Forwards Festival 2023: Line-up, tickets and everything you need to know

The Forwards festival 2023 in Bristol returns for a second year this weekend with a stellar line-up on The Downs.

The ‘festival for forward thinkers’ will see two days of music and discussion with headliners Aphex Twin and Erykah Badu, alongside the likes of Primal Scream, Leftfield, Ezra Collective and Arlo Parks.

As well as star-studded musical line-up, festival goers are given a space for discussion and debate at The Information, featuring a host of experts, disruptors, creatives, writers and thinkers.

Here’s everything you need to know about Forwards festival 2023.

Line-up

With three stages, the festival brings together a diverse musical line-up of international and local artists on both days.

Friday

• Erykah Badu
• Bonobo
• RAYE
• Confidence Man
• Olivia Dean
• Ezra Collective
• Prima Queen
• Jim
• Marler Kether
• Grove
• Biig Piig
• Wesley Joseph
• Goldie live ensemble
• Gabriels

Saturday

• Aphex Twin
• Primal Scream
• Arlo Parks
• Leftfield
• Amyl and the Sniffers
• Viagra Boys
• Jockstrap
• Katy J Pearson
• Obongjayar
• Yazmin Lacey
• Scalping
• Saloon Dion
• Intake

What else is going on?

The Information is the conversation stage at Forwards and it features a range of music industry heavyweights, actors, authors and more. These include Great British Bake Off’s Briony May Williams, Marvel’s Spider-Man India comic author Nikesh Shukla, award-winning food industry activist Christina Adane, food writer Xanthe Clay, BBC historian David Olusoga and British artist Jeremey Deller, alongside speakers from Extinction Rebellion, Lit in Colour, Climate Live, Team Canteen, Oatly, Glastonbury’s Shangri La and more.

When and where is the festival?

It’s on The Downs, Bristol, on Friday September 1 and Saturday September 2. Doors open at 12noon and last entry is 8pm. It finishes at 11pm.

How do I get tickets?

Tickets are available from the Forwards website here.

What is the admission and age policy?

Forwards is open to all ages, however under-18s will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. Anyone aged between 5 - 15 years will need to purchase a kids ticket. Children aged 4 or under go free, but still need to be registered for their free ticket.