Forwards Bristol Day 2 Shakes the Bristol Downs - Review

Bristol Downs took centre stage for another successful edition of Forwards Bristol, a two-day festival filled with music, art and a strong sense of connection.

Day 2 could have been dampened by the cancellation of hip-hop sensation and Grammy-winner Doechii, but the almost impossibly quick confirmation of DJ & Producer Nia Archives as her replacement showed the opposite, as crowds gathered en masse. 

And with Olivia Dean, The Last Dinner Party, Jorja Smith, among others as supporting acts, it made for an enjoyable day where true love for live music shone through.

By the time Olivia Dean began singing ‘Nice To Each Other’, the audience was completely won over. A perfect way to end the summer, her devoted fans sang every word back and waved bespoke signs as the staging, decked in pink hues, matched the warmth of the moment. 'Carmen', from her ‘Messy’ album, was dedicated to her grandmother, a Windrush immigrant from Guyana who moved to the UK at 18, and to others with similar journeys. Later, ‘Dive’ saw couples and friends fully immersing themselves in an organic moment of connection. Dean has truly taken UK soul to new heights, with an audience that ranged from young children dancing to twenty-somethings and older listeners swaying along, definitely a core summer memory to remember.

This came during a week marked by censorship. At Victorious Festival, The Mary Wallopers had their set cut short after displaying a Palestinian flag. Soon after, The Last Dinner Party, Cliffords and The Academic pulled out of the same event in protest. At Reading and Leeds, the BBC refused to broadcast speeches from artists including Hozier and Enter Shikari. Against that backdrop, Forwards felt refreshingly in tune with its political values. Zarah Sultana, Independent MP for Coventry South and founding member of new political party Your Party, alongside Jeremy Corbyn, gave a powerful speech before one of the sets. This commitment was clear in the diverse crowds it gathered, the acts it spotlighted, and the creatives working behind the scenes.

Nia Archives brought the house down as she admitted she was “gassed to get the call” and spoke candidly about going through a breakup, saying the set was a nice way to unwind. Her visual-heavy production, with mini cams and bright backdrops, worked perfectly for a DJ-driven set. The crowd reflected the festival’s wide reach, with all kinds of people immersing themselves in the music, and midway through her set, the Downs were moving as one.

Later, The Last Dinner Party (TLDP) opened with the iconic ‘Burn Alive’. Fans in merch were easy to spot, including pieces from the upcoming album ‘From the Pyre’. Their setlist, already well-known to many, had the power to convert new listeners instantly, as they keep on cementing themselves as Gen Z’s beacon of hope for rock music. As it is already a commonality in TLDP sets, each band member had their own moment to shine, with solos and theatrical transitions like ‘Gjuha’ flowing beautifully into ‘Sinner’. 

The band also performed ‘The Scythe’, a new track they joked they had already played six times, but that “felt like the first time we ever played”. As the stars aligned and the crowd got to sing 'See you on Sunday' on an actual Sunday, the joy was palpable. ‘My Lady of Mercy’ showed their sheer power in the genre, and Mirror was a beautiful moment where the audience fell quiet to let Abigail’s vocals shine. Their staging fit perfectly with their theatrical, Greek-tragedy-inspired fantasy, making their first festival headline slot feel fully deserved.

To finish off the evening, Jorja Smith presented an ethereal performance. Minimal staging let her music and her incredible band shine. Guiding the audience through her discography with ease, she offered moments of discovery and familiarity in equal measure, with hits such as ‘Blue Lights’, ‘Be Honest’ and ‘On My Mind’ getting the audience singing enthusiastically.

Forwards felt deeply tied to Bristol itself. From vintage markets and record stalls to local food vendors, and with space for the local community to shine through, it stripped back the corporate feel of festivals in a meaningful way, celebrating live music in all its wonder.

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WORDS ANA PINTO AND BEA VASQUES

PHOTOS ANA PINTO