Ritual Union Festival cements its status as a lively hub of some of the most talented up and comers in the Bristol Music Scene, featuring the likes of hometown heroes Knives and the extraordinary new outfit Girl in the Year Above.

Across four venues within less than a five minute walk between them all, Ritual Union is one of the best-organized multi-venue festivals in the UK. My first year was last year, and almost certainly made it a repeat prospect based on its efficient organisation, fast turnaround and strong selection of bands. We had Mandrake Handshake, Gurriers, Getdown Services, Paige Kennedy and Billy NoMates as veterans of last year - this year another entirely new line-up; and from the immediate impact of having a trad-folk artist Avice Caro (normally featuring a band and instruments, which have mysteriously disappeared, she jokes) sing about ships out at sea and robins at the window, followed immediately by JJ Bull, who is here to sing songs about the importance of Rodri to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team and the gifted AC Milan side of yesteryear. You know you’re in for a treat when that happens - such a confident pairing of bookings that you can be assured that no matter who you see at Ritual Union, chances are it’s going to be a day well spent.

Last year I spent all my time in Electric so this year it was time to check out more of the venues so I started in Strange Brew with Avice Caro, who put out some of the most unique folk melodies I’ve seen this side of Lankum. Her voice is haunting, spellbinding, and the audience, rare this early on, is completely silent. She gets the runout of her album Home Demos, recalling to mind the lullabies and folk songs that her parents used to sing her when she was younger. It captures the spirit of the 60s trad folk with ease; evoking a memory recalling times gone. Bird Song, which she introduced by telling a story about a robin who was tapping on the window, and then replaced by another bird; after developing an attachment for the robin, is a complete acapella ballad. It shows that she’s just making the music she wants to make on her own path, and that’s kind of the theme of this year’s Ritual Union - the outsiders, those trying to carve out their own path and make something different in the music industry.

Second up is JJ Bull and bizarrely few artists have tried to plug a hole in the gigantic crossover-waiting to happen of football and music since Three Lions, but that doesn’t stop him from coming on in a kilt and engaging with the audience with the confidence of someone well used to working a crowd. There’s too many songs he’s made to feature them all, responding to the latest developments in football calendar year - but we get a runout of the best ones live; If Chris Wood Could, Chris Wood Would, amplifies the importance of Forest’s striker to their team and we’ve seen how much they’ve missed his impact this year. Adriano Shot Power 99 calls to mind the spirit of Pro Evo and the nostalgia of old with its sweeping LCD Soundsystem-esque beats, and there’s even time for a new song runout: fans get the chance to see the Athletic podcast host perform The Very Unofficial Scotland World Cup Song, an instant impact about Scotland’s team and their chances in the world cup: Kiernan Tierney from 30 yards, Bicycle-kick ready Scott McTominay and his chances of the Ballon D’or; “The USA kind of sucks we’ve got to go there anyway;” feels like an instantly catchy earworm designed to have its moment in the sun.

Still in Strange Brew then and it’s time for Another Country $$$, techno outfit who have regularly featured in London’s tastemaker venues like the Brixton Windmill and more, and they know how to work a crowd. Between them and SILVERWINGKILLER Manchester’s new underground couldn’t be more interesting right now, blending a fusion of hyperop that’s best listened to early in the morning at 5am or, more accurately, late at night in a rave-ready tent. Think Boomtown, think Turin’s lauded C2C festival, that’s where these guys will inevitably end up if given the right spotlight and backing. It’s a runout for the superb EP Body Farm and the workout of multiple mutations of the same song fits the vibe: a response to periods of grief that ties the music together with the visuals. It’s about questioning the aftermath - what was the impact of what these people were like when they were alive? Ultimately this patchwork idea gives way to a dance-ready scene; and we’re well in the groove long before sunset.

Our first jaunt out of Strange Brew takes us to the wonderfully named SLAG in the main Electric. They are off to The Great Escape festival later this year so expect big things from them, already established in the city of Brighton as practically a household name. Their Frankenstein-esque influences are on display here for a unique sound that they bill as when, in full effect - “The Winx Club [reaching] their full potential through the irrefutable power of friendship”. It’s hard not to fall in love instantly. It’s touches of prog, of noise and post-punk - debuting their new EP Losing, which is what they’re very much not doing here. Amelie Gibson’s vocals are powerful and it’s instantly easy to see why they’ve garnered a fast following. They do evoke similarities to other Brighton Bands with their ramshackle DIY approach; guitar lines and rhythmic left-turns punctuate a set that makes the most out of a tendency to go rockier during Losing especially, and this perfect blend shows just how skilled they are as an outfit.

