FORWARDS BRISTOL 2026

FORWARDS is an inner-city music festival drawing the biggest names in international music to Bristol Downs over the August bank holiday weekend. The festival aims to present high quality, diverse and heritage music acts alongside emerging artists from Bristol & beyond. However, 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. This festival aims to harness the power of live events to bring people together for incredible music moments and lasting positive change.

FORWARDS 2026

Forwards is celebrated as one of the UK's most progressive festivals, closing out the summer in style in Bristol on Saturday 29th August and Sunday 30th August 2026.

New Zealand pop powerhouse Lorde will perform for the first time in the city of Bristol, headlining a special outdoor concert on Friday 28 August 2026 on Clifton Downs. Lorde will be joined by a dynamic bill of global music artists including Djo, Audrey Hobert, Rose Gray, Esha Tewari and Grove.

This Friday show will take place the day before the main FORWARDS 2026 music festival, which also takes place on the Clifton Downs on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August. The lineup for FORWARDS 2026 will be dropping in the coming months.

Forwards Festival 2026 promises to bring an iconic end to the British summer and an unforgettable bank holiday weekend of music, cultural connection, and discussion in the heart of Bristol.

FORWARDS HISTORY

FORWARDS celebrated its inaugural debut in 2022. Its a different kind of music festival that not only offers great music but also interesting talks and panels on social problems, whilst still paying homage to Bristol’s long-standing history of being a music city. It looks to inspire a new breed of city music festivals, committing to positive change through social initiatives and forward-thinking discussions, alongside epic music moments. The Bristol festival has seen the likes of Aphex Twin, Primal Scream, Little Simz, Olivia Dean, Charli XcX, Jamie XX, The Chemical Brothers and more perform on stage and is no stranger to the big names in the industry.

ACCESSIBILITY

FORWARDS have the following accessible provisions at the festival; Personal Assistant / Companion Ticket, Viewing Platforms, Accessible Parking, Accessible Toilets, Lowered Bar Areas, Diverse Sensory Calm Space, British Sign Language (BSL), GiveVision and trained assistance dogs are welcome.

Venue details