Electronic music legends The Chemical Brothers have been confirmed as the headline act for a brand new music festival in Bristol.
Forwards is a new two-day weekend festival taking place on September 3 and 4, and it will replace The Downs Festival, which has taken place at the same location in recent years.
A collaboration between Bristol’s Team Love and AEG (the team behind California’s famed Coachella and London’s BST Hyde Park festivals), Forwards hopes to attract the biggest names in international music.
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As well as The Chemical Brothers, the line-up confirmed so far includes Jamie XX, Little Simz, Róisín Murphy, Sleaford Mods, Caribou, Khruangbin and Fred Again.
For three decades, The Chemical Brothers have redefined live electronic music by creating a genuinely immersive gig experience - a show that sets hallucinogenic visuals to some of the biggest anthems in dance music including Hey Boy Hey Girl, Galvanize, Got To Keep On, Block Rockin’ Beats and many more.
This will be the duo’s debut Bristol festival appearance and Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons will bring their full, award-winning psychedelic live show to The Downs.
Other acts confirmed for Forwards include Floating Points, Kae Tempest, Kojey Radical, Self Esteem, Shygirl, The Comet is Coming, Overmono, Gabriels, Sudan Archives, Chrissi and Connie Constance.
Working with associated partner Big Team CIC, the team behind Forwards festival say they want to involve young people who are under-represented in the festival and events industry by offering work experience, shadowing and paid job placements across the festival.
These relationships will be supported through outreach, engagement and meaningful partnerships with local youth organisations such as ACE and Babbasa.
Tom Paine, co-founder of Team Love said: "We're proud to be unveiling a new festival for a new era of festivals, in the best city in the world, our hometown of Bristol.
"Now, more than ever, it’s important that our events invite debate and challenge the audience to do more to make the world a better place, as well as being a place to come together, dance, and make memories.
"Alongside one of the most exciting line-ups we have ever brought to Bristol, we’re creating an area called The Information, to provide a space for urgent conversations from some of our favourite activist and political voices.
"We're partnering with CICs to nurture new talent, provide community catering at the heart of the festival and give back to our communities through the festival ecosystem."
The Forwards festival takes place on The Downs on Saturday September 3 and Sunday September 4. Gates open at 12pm and last entry to the event will be 8pm.
Tickets go on sale at 8am on February 25 but there is a pre-sale from 10am on February 24.
Early bird day admission starts at £39.50, with weekend tickets available from £75.
Concessions are available for children aged 5-15, local residents and ‘low income individuals’.
For tickets, go to www.forwardsbristol.co.uk
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