has a tiny 11-minute runtime, but somehow fits as much into itself as albums 5 times its length. If you’re frustrated as us by these tracks ending just as they’re getting going, you’ll be just as curious to see how they fill a festival set.

---

Grandmas House

Keeping things close to home, Bristol’s own Grandmas House make their Forwards debut this year. After years of working their way through the local scene and far beyond, the band are set to finally release their debut album ‘Baby You’re A Winner’ on 21st August, just 9 days before their set on the Sunday.

New single ‘Blue Oblivion’ joins three others in the buildup to the album, which sees the band taking a more patient indie rock direction than their earlier punkier material and we’re excited to see how they craft their festival set on The Downs

---

Tricky

On the topic of Bristol artists, Saturday’s crowd will have the pleasure of seeing local legend Tricky on stage. From his early work with Massive Attack to his classic debut album ‘Maxinquaye’ to countless solo albums since, Tricky is one of the most unique voices to come out of Bristol.

Known for his dark production style, hushed rapping and collaborations with a variety of vocalists, Tricky has made 2026 his own, dropping ‘Different When It’s Silent,’ his first album under his own name in 6 years. Hearing this, alongside his many classics, will be one of the highlights of the weekend.

---

Tickets to Forwards Festival are available here.

---