Forwards Festival is becoming an essential end of summer event
Festival season has come to a rainy end, but that didn’t stop Bristol’s Forwards Festival from closing out August with another triumphant program.
Day festivals might seem a hassle – finding your way off site every evening to a friend's house or a waiting taxi. But isn’t this what makes them so special? A lack of ‘nightlife’ on the actual festival grounds makes the local area come alive with music lovers who aren’t quite ready to sleep. In this case Bristol bid August goodbye with a bank holiday weekend of crowded streets following performances on The Downs from the likes of Lorde, Tems and Little Simz.
Launched in 2022 by Bristol promoters Team Love (who are also responsible for the popular Love Saves The Day), Forwards is a growing event which so far has done an excellent job of maintaining its intention to “challenge what metropolitan festivals are today and how they can do good, from the inside out.” Alongside its three music stages, the festival importantly features an Information Stage dedicated to debates, current affairs and social issues.
This year was particularly notable due to a standalone Friday concert named ‘Forwards presents: Lorde’ in which a more pop focused lineup ended in an electric performance from Lorde as she made her Bristol debut. Following charismatic performances from Audrey Hobert and Maisie Peters (the latter dedicating a song to Dolly Parton,) Lorde’s set was transcendent. Generational hits like Green Light and Supercut reenergized the crowd after a long, drizzly day. The usual two-day event then proceeded with an impressive lineup of artists including Dijon, Joy Crookes, Tems, Maribou State and Little Simz to name a few. Forwards is undoubtedly growing more prominent by the year and does a stellar job of ending the summer on a high note.
The festival is mostly an open-air grass area, making it highly dependent on the increasingly unpredictable British weather. Previous years have seen the sun beaming down for most of the weekend, with artists like Olivia Dean enjoying blue skies and a crowd clad in sunglasses. This year was quite the opposite, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the most successful vendors of the three-day period were those selling emergency rain ponchos.
However, once you can get past the feeling of soggy jeans and have accepted that your Instagram dump won’t exactly rival that of a Coachella influencer, there was something kind of magical about Forwards in the rain. Firstly, it’s a reminder that you’re there for the music. When you’re in between sets and waiting in a frustratingly long and slow-moving line at one of the few food trucks selling hot drinks, there’s still a buzz of excitement in the air. Teenage girls who are about to watch Lorde reminisce on her own adolescence chattering happily to their mums, couples who have booked the weekend off work to see their favourite band, friend groups who finally found an open spot in the shared calendar wearing Djo merch. Secondly, picture this: Little Simz closing out the weekend on Sunday night with hits that have cemented her in British history (think Gorilla, Venom, Woman) whilst rain cascaded around her – it can only be described as cathartic.
This is a festival stripped back to the basics, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Between stages there isn’t much opportunity for distraction aside from information stalls (which are worth having a look at) – you have a wide variety of food vendors to choose from and once you’ve waited for what feels like forever in line for one of them that’s it: you find somewhere to perch and have a chat until the next set. Shivering patrons were rewarded for this patience across the weekend with brief sunny spells, one of which enveloped Maribou State’s Saturday afternoon slot before grey skies returned for Joy Crookes. Moral was maintained, however, by Crookes’ sunny disposition and recognisable discography, which includes songs like Feet Don’t Fail Me Now and When You Were Mine and created a warm atmosphere despite the cold air.
Forwards is as deserving of its name as ever, balancing escapist music sets with a side more grounded in reality – courtesy of clever sustainability initiatives and the simply named Information Stage. The stages were powered almost entirely by sustainable energy, and the only waste from the main West Stage was drinkable water which artists were invited to sample at the end of their gigs. The event is part of the ‘West of England Clean Power Pilot,’ building on Massive Attack’s ACT 1.5 legacy on The Downs – which set a world record for the lowest carbon emissions for a major concert – and aiming to create a blueprint for future events.
Whilst the clean energy initiative was working in the background, discussions on the Information Stage spanned topics such as food inequality, global injustice and the rise of fascism. Zack Polanski even made a surprise appearance on the main stage after his Information Stage panel, with crowds running down the field to catch his unscheduled speech. This dedication to real change showed that Forwards is much more than a weekend in the park, creating thoughtful discussions alongside a world class soundtrack.
Overall, this festival is one to keep in mind for future years. A growing legacy and impressive clean energy initiatives will surely put it in league with the likes of Reading and All Points East eventually, but for now it can (and should) be enjoyed for what it is: a down-to-earth day festival. Forwards manages to maintain a grounded, humble approach despite hosting huge international headliners; a feat that doesn’t go unnoticed. The team behind this festival have proven that big lineups don’t require big carbon footprints, and that day festivals can lead to an equally exciting night. If you’re looking for a festival that prioritises the future of live music and the future of the planet, Forwards Festival could be your next favourite end of summer ritual.
Article By Shona Kelly
