Dot To Dot Festival has just announced the second wave of artists for the 2026 edition – including MANDY, INDIANA, RATBOYS, LUCIA & THE BEST BOYS and more than 30 other new names joining previously announced headliners LAMBRINI GIRLS, FCUKERS and NEWDAD.
Taking place across the late May bank holiday in Bristol and Nottingham, the festival is once again set to showcase the best emerging talent after being nominated for Inner-City Festival Of The Year and Line-Up Of The Year (UK Festival Awards) and Best Independent Festival (Access All Areas).
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With more than 60 names already announced for Dot To Dot Festival, the metropolitan festival continues to provide a genre-spanning line-up in two of the UK’s most exciting and vibrant music cities. With more announcements to follow – including local talent from Bristol and Nottingham – 2026 is set to be another incredible year of celebrating the hottest new talent in the UK and beyond.
We’re delighted to announce new names for 2026! The first wave was incredibly welcomed, and we are proud to showcase even more of the best new names in live music across Bristol and Nottingham this May. This second wave includes some familiar names such as Mandy, Indiana and Ratboys – and we can’t wait for festival-goers to discover new names across the weekend – Conrad Rogan, booker for Dot To Dot Festival and DHP Family
Four-piece experimental noise band MANDY, INDIANA join the line-up for Dot To Dot Festival 2026 fresh from the release of second full-length album ‘URGH’. Packed with nu-metal soundscapes and fervent vocal distortions, the Manchester-via-Berlin band also delve into techno, hip-hop, alt-rap and industrial noisescapes across the record. They are a force of uncanny nature, interpolating their own unconventional language into a mantra for self-determination and resilience, forging a template for a brighter future before it fades to black.
Chicago favourites RATBOYS head to Bristol and Nottingham this May armed with latest album, ‘Singin’ to an Empty Chair’, and a stacked back catalogue of emo-folk anthems. The latest release is home to 11 twangy, effervescent tracks showcasing the band as confident as they’ve ever been – and more emotionally interrogative than ever before. “At a time when country-tinged indie rock is by no means in short supply in America – Wednesday, Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman all spring to mind – Ratboys have earned their seat at the top table” (DIY).
Praised by icons such as Shirley Manson, Elton John and Wolf Alice; LUCIA & THE BEST BOYS burst onto the scene with their groundbreaking debut album ‘Burning Castles’ back in 2023. Now back with new music for the first time in three years via ‘Lonely Girl’ featuring Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), the enigmatic band are poised for a stellar return at Dot To Dot Festival this May.
CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR – the duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten – are set to drop new record ‘Dim Sum & Then Some’ in the weeks leading up to Dot To Dot Festival. The album is a positive and light-hearted collage of the duo’s life together – exploring all the things they love: food, appreciating small joys, the Chinese-American upbringing, love and fairy tales.
Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, SWORDES moved to New York City to pursue a fine arts education at Parsons School of Design. After a year of school and becoming disillusioned with academia, she began making music as a joke. With her only vocal training being her shower, Swordes’s style is eclectic, experimental ,and most of all, fun.
By the time he’d finished high school, MITCH SANTIAGO had already toured across Australia with The Dreggs and showcased his indie-rock sound at SXSW Australia and BIGSOUND – as well as featuring on stages across the UK and Europe. Latest EP, ‘Heathrow’, is textured exploratory and shaped by an increased focus on drums, synths and layered arrangements.
The anxious brainchild of artist Jessica Baker, UGLY OZO is the sonic diary of a chronic oversharer, laying bare the most confronting corners of the female experience. Taking inspiration from the likes of The Breeders, Wolf Alice and Autolux, the musician has garnered widespread acclaim in recent months surrounding the release of her ‘stargirl’ EP.
ALFREDA is a London-based alt-pop artist and performer whose work fuses theatrical pop, spoken word, and surreal storytelling. Known for her immersive live shows and sharp, self-aware humour, she is building a distinctive artistic world that lives across music, performance and film.
Following an incredible year that included sell out shows across Ireland and supporting The Wolfe Tones to over 50,000 people, DAVE LOFTS is nothing short of remarkable. From serving in the Irish Army to achieving a number 1 in the Independent Album charts, his authenticity and connection with fans continue to set him apart as one of Ireland’s most compelling new voices.
Head to Dot To Dot’s website for full details and line up www.dottodotfestival.co.uk
If you are looking for a place to stay for Dot to Dot East 2026 then check out our interactive accommodation map below. Just add in the dates you want to stay and the venue and you will be able to see what’s available nearby! (The map is set to Bristol, so simply change the venue and dates for Nottingham and search away!)
