Dot to Dot’s multi-metropolitan festival returns to Bristol and Nottingham for a weekend of celebrating indie darlings and burgeoning local acts alike.
Fancy seeing a dense, dazzling line-up of indie up-and-comers across some of the UK’s best and most intimate live venues for under £30? Dot to Dot 2023 might just be what you’re looking for. The festival, taking place over the weekend of 27th May, is looking to be any indie fan’s dream – two days of non-stop talent across Bristol and Nottingham. Whether you’re looking to thoroughly immerse yourself in an eclectic mix of outliers from the UK’s independent scene, or whether you’re just looking to pogo to the giddy wiriness of headliner Yard Act, Dot to Dot is undoubtedly a bargain. So, plan your travels, and get ready to run amok from venue to venue… or, we suppose, from dot to dot.
“Dot To Dot Festival launched in 2005, starting life as a Nottingham only event across 3 venues. Since then we’ve launched across Bristol and Manchester, added a huge variety of venues into the mix and continued to promote the best in new music.” – Dot to Dot 2023 website
Dot to Dot has seen its fair share of notable names grace its lineup – Lewis Capaldi, Easy Life, Fontaines DC, Sports Team, Sundara Karma, Squid, Pale Waves, to cite but a few. The festival has provided a fantastic leg-up for many independent acts, promoting music on both a national and local scale. Dot to Dot returns in 2023 with a lineup which John Peel would’ve killed for.
When?
Saturday, 27th May (Bristol)/ Sunday, 28th May (Nottingham)
Where?
Bristol: O2 Academy Bristol, O2 Academy2 Bristol, Bristol Beacon. Thekla, Thekla Top Deck, Thekla Dockside, The Louisiana, The Louisiana Bar, Rough Trade, The Fleece, The Lanes, Mr Wolfs, Strange Brew
Nottingham: Rock City, BETA, Black Cherry Lounge, The Level, The Loft at The Level, Rescue Rooms, Red Room, Stealth, The Bodega Bar, The Bodega Upstairs, Rough Trade, Spankies, Percy Picklebackers, The Malt Cross, 31K, The Playwright, The Angel, Jamcafé.
Who?
This year’s headliners for both Bristol and Nottingham are Yard Act, Alvvays and The Murder Capital. All three acts are critical darlings, their records mainstays of BBC Radio 6 shows, indie kid Spotify playlists and indie disco DJ sets alike. Expect mosh pits galore, glittery guitar hooks and a healthy dose of post-punk revivalism. These names likely speak for themselves, but if you want any further persuasion, why not take a look at our reviews of the bands’ past shows? Whether it be Bristol or Nottingham, Dot to Dot offers a chance to get involved with aspiring acts of all sorts of genre, size and background. One wristband, almost 200 artists to be discovered.
Bristol, Saturday 27th May:
Bristol’s lineup, already including the aforementioned headliners and the ever-growing names of Kofi Stone, Beka and Opus Kink to name a few, also boasts a selection of South-West specific talent, including Grove, Jemima Coulter and Tlya X An. Exclusively to Bristol is the blues-punk fusion of Mother Vulture, garage rockers Birdman Cult and a DJ set from the esoteric jazz-electronica group Ishmael Ensemble.
Nottingham, Sunday 28th May:
With over 160 acts, Nottingham also boasts a fantastic lineup: East-Midland talents, Girlband, DIVORCE and Midnight Rodeo gear up for a Midland tour-de-force (as a Lincoln-bred writer, I can say that we may lack clear identity, but we don’t lack spirit). Exclusive to Nottingham is the indie-folk of Catmilk, dance-rock extraordinaire Sancho Panza and the soulful, psychedelic Fat Bamboo.
Ticket Prices (subject to additional ticket provider fees)
Bristol general admission: £30
Nottingham general admission: £25
You can buy tickets from the official Dot to Dot 2023 ticket partner, Alttickets, here.
Travel (Bristol)
By car: The wrist-band exchange site is located in Bristol’s Thekla nightclub, located a few minutes walk from Bristol’s Grove Carpark. The site is located approx 168 miles from Manchester City Centre, approx 3 hours, 10 minutes drive via the M5 or M6.
By train: A train from Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads takes approx 3 hours, 20 minutes. You can then reach Theka in approx 10 minutes on foot.
Travel (Nottingham)
By car: The wrist-band exchange site is located by Nottingham’s Rock City. The site is located approx 81 miles from Manchester City Centre, approx 2 hours drive via the M1.
By train: A train from Manchester Piccadilly to Nottingham Railway Station takes anywhere between approx 1 hour, 30 minutes and 2 hours, 30 minutes. You can then walk to Rock City in approx 15 minutes.
