Festival Review: Forwards & Forwards Presents Lorde 2026
Credit: Rhys Hardman
After a long stretch of worrying heatwaves, unwavering predictions for thunderstorms and never-ending drizzle on the last weekend of August should have been a literal breath of fresh air, but as we traversed Clifton Downs for 3 days of festivities at Forwards Festival and Forwards Presents Lorde the vibes were uncertain. How do you survive a festival in the rain? The historic drought of summer 2026 had left any adaptive rain skills completely dried up; my waterproofs were nowhere to be seen and I was clinging onto my July tan. But if there’s one notable thing about Forwards to take away, it’s that the music never stops playing. The energy never dips.
Credit: Rhys Hardman
Forwards returned again this year with a stacked lineup (Little Simz, Tems, Amyl and The Sniffers and Wet Leg, to name but a few huge names), alongside an additional ‘Forwards Presents’ Friday evening, featuring Tumblr-era legend Lorde as headliner. Having attended All Points East’s similar lineup day (I can only imagine that Lorde, Audrey Hobert, Rose Gray and Djo all got stuck in the same traffic as me on the way there) the week prior, I was intrigued to see how the manic dust-kicking and sprinting between stages for a good spot would translate across the M4. However, the day played out at a much more peaceful pace, again, despite the dramatic weather differences. All the way through, the crowd maintained such a warm appreciation for each other and the great names playing across the two stages. Kicking off the weekend with such a fantastic evening, it felt like Christmas Day and Eve combined knowing I had two more days of fun lined up.
Credit: Rhys Hardman
It being one of the first festivals almost entirely driven by green energy (a combination of hydrogen and mobile batteries charged with sustainable energy powering both stages), Forwards Festival didn’t have to do much else to seriously impress me, but LORD(e) did it deliver. Whilst traversing between the East and West stages, positioned parallel across the Downs, I had a chance to check out the fantastic food options, various brand activations complete with complimentary freebies and hidden gem DJ sets, and the overwhelming good vibes.
Credit: Rhys Hardman
Across the two days of Forwards Festival, I was stunned by the energy of the crowds and artists despite the heavy rainfall. With this being the last tour date for many of the performers, a lot of the sets felt cathartic: Self Esteem delivered an emotional show, introduced by none other than Zack Polanski, Viagra Boys knocked it out of the park with their infectious self-deprecation, and Princess Nokia riled up the crowd as the heavens opened. It was almost like the rain was a paid actor. Amyl and the Sniffers played my favourite set of the weekend; after coming out for a surprise appearance during Viagra Boys’ set, Amy Taylor inspired me to scream songs about being drunk with the girls, whilst getting pushed around under the dusk drizzle.
The unrelenting optimism of Bristol crowds is not to be doubted - under any circumstances, the spectators found a way to match the energy of the performers. However, it shouldn’t be taken for granted, as the ethos of Forwards absolutely played into this optimism: throughout the festival grounds, an air of hope passed amongst every attendee. Political activism and the power of unity was present in every stall, every talk on the Information Stage, every interactive art exhibit, every volunteer and, of course, every performance. Families with young children partied alongside large gaggles of students and I was reminded once again of the fire at the belly of Bristol’s live events scene. Forwards successfully delivered their love letter to not only their location, but to the festival scene at large, and I can’t wait to go back and dance in the rain again.
Written by Katie Coxall
Opinion
