By Sophie Scannell, Music Editor
Set to take place on Friday 28th August, ‘FORWARDS Presents’ has been announced today, an event ticketed and marketed as separate from the familiar two-day FORWARDS festival. Taking place the evening before the festival as a ‘standalone concert series’, this new one-night concert could change the game for FORWARDS as we know it.
An announcement teaser was released on Friday via the festival’s Instagram, sending fans of the festival, and indeed Lorde, into a speculative frenzy as the design of the post bore a striking resemblance to the New Zealand artist’s 2025 album, Virgin.
Renowned for her era-defining hits like ‘Ribs’ and ‘Green Light’, Lorde has soundtracked a global 2013 teenage angst whilst also captivating us with her more recent, yet equally transcendent, Melodrama and Solar Power, and has simce made a huge ripple in the industry after ‘working it out on the remix’ of Charli XCX’s ‘Girl, so confusing’ two summers ago.
Charli’s British charm must have struck a chord with the superstar, as this will be Lorde’s first time ever performing in Bristol. Tom Paine, co-founder of ‘Team Love’ that manage and produce the FORWARDS initiative, has stated: ‘Welcoming Lorde to the city feels like the perfect way to begin, she’s an extraordinary artist, and this promises to be a truly special night for Bristol’.
Alongside the ‘Royals’ singer will be Stranger Things’ star and indie rock heartthrob, Joe Keery, under his musical moniker ‘Djo’. Reeling off the back of a sensational 2025 with his formidable third album, The Crux, not to mention the globally anticipated Netflix finale that had us firmly glued to the telly this boxing day, Keery is joining Lorde at the Downs to further cement the night as a must-see.
Joining the already star-studded lineup for the evening is a dynamic bill of global artists including Audrey Hobert, Rose Gray, Esha Tewari and Grove.
In keeping with last year, the concert and FORWARDS festival itself will take to Clifton Downs over the August bank holiday weekend – perfectly timed as a summer send-off, or to see in your next year of study as September soon begins.
Benji Chapman
Ticket pre-sale for FORWARDS: Presents goes live on Thursday 5th February at 10am, with general on-sale beginning Friday 6th February at 10am. (These tickets are strictly for the standalone Friday night and are not in conjunction with FORWARDS festival weekend tickets!)
If this is the calibre of talent that will precede the FORWARDS weekend, the upcoming lineup for the festival can only be a guaranteed showstopper this year.
Featured image: Plaster Creative Communications / Thistle BrownWill you be snapping up tickets to FORWARDS Presents?!
