Dot To Dot Festival is set to return for its 20th year, and they have just dropped the news that special guests THE HORRORS return to the bill for the celebrations, along with FAT DOG, SPRINTS, KATE BOLLINGER, LÅPSLEY and over 30 of the hottest emerging artists of the moment, all heading to their Bristol and Nottingham stages on 24th and 25th May, with even more still to be announced in the new year.
Following their hugely successful 2024 event, winning Best Metropolitan Festival at the 2023 Festival Awards, and receiving a nomination for the same award once again in 2024, the festival has firmly established itself as a core date in the music calendar for discovering emerging artists since the very first edition in 2005, and this news sets precedent for a hugely successful 20th anniversary party on the May bank holiday!
THE HORRORS are set to return to D2D stages as special guests for the 20th edition of the festival, following their appearance headlining in 2018. This follows the announcement of their first album in 7 years ‘Night Life’, set for release on 21st March, with new configuration featuring core duo singer Faris Badwan and bassist Rhys Webb, joined by their founding guitarist Joshua Hayward and new members, keyboardist Amelia Kidd and drummer Jordan Cook. Their recent release ‘Trial By Fire’ described by CLASH as ‘’A Gothic journey through East London environs after midnight’’, gives a taste to what D2D audiences can expect with this fresh lineup.
Continuing their reputation for showcasing the artists of the future, the news that one of London’s most exciting new bands, FAT DOG, are also returning to the festival fits perfectly with the D2D ethos. This announcement follows sold out dates in both Bristol and Nottingham just last week, as well as playing the festival back in 2023. With NME calling them ‘2023’s wildest live band’, they are known for their gritty, high-octane live shows. Their debut album ‘WOOF’ is a brilliant and mind-bending blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, music for letting go to or, in the words of frontman Joe Love, ‘’screaming-into-a-pillow music’’.
The touring festival will also welcome Dublin fiery post-punks SPRINTS following their whirlwind of a year with sellout tours, a top 20 debut album, delivering feverishly talked about sets at Glastonbury, End Of The Road and All Together Now, and enjoying widespread critical acclaim, spotlighted by the likes of NME, DIY and The Guardian. Becoming an essential new name in contemporary rock, the band have built up a reputation with their urgent, compassionate songwriting blackened by personal tales of trauma and resilience, making them an amazing edition for the 20th anniversary event.
These names once again embrace what D2D is all about, creating a platform for the hottest emerging artists of the moment, while this year celebrating their 20th year milestone with returning headliners THE HORRORS. Dot To Dot Festival booker Conrad Rogan said: “We are so excited to be announcing The Horrors are set to return to Dot To Dot Festival, following them topping the bill back in 2018. This is a special addition to commemorate 20 years of the festival and our rich tradition of bringing festival goers the very best in emerging talent. This alongside critically acclaimed emerging bands Fat Dog and Sprints and another exciting 38 names, offers a glimpse into what D2D goers can expect for the May bank holiday weekend.’’
Elsewhere on today’s announcement, writing about desperation and struggle, about a Britain in decline, about finding pride in your darkest moments, about how the real class war in the UK is always punching downwards, punk duo BIG SPECIAL join the bill for D2D 2025, and signed to cult label Wunderground, south London based trio HONEYGLAZE also head to the metropolitan festival, following the release of their successful album ‘Real Deal’.
Dot To Dot Festival is also set to welcome indie-folk songwriter KATE BOLLINGER to Nottingham and Bristol in May 2025, her sound eclectic, melodic, and majestic, supporting intimate, stream-of-consciousness lyricism with classic instrumentation inspired by touchstones of 1960s folk-pop and 1990s indie rock, her set will be one to catch. Marking 10 years as an independent artist, LÅPSLEY heads to D2D, with recent collaborations ranging from Barry Can’t Swim or hotly tipped UK girl-band Say Now, to Paloma Faith, and brand new single ‘Church’ just released. Moving between house, hip-hop, and garage music, NIMINO is also one of the names in this first wave set to join the festivities.
Across this first wave is a total of 41 of the most exciting new names in music, continuing the rich tradition that has spanned 20 years of the festival, platforming artists who are about to see big things and being one of the stepping stones in their music career.
This wave of names gives an insight into the exciting selection of emerging talent festival goers can expect to see in the forefront of 2025. Dot To Dot Festival booker Scott Kennedy said: ‘’We’re buzzing to announce the first set of names for Dot To Dot Festival 2025. As is tradition, we’re platforming new artists who have played the festival before to come back and headline, following the footsteps of artists like Wunderhorse, Yard Act, Squid, Jockstrap and more. Now in its 20th year, Dot To Dot has always been at the forefront of championing new scenes and sounds, nurturing the festival headliners of tomorrow. Over the years, everyone from Dua Lipa to Sam Fender have played D2D, performing in all forms of intimate (often dingy) venues. It’s a really special festival and we are very proud to announce our 20th edition.’’
