FORWARDS festival drops first line-up wave
Loyle Carner and LCD Soundsystem are the weekend headliners
What's described as 'one of the UK's most progressive new festivals' has dropped its first wave music lineup.
They've announced British rapper, Loyle Carner, as the 2024 Saturday headliner, alongside Four Tet - with dance-punk legends, LCD Soundsystem, headlining on Sunday with pop superstar Jessie Ware - all of whom will be taking to the stage later this summer in Bristol's 'biggest international music festival'.
Organisers place their genre-spanning international music programming side by side with social initiatives, timely debate, local food and beverage, and a future thinking kids area.
The headliners
Following his performance on Glastonbury's West Holts stags in 2023, Loyle Carner kicks off Saturday with his biggest Bristol performance to date, and only show for the city in 2024.
Audiences are told to expect the London-born hip hop artist’s raw and personal on-stage persona, with organisers FORWARDS festival’s socially engaged ethos, with the artist’s previous mantra "Take these words and go forwards" being a manifesto for the year.
Closing the festival on the Saturday, LCD Soundsystem will be hosting their first Bristol performance in 14 years, as part of the band’s 2024 global tour.
The New York band is a pioneering force in the electronic music landscape with their genre-blending sound, seamlessly fusing dance beats and punk influences.
Tom Paine, Co-founder of Team Love, said: “FORWARDS is back for its third year, and we couldn’t be prouder. Each year it grows, evolves and delivers even more for the city of Bristol and beyond. From an international and genre-spanning music lineup to future thinking talks, initiatives and with a growing-in-popularity kids area, FORWARDS is the perfect day out for everyone”.
Jim King, CEO, European Festivals, AEG Presents: “We’re thrilled to be bringing FORWARDS back to the Bristol Downs for its third year. Offering a packed lineup of international music acts with headliners LCD Soundsystem and Loyle Carner, supported by the likes of Maribou State, Floating Points and Yard Act.
"The two day festival will also see timely debate and conversation on the INFORMATION, providing an important platform for discussion and will be featuring a host of experts, disruptors, creatives, writers and thinkers”.
The two-day festival, which closes the British summer on 31 August - 1 September, will also see performances from: Four Tet, Jessie Ware, Maribou State, Floating Points, Romy, Greentea Peng, Yussef Dayes, Yard Act, Baxter Dury, CMAT, Nubya Garcia, Hak Baker, MCRY, Jersey, Crazy P, Holysseus Fly and Da Funchaman & The Fire Blaze Band.