Burst’s Guide to Dot to Dot 2026
This Saturday 23rd May, Dot to Dot will once again take over the city's favourite venues to showcase the best new music! Based in 14 venues around the harbourside and the city centre, over 200 genre-spanning acts will perform as part of the weekend festival based in Bristol and Nottingham (Sunday 24th). Dot to Dot has been giving emerging and alternative music a platform to shine for over 20 years, boasting previous headliners such as Mercury Award winning Jockstrap in 2024, Billie Marten in 2021, and Faye Webster in 2019. It is the perfect place to discover your new favourite artist. This year has seen the fastest ever sellout of the festival in Bristol, so if you’ve been lucky enough to snap up a ticket, this is Burst’s guide to Dot to Dot 2026.
Your festival day will begin outside Thekla, exchanging your ticket for your wristband, any time between 11:00 and 19:30. There will also be food vendors located at the Thekla dockside - jerk chicken courtesy of Jerk King, Neapolitan delicacies from Bocca di Bianchi and Pura Vida’s tacos and loaded fries. From there, the options are endless. Most venues are a 10 to 15 minute walk from each other, so great music will be around every corner. That said, if there’s an act you are set on seeing, make sure to get there before to avoid disappointment.
The big names on the line up will perform at the festival's largest capacity venues, the O2 Academy and Electric Bristol. At the O2 academy, Newdad will warm up the crowd with their hypnotic indie rock, perfect for fans of Wolf Alice. Then, expect glorious punk rock from Lambrini Girls who are bound to end the night with a bang. Over at the Electric, Mandy, Indiana will deliver their unique blend of dancy English and French noise rock, their first performance in Bristol since the release of their critically acclaimed album Urgh. The energy will remain high as Fcukers will ignite the crowd with their hedonistic electronic indie sleaze. All the way from New York City, Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis may be the coolest duo you see all day.
Dot to Dot is the perfect place to discover the next big thing, so head to a more intimate venue to avoid the wait, support a smaller artist and maybe find your new favourite. The Louisiana Bar has a stacked line up of South West talent, including foot foot, nobody’s dad and The Cindys, who I was wowed by last month at Outertown festival. Mr Wolfs rooftop stage will be ideal for afternoon and evening sets in the sunshine - catch Aquafaba’s alt-rock with a jazzy Brazilian twist at 15:30 for a bit of something different. Dreamy pop rock takes form in the music of Eaves Wilder, performing at the Louisiana. Her debut album Little Miss Sunshine caught my attention a couple months ago with its catchy melodies and honest songwriting, reminiscent of Lush and The Cardigans. Finally, if you’re looking to dance into the early hours of the morning, Mandy, Indiana will be continuing the party with a DJ set from 00:00 to 01:30 at The Lanes, where music will continue until 3:00!
With the temperature predicted to soar this weekend, what better way to kick of your summer festival season than floating between Bristol's coolest venues at Dot to Dot. From sweaty indie sleaze or shoegaze in the sun, this festival has it all, and I for one can’t wait to experience it.
