Preview: Dot To Dot 2016

Now in its eleventh year, Dot to Dot, the multi-venue city-hopping festival, is returning to Bristol on Saturday, May 28. With over 65 confirmed acts playing 14 hours of live music, you’re guaranteed to get bang for your Bristol pound. There’s no need to pack your wellies: one ticket gets you into classic Bristol venues dotted (see what they did there?) across the city, including The Fleece, The Louisiana, O2 Academy, Thekla, Start The Bus and more. 

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Dot to Dot has a strong track record for featuring some of the best upcoming musical talent, with past alumni including mega chart-toppers Ed Sheeran and The xx, as well as 2015 meteoric favourites Years & Years and Wolf Alice. Many of this year’s lineup are hotly tipped to be the next big thing, so this is your chance to be that person who saw them before they were famous. Music-loving Bristolians are set to be spoilt for choice, but here’s some of the acts you definitely don’t want to miss. 

This year’s festival is co-headlined by a double whammy of indie-rock from both sides of the pond, with Mystery Jets and Augustines sharing the top slot. Mystery Jets have been on the scene for over a decade and with the release of their fifth studio album Curve of the Earth last year, fans can expect hook-laden anthems both old and new. Augustines will be cementing their reputation as an intense live act with surely many an emotive singalong, while Australian indie giants The Temper Trap, best known for Sweet Disposition, are also listed to play. 

Bristol-born Lauren Aquilina, a self-professed writer of “sad songs”, is on the verge of becoming a household name. With a recent major record label signing and pop titan Taylor Swift counted among her many fans, stardom is in the young singer-songwriter’s sights, so this is your chance to catch her airy pop first. On the dancier side of pop is Dua Lipa, whose sultry tones and retro-soul sound has racked up millions of YouTube views and sold-out shows in London, making her another future powerhouse to watch. 

For those wanting something a bit rougher, NME Awards Best New Artist Rat Boy and his disaffected rap-rock is also on the bill. Cheeky and witty, the Essex teenager channels suburban apathy into filthy fun tunes. Mancunian rockers Spring King are also well worth checking out: their punchy track City was the first song ever played on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show, and their post-punk songs are as raw as they are infectious. Delving into the more abstract realms of rock, Baba Naga are bringing their psychedelic soundscape swimming in shamanistic effects down north from Sheffield.

Danish quartet Liss may be from Copenhagen but they have an effortlessly cool sound that is infinitely brighter than their hometown, with R&B vocals over dreamy guitars that have won over Jamie xx and are sure to win you over too. Elsewhere, Day Wave’s wistful indie-pop will be evoking nostalgic feelings of summers past, while Londoners Nimmo and their dancefloor electronica are bound to get the blood pumping.

The artists mentioned are but a snapshot of what Dot to Dot has to offer, a unique opportunity for punters to explore Bristol’s historic venues and discover new music as diverse as the city itself, giving you the full festival experience all without the muddy fields and unfortunate lack of hygiene.

Dot To Dot, Various venues, May 28. For more information and tickets visit www.dottodotfestival.co.uk.