Forwards Festival 2026

Photography by Rosie Risdale George Ward Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street. Read More From George With a special Friday performance from Lorde and a weekend full of pop, punk and hip-hop, Forwards 2026 was yet another successful year Forwards returned to Bristol's Clifton Downs last weekend for a special 3-day edition of the festival. With highlights from previous years including Aphex Twin, LCD Soundsystem, Nia Archives, The Last Dinner Party and more, there was a lot to live up to in 2026. Although there was a feeling of this year's headliners not quite living up to the legendary status of years past, the addition of a whole extra day on Friday kept the fans happy. In addition to the usual Saturday/Sunday festival, Forwards put on a special extra day this year, with a more pop-heavy lineup and New-Zealand's Lorde closing out the night. Friday On Friday, as with the rest of the weekend, the weather was unpredictable, with bright sun quickly turning into cold wind and heavy rain in a few seconds. The first casualty of this was Bristol rapper Grove, whose set was unfortunately delayed. However, when they finally took to the stage, it was more than worth the wait. Though early in the day, their performance was fiery and full of energy, taking jabs at politicians, royalty and inequality in the UK. This isn't Grove's first rodeo at Forwards and, if all is right in the world, you should be seeing their name work its way up lineups very soon. Photography by Rosie Risdale Fresh off the final season of Stranger Things and his 2025 album 'The Crux,' Djo took to the East Stage with an earned confidence. Djo's hit song 'End Of Beginning' is currently sitting just below 3 billion streams on Spotify and if you, like me admittedly, have only heard this one track, you might be under the impression that he's a one-hit-wonder. I was pleasantly surprised then, when Joe Keery and his band delivered a tight and catchy set, blending new wave synths, pop choruses and indie guitars. The crowd, considerably younger than the rest of the weekend, lapped it up. This far into her career, it should be hardly surprising that Lorde is as good as she is. With her debut album 'Pure Heroine' released all the way back in 2013 when she was only 16-years-old, Lorde has remained a major player in pop music for 13 years and now, still only 29, she's a staple headliner at festivals around the world. Photography by Rosie Risdale As a casual fan of Lorde, it's easy to forget just how many hits she has under her belt but, watching her set last Friday, it would be impossible to deny what a force of nature she is as a songwriter, performer and cultural icon. As if to prove this point as early as possible, Lorde opened with her biggest hit 'Royals': an undeniable power move. As she progressed through her set, she pulled from every one of her four albums, with a particular focus on her 2025 album 'Virgin'. It was inevitable how well classics such as 'Green Light' and 'Liability' would go down with this crowd, but what was more surprising was just how well the new material was brought to life. Photography by Rosie Risdale Lead single 'What Was That' sounded absolutely huge on the West Stage, the synth line booming across the crowd as Lorde danced, carefree, as if with her friends in the club. 'David,' with its slow build and heavy vocal effects transfixing the crowd, as Ella booms out 'I don't belong to anyone' was another highlight. The way Lorde combines intimate moments with powerful setpieces was incredibly impressive; one moment would feel as intimate as sitting in on a bedroom rehearsal, with the next feeling like an over-the-top pop masterclass, with the stage raising Ella seriously high above us, preaching down. Photography by Rosie Risdale These contrasts were felt most dramatically towards the end of the set. Dressed in a jacket fitted with electronics, Lorde's performance of 'Man Of The Year' was the surprise highlight of the night. When the track inevitably explodes, lights and lasers shot out of her body, filling the sky above the Downs and leaving many around me (and me) in tears. But, don't be fooled, there's no time to dwell in it, as almost immediately afterwards, the familiar voice of Charli XCX blasts out the opening line of 'Girl, So Confusing,' forcing the crowd back onto the dancefloor with a hilariously jolting shove. Lorde, of course, closed with her classic 2013 track 'Ribs'. Once you've heard this track in a festival field surrounded by friends, you realise that there simply is no better way to listen to it, and in a similar way to LCD's 'All My Friends' 2 years ago, it'll be hard to forget just how good that feels. Saturday Our Saturday started on an unusual note with the brilliant Paraorchestra performing their rework of Kraftwerk's music. The orchestra, a Bristol collective of disabled and non-disabled musicians were fascinating to watch, transforming the revolutionary electronic music of Kraftwerk into lush arrangements. It never once felt forced or gimmicky, instead proving to be the perfect opener, naturally easing us into a varied and busy weekend of music. On the other side of the festival grounds, DnB legend Goldie took to the stage. Goldie's set was such an interesting one, with the producer flanked on either side by drummers and backed by key players and DJs. Performed live, Goldie's classic tracks took on a new life, with the crowd able to witness the complex drum rhythms performed on actual instruments. At this stage in his career, Goldie admittedly wasn't doing a huge amount himself musically, but his energy as he hyped up the crowd, jumping round the stage with a