Where Next For Ritual Union ’26 Alumni?
A look at five Ritual Union standouts whose post-festival tours already feel destined for much bigger rooms.
One of the joys to watch about Ritual Union as a tastemaker festival is watching where the artists go next on their tours – usually into the stratosphere – and this year looks to be no different. I spotlighted five of my favourite acts from the festival to watch on tour at individual runs.
Girl in the Year Above
The hot new Irish/Cornish outfit look set to tear up The Great Escape festival; playing TGE Beach at the Deep End and One Church (13/14/05/2026), before journeying off to The Garage in Glasgow (19/05/2026), Birmingham’s The Sunflower Lounge (20/05/2026), two stops in London at the Camden Assembly (21-27/05/2026), a return to Bristol for The Louisiana on May 26, and with multiple summer festival dates. Their recently released new single ‘Ode to the Glory Days’ seems perfect for fans of The Last Dinner Party and Lankum, evoking a whole world in its lyrics.
JJ Bull
Having released ‘The Unofficial Scotland World Cup Song’ about in part; the US being shit but Scotland having to go there anyway, JJ Bull is one of those rare artists who has the ability to combine songs about football and LCD-Soundystem esque beats with fascinating lyrics about Adriano’s 99 shot power on pro evo and the magic of Chris Wood. Throughout May he is playing at Southampton’s Joiners Arms (10/05/2026), Luton’s The Castle (21/05/2026), Birmingham’s Dead Wax (28/05/2026), Manchester’s Rat & Pigeon (29/05/2026) and Newcastle’s Think Tank (31/05/2026) and then off to support Goldie Looking Chain on the ‘Stairway to Newport’ tour - through to November. Get tickets here.
Knives
Knives are Bristol’s finest post punk band that have strong echoes of the likes of IDLES and know how to throw hands like the best of them. They’re next back in Bristol on September 26 for Groove Village; a multi-venue festival in Weston-super-Mare – and are also headed to both Outbreak and Download festivals in the summer where their pits will surely go down a storm.
Slag
Brighton and Hove outfit Slag return to the Great Escape next week ahead of their official tour in the summer; playing Dust on May 14; before at the Beach Stage and Daltons on the 15th – that’s two shows, one day. Then up to Scala on the 22nd, before stops at Wanderlust, Rebellion, Circuit Break festival and 2000 Trees in the summer; capping off at End of the Road in September. A hometown Slag show is not one to miss.
Lemonsuckr
There are few bands that do more fun crowd work than Lemonsuckr and the Brighton band is one of the best up-and-comers around right now. Their songs like ‘Heat’ and ‘Dead Disco’ get a pit ready, roaring and full of life – I’ve already seen them three times and not been disappointed by their energy each time out. They echo Deadletter in raw energy and have a show counter as prolific as them to get you started – they play at Highbury’s The Grace on May 18th for a start of a tour that sees them journey to Paint by Numbers in Bristol and Nottingham in July before stops at both Brighton and Manchester Psych fest in September.