Forwards Festival 2026 Returns With Tems, Little Simz, Wet Leg and Amyl and the Sniffers
Forwards Festival looks set to return as it celebrates its success as a proudly independent, passionately Bristolian festival.
Returning for its fifth year as a festival with past lineups featuring the likes of Aphex Twin and Massive Attack, the cross-genre fusion of Forwards establishes itself as one of the South West’s premier independent festivals and is sure to be a real melting pot of talent in Bristol that week; highlighting some of the country’s best and brightest.
The Saturday will play host to all female co-headliners in what should be a wakeup call for the rest of the country’s male dominated festival-lineup by enlisting Grammy Award winning Nigerian star Tems, whose soulful sound has made her one of the defining voices of modern R&B, last year’s End of the Road headliner Self Esteem and the indie icons Wet Leg, now on album number two and now in full firecracker, no-holds-barred mode that will continue their explosion to the stratosphere.
Sunday Mercury Prize winner Little Simz, now on album number three, will headline, next to Ozzie punk rock band Amyl and the Sniffers who have exploded into the big time from their origins as a pub band – ignited the heirs to AC/DC by the legends themselves. Singer-songwriter Dijon also rounds out the billing, and what’s better yet, is the Sunday is the day before a bank holiday so there’s no reason not to go absolutely nuts across the weekend, you’ll have a day to recover after all.
If you thought the headliners weren’t enough – look further down the billing for an ace combination of first wave announcements: Joy Crookes, Tricky and Goldie doing a live show are just below them on the Saturday, where they’re joined with a unique twist on Kraftwerk – Paraorchestra, who are performing Kraftwerk songs with the aid of Charles Hazlewood. Maribou State, special guests – are also in town – rounding out day one in style.
The mosh-pit ready carnage swings into Sunday with Viagra Boys – just coming off a sold-out Alexandra Palace headline tour – their largest yet – whilst rising techno giant Oklou continues her 2025 success. Rapper Jim Legxacy offers the chance to see one of London’s best and brightest, and Princess Nokia, Jean Dawson, Gina ft. LIV.E & Karriem Riggins with Anaiis round out the billing.
It’s no wonder then, Forwards has built a reputation as one of its most forward-thinking festivals. Its homegrown talent is paired with world-renowned megastars who make music with meaningful conversation, Amyl and Viagra Boys are very much politically active punk bands with their heart in the right place, and in addition to that, there’s more than just the music itself: The Information stage hosts grassroots voices, big ideas, and timely debate designed to provoke thoughtful discussion.