By Sophie Scannell, Music Editor 2025/6
Another year, another triumphant FORWARDS Festival. Continuing to push boundaries in the future-facing initiatives that accompany the stellar acts they have on each day, Team Love know how to do festivals right in the age of climate crisis and shared apocalyptic feeling that is among us right now - too cynical? Maybe it was the criminal weather we faced this weekend that has made a moody intro feel appropriate.
Still, I’ll never be one to turn my nose up at a rainy festival. If anything, it allows everyone to get their Alexa Chung on with the combination of huge wellies and tiny shorts, a look always welcomed by Bristol students, of which there were plenty in attendance on the Downs this year.
Speaking of cool cats, FORWARDS has always had bragging rights for headlining acts before they were cool. Take Charli XCX for instance, a worldwide sensation who graced FORWARDS 2022 stage in an unassuming 4pm slot a mere two years before the breakthrough of 2024’s mammoth album that ruled the year’s summer, BRAT.
As well as platforming new acts that are bound to erupt any second now, FORWARDS have done particularly well in kicking it back to the old school pioneers of Bristol’s sound. Both Goldie and Tricky, two cornerstones of Bristol’s music scene, graced Saturday’s stage in a way that satiated the hunger of both the student audience that had grown to love them, and the older generation that bulked up the FORWARDS attendees this year, too. Both sprightly and domineering on stage, the two acts injected a satisfying nostalgia into the festival that separates it from any others taking place this weekend.
Coming into early evening, we were welcomed into sundown by Joy Crookes, who delivered a sultry swoon of a set with her effortless cool. Matching her swagger were two backing singers, who, oozing nearly as much cool as their mismatched sunglasses, bopped and bounced behind Crookes’ enchanting lead, made effortless by her voice that is truly unlike any other.
Later into the evening was Self Esteem, who I didn’t know was performing the last ever rendition of her ‘A Complicated Woman’ show as she completes her year-long tour after the triumphant third studio album of the same name. She cries during opener, ‘I Do And I Don’t Care’ and mouths ‘f*ck’ in between lyrics - now knowing that these were both signals of beginning an extra special show that she’d never be doing again, but at the time I thought was an impulse reaction to the sheer size and love poured out by the huge crowd the West Stage had attracted.
Drawing in plenty of eager ears just before her set was none other than Zack Polanski, who delivered a belting speech for active stance-taking and the power of a committed collective in times of isolation for many. Polanski introducing Self Esteem blended perfectly the ethos of the festival - melding together outrage at the present, optimism for the future, and compelling, passionate art to document and reflect the conflicting limbo of the two we are currently in. Self Esteem was, unsurprisingly, one of the best acts of the weekend. Having seen Taylor perform a few months ago at Bristol’s Beacon, I expected nothing less than what she brought: a poppy, fun yet meaningful and gut-wrenching performance. Simply sublime.
Saturday’s closer was Isle of Wight’s finest exports to the mainland, Wet Leg. Armed with a lime green transparent guitar, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale leaves everyone in awe, not least with her exceptional setlist of tunes from the both the new album and the debut, but also, and I hate to be so superficial, just how hench she has become since their last tour. Safe to say that she’s certainly left the chaise lounge for some body building, and is so clearly in her element, flashing her muscles in opener ‘catch these fists’. Charging through lots of Moisteurizer, the band also sprinkled in a good amount of their self-titled album that put them on the map. Ur Mum was a particular highlight this time round, where we performed our ‘longest and loudest scream’, probably to the horror of surrounding residents of the Downs.
Before we kick off Sunday’s musical festivities, we continue the Bristol-appreciation trip begun by Tricky and Goldie the day before, and take to the information stage to listen to the first ever live recording of Jayde Adams and Josh Eggleton’s new podcast, Bristol is the Centre of the Universe. Hailing from Bedminster and Witchurch retrospectively, the pair cosily perch on sofas in front of us and chat all things Bristol. From how it has changed from when they were young, to shouting out new spots opening up across the city, almost every topic of discussion circles back to Bristol is undoubtedly one of the prime culture capitals of the UK, and in their humble opinions, the world. They rave about the plenty of brilliant initiatives at the festival, too, including the Team Canteen stalls that Eggleton has a hand in himself, who bring together local food initiatives to push food sustainability and equality as its central motivator.
What’s more is that amongst the stalls of great food were an array of vintage and hand-made clothing stalls that were well worth a look at if you were on the Downs this year. Stopping at the Longwell Records stall and grabbing a t-shirt whilst listening to Amyl and The Sniffers sound check behind us, you’d be mad to not agree with Adams and Eggleton that Bristol is the place to be, all the time.
As day turned to early evening, we caught Viagra Boys in what was one of the soggier sets of the weekend. Nevertheless, the crowd had learned their lesson from yesterday and with ponchos donned, the mosh was just as energetic as if the sun was solarly powering us on. The Swedish punk group yielded bongos, flutes, and saxophones as they crashed through a stellar hour set-list in the pouring rain, and even brought on Amy Taylor of Amyl and The Sniffers for a cover of corny country classic ‘In Spite of Ourselves’ by John Prine and Irish DeMent. One of the great examples of a perfect cover performed by the perfect pair.
The skies cleared somewhat a little later for Dijon, whose sweetly sultry voice sits over his electrified lofi tracks, spanning his debut album, Absolutely, and more recent album, Baby. The turn to nighttime saw everyone charging to the East Stage for my personal headline of the weekend: Amyl and The Sniffers. Being a long time fan but having never caught them live before, my anticipation was high for the Australian post-punk four-piece. Needless to say they did not disappoint, frontwoman Amy Taylor needn't do so much as stand there before the crowd went mental for her: an Australian, punky iteration of Dolly Parton, a semblance I drew after her country stint hours before with Viagra Boys on the very same stage. Plowing through some of the best modern rock sounds coming out at the minute, ‘Me And The Girls’, ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and ‘Security’, to name a few, this was another perfect booking from FORWARDS. Everyone was on great form for this one, answering to Taylor’s every beck and call, even a baby which is help up to the sky simba-style by a rocker dad who clearly wasn’t going to miss this set for the world.
Arianna Balsamo
Fueled by our high, and another beer for our two-minute journey, we ventured over to the East Stage for the final act of the 2026 festival. Little Simz was the cherry on top of the female-led fiesta that was 2026’s lineup. Decked out in a leather red beret, driving gloves, big jacket and slim shades, Simz oozes a wickedly cool stage presence that had the crowd gripping on to the last waking moments of festival season for dear life.
Through the bellowing cries of ‘SIM SIMMAAA’ from ‘Gorilla’ that ends the set, Bristol born-and-breds stumble aside first time visitors out of the Downs and into their respective pubs and after parties, safe in the knowledge that this year’s festival season was as big of a triumph as any.
Featured image: Plaster Creative Communications / @giugliotto
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