Rough Trade next then; with Hot Stamp in mind. North London siblings Poppy and Jasmine fuse punk with high drama pop, and they have plenty of time for a cover that many in the crowd will know. Josephine, their debut single, gets a runout, with unmatched swagger and confidence from a band this new: a fearless sense of crafted style that’s evident by the sisters’ stage presence. It’s the tale of a fatal friendship and about how intense the dynamic can get - here, Josephine, Jasmine says, is her best friend, so why not write a murder pop anthem about it? It’s catchy, raw and fierce - right the way through - an unparalleled vision of punk triumph.

The next band, after a bit of Ain’t, who were promising and we got a runout of Grazer and Jude, full of grunge andhad some 90s slacker rock that called to mind the likes of Wednesday. They - upstairs in Electric, got the crowd warmed up for Knives - who when they came on, ramped up the mosh pit and we had our first wall of death of the day, circle pits and the whole thing. I’ve seen Knives now three times in 2026 in both Bristol - a few seconds down the road at the Lanes; and they were the firm favourite of everyone I was with who saw them of the day by this point, explosive, unparalleled raw energy that holds nothing back: evoking the likes of Enola Gay and Maruja with fierce euphoric punk rock that comes through with the experimental jazz thrown in there for good measure.

There’s jokes here too; they fill up the Getdown Services-type humour of the set; with one of the members being introduced as being from Bath to a resounding chorus of boos. But Knives are really hometown heroes - and this show right the way through to the likes of EAT THY NEIGHBOR and RHINESTONE COWBOY, really hit all the fist-pumping energy that you’ve come to expect. They’re well choreographed, electric and lively - just what you need for the 5-6pm slot with plenty of pumped up, well-driven bass and a band that gives it their all on stage.

The last two bands I was able to see were - and this is nuts for a day festival; how often do you get the chance to see nine acts in one go? - appropriately, Girl Group and The Girl in the Year Above. Girl Group have a couple of songs about both genders; boys and girls, and for the song about boys it’s about wishing the boys would shut up and listen for once which went over the heads of two old men next to us who were yapping through it. They were fierce and fun and could go far - having released their first single less than a year ago but hailing from Liverpool they almost look like the finished article, with brilliant choreography and a setlist that looks timed to perfection, blending bubblegum pop with a chant of ‘All the things, I’m all the things’. We had influence from the likes of the B-52s, and Wet Leg here - one of the reasons why they formed was on the back of their mutual friendship interest of Wet Leg as an outfit - and like pretty much everyone on the billing you can see a path carved out of them to megastar status instantly; they arrive instantly well polished and look like they’ve already had years of touring under their belt.

My headliner for the evening was Girl in the Year Above; who are so new as a band they only have one song released; which - for those still making their way from the venues nearby was first, Mama My Heart is Achin’, a catchy, upbeat record that have already earned praise from Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja for saying that their cover of Teardrop (not in the setlist tonight, but worth a shoutout anyway, and very thematically different from the songs here), is one of the “most sublime, beautiful interpretations of that song anyone has ever done”. That sums up this set: one of the most sublime, beautiful sets that I’ve seen in years, instantly spellbinding and instantly magical. I compared them to The Last Dinner Party and Lankum in my preview; and there are touches of both live; the Cornish/Irish fusion allowing for both distinctive backgrounds to be drawn upon, with an hour set they get the freedom to kind of experiment with seven songs pulled from mostly unreleased material.

We get songs that mention Jennifer Ball’s background as a hairdresser - Hair - and how it can be useful as a pickup line for a hairdresser (and it worked; she’s now due to be married to another member of the band), and the crowd instantly go quieter for Ode to the Glory Days, a song about going a month (or a week) without drinking and the struggles it come with it. Ball’s stage presence is earnest and full of heart and every member of the band; a six piece that dragged their equipment to Bristol all on the train - a very impressive feat considering the amount of equipment needed and the tiny space. They command their instruments with the skill of a band that has been around for much longer; and it’s going to be a very long wait for any new material - already eagerly anticipating an album release. The bait and switch of pretending to go off stage for an encore and then staying on saying that the audience will just have to imagine them going off and coming back on again is delightful, and with a packed out crowd beyond what I think any of them were expecting, it’s instantly rewarding. I love Ritual Union’s atmosphere for mostly, aside for one or two incidents, being incredible and the vibe it evokes makes it arguably my favourite all-dayer in the UK now that we’ve sadly lost Wide Awake Festival. If you haven’t done it yet; what are you doing? Early birds for 2027 are already up - and it’s the best place to catch some of the incredibly gifted up and coming acts in the UK: I can’t imagine you’ll get a better collection of names that are this consistent anywhere else.