Nottingham's Dot To Dot festival is set to return in May 2023 and has announced its first wave of artists. The music festival will take place at venues across the city centre on May 28 next year.
The festival attracts music fans with its wide-ranging line-ups of the hottest new talent. Previous Dot To Dot line-ups have seen performances from the likes of The 1975, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Foals, Wolf Alice, Lewis Capaldi, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Florence + The Machine.
In 2023, post-punk band Yard Act will headline the festival. After performing on smaller stages at D2D 2021, the four-piece are currently skyrocketing after the success of their Mercury Award nominated debut album The Overload, positioned as The Guardian’s Ones to Watch, and receiving rave reviews from Pitchfork and NME, among others.
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Having Yard Act set to return continues the festival’s approach to supporting artists to grow and rise up the bill, like previous headliners Squid and Sports Team. Dot To Dot Festival booker Conrad Rogan expressed that this approach is always key when bringing together the line up each year.
He said: “At D2D we want to showcase the most exciting emerging music. Our favourite thing to do is see artists grow from being further down the line up to becoming headliners.
"This year we are thrilled to have yet another example of this with Yard Act, who like our two previous headliners, Sports Team and Squid, have performed at the festival on smaller stages. We are so proud to announce these first spotlight artists, who represent an amazing first selection of what is set to be a once again diverse bill of budding talent."
Joining Yard Act are Toronto-based quintet 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.
They have recently released their long-awaited 2022 album Blue Rev, which has since received rave reviews from the likes of NME, The New York Times and more, along with being selected as Pitchfork’s Best New Album. After a huge two years, Finn Foxell will be showcasing his smoky, electronic, hip-hop-leaning atmospherics at the festival. One of the most exciting rappers in the UK, with his 2019 album featuring collaborations from Loyle Carner, Maverick Sabre and Ady Suleiman, Kofi Stone is set to bring his introspective and relatable brand of soulful honest hip-hop to D2D 2023.
Referred to by NME as a ‘‘bedroom producer carving out time to chill in the rave’’, Malaysian-Irish producer and songwriter yunè pinku will bring the late night party. Elsewhere, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Beka will bring her touching style of hope-filled pop music.
South London auteur Heartworms, AKA Joji Orme, will bring her very own dystopian theatre to the stages of D2D 2023, backed by a full live band. Meanwhile, 17-year-old singer-songwriter Cathy Jain will bring her hazy, sun-kissed daydream of R&B-tinged alt-pop to the festival and singer-songwriter Nell Mescal is also on board.
HIGH VIS join the line-up, along with rock collective Personal Trainer. From their first show supporting TV Priest, to a triumphant sold-out headline to end a debut UK tour in their hometown of Nottingham, Divorce have made a name for themselves as a live force to be reckoned with.
They will bring their clash of vocal energy and a healthy dose of theatre to their hometown. As well as Opus Kink, Cryalot, Nix Northwest, Mickey Callisto and Yot Club.
Dot To Dot Festival booker Joshua Ward said: “We’re extremely pleased to be announcing the very first names on the bill for Dot To Dot Festival, again with an incredibly innovative and diverse line up of emerging artists. We have carefully selected these acts who begin to make up what is set to be an exciting 2023.
"With Dot To Dot Festival, we want you to find your new favourite artists, and watch intimate live performances you won’t forget. I am looking forward to catching earlier slots from upcoming bands, that we may eventually see headline in the future, just like Yard Act.”
Early bird tickets have already sold out and second tier tickets are already on sale. They are priced at £25 and can be found here.
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