Saturday’s Dot to Dot festival in Bristol was brimming with pure, unforgettable talent — including ones we weren’t able to catch.

Dot to Dot Bristol fell on a perfect day. On Saturday, it seemed that all of Bristol was ablaze with euphoria – even those not attending the festival were out and about, celebrating the sunshine. This only enhanced the unique multi-venue experience of Dot to Dot festival; with acts performing at different venues dotted around the city. 

This was my first time going to a multi-venue festival, and it was an absolute game-changer for me. The range of venues was a great way to experience Bristol, providing the perfect introduction for those who don’t live in the city. I found the lack of an enclosed arena incredibly refreshing, allowing increased accessibility for everyone: for example, those with financial or dietary restrictions would not be forced to have to buy food at the festival (with festival food being universally known for its priciness). Additionally, those with medical conditions have the freedom to come and go as they need. For us, it meant we were able to sit by the harbour between acts; feeling like part of the Dot to Dot and Bristol community. 

The first act we saw was ayrtn, who performed at Thekla – a cargo ship venue. ayrtn quite literally rocked the boat, with an electric set. ayrtn is an insanely talented rapper and producer, whose skill is even more impressive given he’s only nineteen years old.

On the stage, ayrtn’s music came to life, metamorphosing into an iconic atmosphere. The set was made even better by ayrtn’s stage presence; he was completely genuine, and it was impossible not to love his down-to-earth personality. On top of this, ayrtn repeatedly hyped up his DJ – encouraging the audience to give her the appreciation she deserves.  

Next, we saw Bob Vylan at O2 Academy Bristol. The duo claim to be the “saviours of punk rock” – and rightly so. I’ve been a fan of Bob Vylan for some time now and had very high expectations for this set. I can say with complete honesty that Bob Vylan obliterated these expectations, delivering one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen.

The duo gave us unabashedly raw energy, jumping, going into the crowd, and even flinging a baseball bat around. Bob Vylan are known for being politically charged, with many of their lyrics highlighting the prominence of racism in the ‘United’ Kingdom. The band stayed unapologetically true to their beliefs, calling out injustices between songs.

At one point, Bobby Vylan questioned why they weren’t headlining; a very important point given the white-washed nature of festivals in the UK, particularly for headliners. It took Glastonbury 27 years to have a black headliner and, even now, in 2022, there is a huge lack of non-white headliners at festivals. 

As the evening came upon us, we headed to the Bristol Beacon to see NiNE8, the iconic collective founded by Lava La Rue. NiNE8 blessed us with their effortless coolness, filling the venue with good vibrations and a euphorically chill experience. However, what was most notable in the set was the love the artists all held for one another. Their energy bounced off each other, and the positive chemistry between them all is not for nothing: the resulting music and stage presence is undeniably top tier. 

With such a great selection of headliners, it was hard to pick who to see. The line-up boasted the likes of Squid, Ghetts, Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, Baby Queen, and Alfie Templeman. Despite the difficulty of the decision, I am very happy that I chose to see Squid.

The post-punk band absolutely did not disappoint; in fact, they did the very opposite. Squid treated the ecstatic crowd to their unadulterated talent. The set was overflowing with sound, there were no moments of silence or pauses – some level of instrumentation occurred throughout the entire set, to the delight of progressive rock fans. Squid held an extravagantly confident flair, heightened by the trumpet perfectly incorporated into the instrumentals. This set was the perfect finale to a day brimming with fantastic music and performances. 

Dot to Dot aims to shine a light on new talent, regardless of genre. It is fair to say that they excelled at this goal. The level of talent in the performances I saw at Dot to Dot is like nothing I’ve ever experienced at a festival before, and I’ll definitely be coming back for round two next year.