FORWARDS Bristol 2025
at The Downs, Bristol
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FORWARDS is an inner city music festival drawing the biggest names in international music to Bristol Downs. The festival aims to present high quality, diverse and heritage music acts alongside emerging artists from Bristol & beyond.
The festival presents a contemporary curation of music while paying homage to Bristol’s long standing history of being a music city. In addition, FORWARDS is more than just a music festival, it looks to challenge what metropolitan festivals can be today and how they can do good, from the inside out. The 2-day festival aims to harness the power of live events to bring people together for incredible music moments and lasting positive change.
Saturday 23rd August
Sunday 24th August
- Doechii
- Jorja Smith
- The Last Dinner Party
- Olivia Dean
- Fabio & Grooverider
- The Outlook Orchestra
- Moonchild Sanelly
- The Silhouettes Project
- Alemeda
- Snapped Ankles
Barry Can't Swim
Edinburgh born, London Based producer Barry Can't Swim (real name Joshua Mannie) is quickly becoming well known for his trademark blend of skillfully crafted electronic production mixed with Jazz inspired strings and keys.
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Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective is the award winning London based band born out of Tomorrows Warriors UK organisation for jazz music. The unique blend of young instrumentalists with differing influences means Ezra Collective has a unique sound which is a collection of their inspirations in music. This includes influences ranging from afrobeat, reggae, jazz and hip hop, fused together with a London touch to create the Ezra Collective sound.
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Confidence Man
Parading within a brand of dance pop that sounds like Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder gleefully discovering house music via Dee-lite, and building on a run of breakthrough singles, Australian group Confidence Man arrived properly with their debut Confident Music for Confident People.
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Orbital
Dance music is too narrow a term for the genius of the Hartnoll brothers. Capable of both rib-shaking, energetic techno and incredible multi-layered ambient soundscapes, and blessed with a godlike genius when it comes to their DJing sets, Orbital have succeeded Kraftwerk as the Kings of techno and electronica.
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rated excellent
The Downs
Stoke Road
Durdham Down
Bristol
BS9 1PG
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on Sat 23 August 2025
