Forwards Closes 2025 Music Line Up

FORWARDS Festival is set to close out the summer in style this August bank holiday weekend, revealing final artists for its standout 2025 lineup. 
The main stage Saturday line up is rounding off with genre-bluring singer-songwriter Nilufer Yanya, with her blend of indie rock, jazz and psychedelia and electronic sound, and Berlin-based artist Anna Erhard. Sunday sees new names such as boundary-pushing rapper Pa Salieu and experimental rock outfit Squid, all making their debut.

For the first presentation of The Arches, joining Annie Mac, FORWARDS has debuts from powerhouse DJ Jamz Supernova on Saturday, alongside Helena Star, Feel The Real and Spicyivy. Sunday commands the dance tent with jungle trailblazer LTJ BUKEM, grime, UK hip-hop to classic house and beyond DJ Shy One, DJ Rea. Also featuring Bristol homegrown talent with trip hop group Smith & Mighty Soundsystem Featuring Special Guests  return after many years in the wilderness, working on brand new music and looking at this summer as a relaunch, not to be missed - plus local up and comer  Miss Mash.
Also announced today are the late-night performances on The INFORMATION Stage, offering an intimate music experience each evening and spotlighting the next wave of local talent, and a clear reflection of Bristol based festival and event producers Team Love, ongoing commitment to championing local artists, further amplified by the addition of acts nurtured through Big Team and Bristol Beacon’s  artist development programme, Next Level. 

The INFORMATION Stage Saturday night highlights include Bristolian soulful Bossa Nova-inspired singer Ava Zarate, and Bristol’s own Laura Dia brings a smooth blend of R&B, pop, and soul, both graduates of the Next Level programme. As well as Mould, Alamay And Omar Cassius. Sunday night features Guy, alongside UK experimental trailblazers Waldo’s Gift, and Dizraeli & Joy Machine and Red.

Image - @Eljaybriss at Forwards 2023 Saturday

The complete 2025 line up for FORWARDS festival is as follows:

Saturday

Barry Can’t Swim | Ezra Collective

Confidence Man | Orbital 

Mount Kimbie | English Teacher | Happy Mondays

Nilufer Yanya | Katy J Pearson | Ishmael Ensemble And The Rituals Orchestra I Mermaid Chunky | Anna Erhard

The Arches 

Annie Mac | Jamz Supernova | Helena Star | Feel The Real | Spicyivy

The Information By Night

Mould | Alamay And Omar Cassius | Ava Zarate | Laura Dia

Sunday

Doechii I Jorja Smith | The Last Dinner Party | Olivia Dean

Fabio & Grooverider Orchestra And The Outlook Orchestra | Pa Salieu 

Squid | Moonchild Sannelly | The Silhouettes Project

Alemeda I Snapped Ankles 

The Arches

Ltj Bukem | Smith & Mighty Soundsystem Featuring Special Guests

Shy One | Rea | Miss Mash

The Information By Night 

Dizraeli & Joy Machine | Waldos Gift | Guy | Red

Clifton Downs, Bristol:

Saturday 23 August + Sunday 24 August 2025

Tickets available now

www.forwardsbristol.co.uk

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For more information, interviews and press tickets please contact:

Edie Attridge - edie@weareplaster.com / 07799388601.

Press imagery can be found HERE - please credit the photographer in the file name.

Notes to editors

Music artist biogs upon request

About Team Love:

Based in Bristol, Team Love are proudly independent - and passionately Bristolian - specialising in professional festival and event production. Our team is made up of dedicated individuals and creatives, spearheaded by Tom Paine, Dave Harvey, and Penny Warner. Team Love have been responsible for cultivating and designing large-scale events for the last 13 years - such as Love Saves The Day, Love International, Breaking Bread, Simple Things, Waterworks and as of 2022 The Silver Hayes at Glastonbury. Specific areas of expertise include site planning and management, technical production, creative production, accreditation, artist liaison, artist advancing, guest list management and bespoke marketing and branding services.

About AEG Presents:

AEG Presents is AEG's live-entertainment division, a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. AEG Presents is behind festivals such as California’s famed Coachella, Los Angeles’ Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, London’s BST Hyde Park and Uber One presents All Points East, Paris’ Rock en Seine and a myriad of tours, live shows and venues around the world including the world’s most popular venue The O2 in London, LA’s Crypto.com Arena and many more. Follow us on Twitter @AEG_Presents