Rounding out this first wave are a huge selection of the freshest exciting names in music, including: 3-piece garage punk band ADORE. Their sound combining themes from surf, disco and pop which blends with their punk sensibilities they are a great addition to this 2025 wave, along with London 5-piece AIN’T, who are set to bring their sound channelling the stranger end of ’90s guitar music. One of BBC Introducing featured artists BAOBEI is also set to bring her electronic sounds to D2D stages, and on a trajectory in 2023, Irish indie rockers BASHT will take to Bristol and Nottingham stages in May 2025. With a honeyed voice displaying just a little bit of grit and set to become the next major singer-songwriter to hail from Ireland, BRADLEY MARSHALL will head to stages. Making a stir in the DIY punk scene, Manchester-based loudmouths BRUISE CONTROL will play at the festival, alongside CARDINALS who will bring their eclectic gothic amalgam of shoegaze, Irish trad folk, and rock which incorporates 60s Wall of Sound elements for a punk-inflected noise that ‘wants to be warm pop’.
Gold coast chilled indie-pop trio DASTE. are one of the exciting emerging artists set to head to Dot To Dot for its 20th year, and evoking a sense of foreboding and mystique with their ethereal layers and bone-chilling harmonies DOG RACE will perform. Indie singer-songwriter ETHAN TASCH joins the lineup, alongside Nottingham alt 3-piece GIRLBAND!, who are a formidable force for good, already having supported the likes of Jake Bugg, Happy Mondays and The Oozes. Genre spanning duo GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH will play at D2D, and one of the best young rock bands in NYC, HELLO MARY is one of the names in this first wave.
Initially formed with the aim of creating low-lit, melodic indie folk akin to Big Thief and Johnny Flynn before unknown and unexpected, corruptive forces led them down a path of uncategorised, borderless expression of poised, purposeful chaos, HOLLY HEAD will perform, and making indie rock music described as “Courtney Love meets Paris Hilton vibes; a bit pretty and very, very loud”, INDOOR FOXES joins the bill. Singing about the tangled joy, heartache, camaraderie and isolation of transfeminine life, JASMINE.4.T will perform, and taking the UK rap game by storm, North West London rapper JD CLIFFE is one of the names. Known for his buttery voice and distinct strumming, singer-songwriter and visual artist JOHN ROSEBORO will play as well as singer-songwriter KANEKO AYANO.
Also set to take to D2D stages is 4-piece alt-rock band KEO, folk, post-rock and shoegaze band LADYLIKE, American ‘’pool-rock’’ five-piece LUNAR VACATION , and a boundary defying new voice for the UK, making a blend of experimental UK rap, dance and sound system culture, LYAM. A band that twists and defies genres over hypnotic beats laced with raw lyrics and airtight delivery, MONSTER FLORENCE head to next year’s event, and influenced by the wistful sounds of soul icons, Singer-songwriter producer NECTAR WOODE. Fusing DIY, folk and classic pop, NO WINDOWS join the lineup and with backgrounds in jazz, rock and dance, London based collective OREGLO will play.
Final additions include PUBLIC ORDER, an emerging Welsh indie trio quickly becoming one of the most engaging new bands of the moment, alongside Melbourne post-punk alt rockers SEX MASK. Switzerland-based collective SOFT LOFT have been added to the bill, and described as being a blend of heavy shoegaze and indie-punk, THISTLE.. Best known for his electronic-dance-pop debut EP ‘VERSIONS’, TSATSAMIS heads to the 20th anniversary party, and finally delivering a swooning 21st century update of dream pop, industrial electronica and post-rock that builds on the legacy of their Northern England roots, WHITE FLOWERS will head to Bristol and Nottingham for the May bank holiday.
This exciting first wave of names shows what D2D’s 2025 line-up will bring to the table, with some of the hottest rising names on the music scene set to head to Bristol and Nottingham city centres for the festival’s 20th anniversary in six months’ time. With Early Bird and first tiers now sold out, general release tickets for Dot To Dot are priced from £30 and available now through alt. tickets: www.alttickets.com
Head to Dot To Dot’s social media pages on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and X as well as online at www.dottodotfestival.co.uk to stay up to date on the latest announcements and to keep yourself in the loop for all things #d2dfest.
