George Ward

Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.

Bristol + Nottingham day festival Dot To Dot drops their first wave of acts for 2025, including Fat Dog, Big Special and Sprints

Taking place over two days in Bristol and Nottingham, Dot To Dot Festival is one of the best day festivals in the UK. Now, for its 2025 edition and 20th year, the festival has announced its first wave of acts, with more yet to be dropped.

Winning the award for Best Metropolitan Festival in 2023 and nominated again this year, Dot To Dot has come a long way since its birth in 2005. Last year saw Jockstrap and Wunderhorse take the reins, with highlights including Mary In The Junkyard, Hovvdy and up-and-comers Welly and Factor 50. You can read about it here.

Next year, we are in for a treat, with some of the buzziest acts of the year making their way to Bristol and Nottingham. Fat Dog, If you haven’t heard, they dropped their debut album this year, after months of festival buzz and a cult-like following. Their sound is unique, their energy insanely high and their showmanship unlike anything else. Until you’ve been in a Fat Dog mosh pit, you haven’t really heard them. You can read our interview with them here if you need more convincing.

Equally exciting and equally buzzy are Irish punk band SPRINTSwhose debut album ‘Letter To Self’ also blew fans away this year. Both crushing and uplifting, SPRINTS‘ sound is noisy, catchy and confident. Having just played their biggest show yet at the O2 Forum, Kentish Townnow is your chance to catch SPRINTS before they are promoted to much bigger stages.

Following their 2018 headline performance, The Horrors will return, just after the release of their first album in 7 years, ‘Night Life’ while Speedy Wunderground’s’ honeyglaze will be celebrating the release of their debut ‘Royal Deal’. political duo Big Special will also return to the city, along with indie-folk artist Kate Bollinger.

Of course, this is only a handful of big names from a stacked lineup. Have a look through for yourself and discover some of the many independent bands that you’ll be able to catch in some of both cities’ many independent venues.

Dot To Dot Festival will take place in Bristol on 24th May and in Nottingham on 25th May.

Tickets are available here.