Dot To Dot Festival have released a third wave of artists set to take to their stages in Bristol and Nottingham on 27th & 28th May, with 20 additional names joining the bill. These most recent acts revealed from the city-centre festival known for unearthing talent include SOPHIE MAY, 49TH & MAIN, SKINNY PELEMBE and more. They are set to join already announced headliners YARD ACT and ALVVAYS, alongside the likes of THE MURDER CAPITAL, FINN FOXELL, KOFI STONE, YUNE PINKU this May bank holiday for a weekend filled with the music industry’s hottest emerging names.
Tik Tok sensation SOPHIE MAY is also set to bring her melodic folk-pop to Dot To Dot 2023, with a hugely dedicated online following, and finding fans in megastars like Billie Eilish and Celeste, Sophie has already accumulated over 1M combined streams in just a few months. Sophie has recently been writing new music with Luca Buccellati, who produced Arlo Parks’ Mercury Prize-winning debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’.
Irish indie-pop duo currently making waves 49TH & MAIN join this year’s line up, as well as alt-soul singer AUGUST CHARLES. Post-punk duo from The Black Country BIG SPECIAL are also set to play Dot To Dot 2023, alongside FRÄULEIN who will be bringing their cathartic 90’s flavoured alt-rock, influenced by the likes of The Breeders, PJ Harvey, which is currently being championed by the likes of Spotify, KEXP, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6.
Currently ripping up the template and ripping up stages across the UK, raw punk powerhouse HOTWAX are amidst the additional 20 acts announced, along with Glasgow punks HUMOUR. Twang-pop post-yacht-rock soft psychers HUTCH also head to May’s festival, following an astounding year making the Glastonbury longlist and selling out headline shows. Edinburgh multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter IONA ZAJAC heads to Dot To Dot 2023, along with Newcastle rising rapper KAY GREYSON.
Taking her cue from classic songwriters such as Irving Berlin as well as abstract puzzles within David Byrne’s lyrics and the detached nonchalance of Damon Albarn, Dublin-based artist KYNSY will perform at the festival this late spring. LIP FILLER are also set to bring their distinctive concoction of caustic indie rock and raucous, noughties-leaning dance-punk. Indie singer-songwriter and Brit Pop revivalist MASTER PEACE will be performing, as well as London-based artist SAINT JOSHUA.
Weaving together sun-dazzled folk, afro-tipped and psychedelic tangents diced with the murkier corners of the UK dance lineage, SKINNY PELEMBE will perform on 27th and 28th May, and Leicester-raised artist SOFY will bring her hip-hop inspired indie pop. London producer, rapper and DJ SURYA SEN will take to stages, alongside 21-year-old West-London-based singer-songwriter UNFLIRT, and influenced by artists such as Nouns, Hella and Cypress Hill and combining textures both vintage and futuristic, UNIVERSITY complete this third wave of artists announced.
Previously announced headliners YARD ACT represent Dot To Dot’s continued tradition of showcasing the most exciting emerging talent with their return as this year’s headliners. Following their performances at the festival in 2021 lower down the bill, the minimalist post-punk four-piece are currently skyrocketing with the success of their Mercury Award-nominated debut album The Overload. FINN FOXELL and KOFI STONE are also amongst those returning to the festival.
Joining Yard Act for D2D’s 2023 edition are Toronto-based headliners ALVVAYS. Combining indie pop with infectious, sugary melodies and melancholy noise rock, the band first made a splash with their awkwardly pretty single Archie, Marry Me, which featured on their assured self-titled debut. Their 2022 album Blue Rev received rave reviews from the likes of NME, The New York Times and more, along with being selected as Pitchfork’s Best New Album.
Dublin-based post-punk group THE MURDER CAPITAL were also amongst a second wave of artists announced back in February for Dot To Dot 2023. Following their return at the end of July with “Only Good Things”, their first new material since 2019, the Irish band recently released their anticipated second album Gigi’s Recovery. They also made their live return last year performing at the likes of Primavera Sound, VYV Festival and Solidays, as well as opening for Pearl Jam at British Summer Time, following their biggest sell-out headline show to date at London’s Electric Ballroom, and have just performed phenomenal sets at California’s noteworthy Coachella Festival.
These additional artists added to the bill accompany the already exciting and diverse first two waves of names released, with first and second tier tickets for the festival now sold out, and tickets on their final tier. Acting as a showcase for the hottest up and coming talent is the core mission of Dot To Dot once again, and festival booker Joshua Ward said “We’re hyped to be announcing yet another round of incredible talent joining us for 2023, with this year’s festival set to bring some of the most exciting artists on the rise to our favourite Bristol and Nottingham city centre music venues. We feel that this incredible running of artists encompasses the future of UK music, and we can’t wait to introduce this year’s audiences to them.”
