Dot To Dot Festival is back on 24th & 25th May in Bristol and Nottingham for its huge 20th year commemorations, and the festival have just announced the second wave of artists that will be heading to stages, stacking the lineup with over 30 fresh names including LORD APEX, SNOOPER, SEXTILE, MASTER PEACE and tonnes more joining THE HORRORS, FAT DOG and SPRINTS for the May bank holiday weekend, with even more still to come.
This year also sees Dot To Dot teaming up with SON ESTRELLA GALICIA, powering the festival with their premium Spanish beer straight from Galicia, Northern Spain. For more than 15 years, their musical project has been promoting initiatives that are set to transform the scene, supporting talent from all over the world.
With 2025 currently one of the fastest selling years to date for tickets, the 20th anniversary party is set to be a hugely successful weekend. Following their phenomenal 2024 event, winning Best Metropolitan Festival at the 2023 Festival Awards, and receiving a nomination for the same award once again in 2024, the festival has firmly established itself as a core date in the music calendar for discovering the next generation of artists since the very first edition in 2005.
This new wave includes enigmatic British rapper and producer LORD APEX, carving out a unique niche in the hip-hop landscape with his introspective lyricism and distinctive beats. The Guardian hailing his ‘’distinctive voice and knack for off-kilter beats’’, he’s gained international recognition, praised for his ability to effortlessly blend old-school vibes with contemporary edge. SEXTILE will also take to Dot To Dot stages in May, a party-provoking force on the LA underground, capable of kicking up a riot with the raw-edged squall of a synth or the sharp-elbowed jerk of a guitar, the band are rapidly on the rise, with their upcoming album ‘yes, please.’ coming out right in time for D2D, in May 2025.
Punk rock band SNOOPER also join the bill. Referred to by NME as ‘’the devotedly silly band reminding punks how to have fun’’, the Nashville rockers are making a name for themselves in the industry. MASTER PEACE also features amidst this second wave, hailed as the new voice of British Indie and was a “One To Watch” nominee at the AIM Awards, and Rolling Stone referring to him as ‘’the singer leading the way for a new generation of indie stars’’, with the artist’s upbeat indie rap anthems reaching millions.
This second wave announcement shines a light on some the hottest new acts making waves right now, also including:
Australian experimental folk meets lo-fi indie, ARMLOCK bring their intimate and intricate sounds, as well as dreamy and atmospheric indie pop artist AVA JOE. Irish genre benders fusing hip-hop, jazz and R&B, BRICKNASTY join the festival lineup, raucous gritty indie band BANDIT will take to stages, along with FAKE A SMILE bringing their emotive indie rock. Atlanta based indie-folk bedroom pop artist GIRLPUPPY joins the bill for the two-day event, and striking singer-songwriter GREG FREEMAN.
Bringing ethereal, genre-blurring sounds from Ed Tullett and Jemima Coulter, HAILAKER join the bill, and IMOGEN & THE KNIFE will be bringing their mix of dark alt-pop and cinematic storytelling, alongside Scottish singer-songwriter with a profound gift of storytelling, JACOB ALON. One of the most unique voices in the alternative scene right now, LALA HAYDEN heads to Notts and Bristol, alongside PENCIL, an intriguing new name in experimental rock. Amongst the hottest DIY bands right now, and making waves with their unique chilled indie sound and engaging lyrics rich with emotion, LA band PITY PARTY (GIRLS CLUB) also join this year’s lineup.
With folk-rock inspired songwriting & instrumental elements, and an overall pop tainted feel, RAY SILVERS heads to stages, as well as the mysterious and bounding pushing SILVERWINGKILLER. Post punk revivalists TALK SHOW are included in this second wave, along with harmony driven indie band THE DEEP BLUE as well as the crooning cinematic and unmistaken baritone lead from THE GOLDEN DREGS. Shoegaze inflected band THE NEW CUT and genre bending collective THE ORCHESTRA (FOR NOW) are also on the bill.
A captivating act straddling indie and electronic sounds, TOTAL TOMMY join in this wave, and TTSSFU will bring 90s shoegaze bedroom pop, along with boisterous punks TWENTY ONE CHILDREN. Manchester newcomers WESTSIDE COWBOY head to Bristol and Nottingham in May, along with WILL PAQUIN who will bring his prolific fingerpicking style, heartfelt lyrics, and energetic instrumentation, and powerhouse vocalist blending jazz, soul and modern pop, ZINADELPHIA joins the bill for the festival’s 20th
This second wave announcement of names sets D2D up as usual to bring audience members the very best in emerging talent, all whilst celebrating a huge 20 year milestone for the festival and its organisers. Dot To Dot Festival booker Conrad Rogan said: “We are so thrilled to be releasing this next wave of names for 2025, featuring tonnes of artists that are on a huge trajectory, as we always aim for. This year will mark 20 years of the festival, and we are so proud to keep up our rich tradition of bringing our audience the freshest and most exciting names in music. We are ready to continue bringing even more names in between now and the event, with lots more still to come’’
The first wave announced back in November positioned THE HORRORS set to return to D2D stages as special guests for the 20th edition of the festival, following their appearance headlining in 2018. This follows their first album in 7 years ‘Night Life’, set for release next month, with new configuration featuring core duo singer Faris Badwan and bassist Rhys Webb, joined by their founding guitarist Joshua Hayward and new members, keyboardist Amelia Kidd and drummer Jordan Cook.
Continuing to build a launchpad for the biggest rising names, the second wave also saw news that FAT DOG, would also be returning to the festival. Currently on their biggest tour to date, including a sellout show at D2D’s own venue SWX, the band are known for their gritty, high-octane live shows. Dot To Dot Festival also welcome Dublin fiery post-punks SPRINTS following their whirlwind of a year with sellout tours, a top 20 debut album, delivering feverishly talked about sets at Glastonbury, End Of The Road and All Together Now.
This second wave of names sets precedent for a huge 20th birthday bash, with some of the hottest rising names on the music scene set to head to Bristol and Nottingham city centres in just 3 months time. With Early Bird, first and second tier now sold out, general release tickets for Dot To Dot are priced from £35 and available now through alt. tickets: www.alttickets.com
Head to Dot To Dot’s social media pages on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and X as well as online at www.dottodotfestival.co.uk to stay up to date on the latest announcements and to keep yourself in the loop for all things #d2dfest.