huge grin on his face and pointing excitedly every time a drummer did something sick, was completely infectious. It's a shame this set was so early in the day, as it deserved the more chaotic energy of a night-time set. Photography by @giugliotto Elsewhere, Maribou State took control, playing through a series of crowd-pleasing house-infused indie pop tracks as the weather tried its best to match their sunny sound. Though these opening tracks with a full band and vocalists were pleasant, the set came to life when the duo leant more into their house groove. It was nothing groundbreaking, but an appropriately dreamy choice for a Saturday afternoon slot. Craving a bit of a boogie, we headed to The Arches stage, a tent in between the two main stages, to check out The Itch. Riding the current wave of bands replicating the sleazy indie-disco sound of the 2000s, The Itch were funky, tight and a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the day. Bristol legend Tricky made an appearance, fresh off the release of his new album 'Different When It's Silent', for a moody, surprisingly guitar-heavy set, before Wet Leg closed out the East Stage. Photography by @giugliotto Though their two albums undeniably have their fair share of indie rock bangers, Wet Leg simply are a band that must be seen live. Following a slight reshuffle between their two albums, the band are now confidently led by Rhian Teasdale and, with each performance, she proves herself again and again to be one of the most entertaining front-women currently on the scene. With heavy wind blowing the insane cloud of fog dramatically around the stage, Wet Leg easily matched their theatrical visuals with their sound. As they made their way through their small but unbelievably catchy catalogue, the crowd was the liveliest of the whole day, whether screaming along to the repetitive lyrics of 'Chaise Lounge,' swaying along to 'davina mccall' or jumping up to 'Wet Dream'. Closer 'Mangetout' was undeniably the highlight and seeing it live solidified it as one of the catchiest, smartest and funnest pop songs of the last few years. Though Tems' headline provided a pleasantly low-key close to the night, it was Wet Leg that truly won over the crowd on Saturday. Sunday On the final day of Forwards 2026, the lineup offered the biggest variety of genres and the most anticipated acts of the festival. In general, Forwards Festival does tend to lean poppier each year it returns, but it was refreshing to see some familiar names on the lineup amongst the stars. France's Oklou brought her 2025 album 'choke enough' to the East Stage, her dreamy art-pop songs feeling far more alive than on the record, while New York's YHWH Nailgun packed out The Arches tent. Photography by @giugliotto YHWH Nailgun were by far the most experimental pick of this year's festival and one of our most anticipated bands of the weekend. Live, as on the record, it is Sam Pickard's drums that stand out, their raw, sparse clatter far higher in the mix than the other instruments and vocals and barrelling the band's chaotic sound through each track. Vocalist Zack Borzone's delivered his deranged yelps and erratic moves and despite each track remaining as frustratingly short on stage as it is on their albums, YHWH Nailgun were a wild beast live. Photography by @giugliotto Viagra Boys are my cursed band; the universe doesn't want me to see them. But, after the heartbreak of their last-minute cancellation 3 years ago due to visa issues, they finally made it to Bristol. Moments before their set was due to begin, however, the heavens opened once again, and I found myself nervously wrapped in my disposable poncho and believing that the curse was real: Viagra Boys were going to be cancelled and it's all my fault. A stranger next to me overheard my worries, grabbed me by the shoulders and told me to look him in the eyes and tell him sincerely that the curse isn't real. I did it, and thank God, it worked. Through the heavy wind and rain blasted the opening riff to 'Man Made Of Meat' and I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. Viagra Boys live are every bit as good as you'd expect, with each member having the time of their life at every performance. Whether doing push ups and immediately gagging after, spanking each other or just losing their shit in general, the band are one of the most entertaining around, all led masterfully and chaotically by frontman Sebastian Murphy. The cherry on top came in the form of Amy Taylor (Amyl And The Sniffers) who joined the band for a surprisingly wholesome rendition of 'In Spite Of Ourselves'. Photography by @jahiemowilliams Little Simz is a master of her craft and the perfect choice to close out the festival. With a live band, effortlessly cool style and a setlist full of hits, Simz's set felt triumphant, with the rapper showing as much appreciation to the crowd as we gave back to her. The first third of the performance was a live set made up of the jazzier and orchestral tracks, from the silky smooth 'Two Worlds Apart,' to the vicious and powerful 'Thief'. The band departed and Simz took to the decks, moving on to the more electronic, bass-heavy tracks, before finishing with a live band victory lap, including 'Woman' and 'Point And Kill'. I've never seen a live band do a rewind before, but after seeing how mad the crowd went for the opening lines of 'Gorilla,' it was well deserved. Little Simz feels just as comfortable over a trap beat as she does a jazz bass and as she quite obviously rapped every single line live, there was a feeling in the crowd that we were watching an all-time performance from the country's best rapper. Photography by Rosie Risdale Related