“A soaring success”: Dot to Dot Festival brings best of new music to Nottingham

The most glorious collision of genre-spanning new music, this year’s edition of Dot to Dot Festival was a soaring success.

Each year, the annual multi-city festival brings a diverse range of acts together for a packed day of music in Bristol and Nottingham. 

To see what the festival had to offer, we spent last weekend running between Nottingham venues to catch all the best in new and revered indie music.

To kick off the day, we headed straight to The Bodega’s bar, where Mauvey was opening the day with a string of fresh, energetic beats topped with emotion-packed rap. Drawing inspiration from his global background, which includes links to Ghana, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the artist has developed a unique, Afro-fusion sound which quickly brought a thumping buzz to the venue.

Next on the bill at the bar was Antwerp-based trio BLUAI. With sounds that are impressively similar to the infectious soft rock sounds of artists like HAIM and Big Thief, the all-female group attracted an eager, elbow-to-elbow crowd as they moved through a set of dreamy, wistful songs injected with rock motifs. Underscored by a nostalgic feel, the group’s most recent songs seemed to draw inspiration from the sonic landscapes of The Japanese House. If the packed crowd wasn’t telling enough, the promisingly youthful quality of BLUAI’s music solidifies them as one to watch closely. 

Hailing from Sweden, upcoming indie-rock band Girl Scout delivered rockier, heavier sounds over at The Bodega’s main stage. Characterised by a raw, nostalgic feel, the group’s music was embedded with catchy guitar riffs and deliciously layered harmonies. Throughout the set, a keen audience grew as front vocalist Emma Jansson added floating vocals over the top of infectious drum beats. 

Back in Rock City, Panic Shack kicked off their set with an opening that was oozing with power. ‘When you look at me like that, I don’t like it’, rang out the mantra of the quintet’s opening song, I Don’t Really Like It. From the outset, the Cardiff group proved the riveting power of their music, opening with a song that carried so much angst through only four repeated lines. Following a slathering of repeated mantras directed to those who have been spoken down to, the song quickened into a rockier, impassioned swelling.

Never one to shy away from humour, lead singer Sarah Harvey warned, “This one’s a bit loud”, before launching into an energetic cacophony of a set that was starkly lively and heroically witty. 

Since we saw emerging London group Daydreamers play their first ever live show at The Finsbury, the enticingly fresh indie pop band has taken social media by storm. Since garnering their well-earned success along the way, their live sets have gone from strength to strength. We headed over to Rescue Rooms to catch their set, which was as joyously youthful and energetic as always. Overflowing with colourful pop sounds and infectious hooks, the set featured unreleased songs including the catchy Colourblind and Don’t Delete My Number, as well as revered hit Call Me Up and their latest single, Beach House. Already on an impressive trajectory and with a sound that is impeccably universal, Daydreamers will be selling out arenas in no time. 

Remarkably catchy from the outset, and bleeding with musical chemistry, The Bug Club’s set over at Rock City was simultaneously buzzing with humour and skilful musicianship. Over grungy and raw sounds that are rock-like yet genre-defying, the pair showcased their witty lyricism, with second song Clapping In Time being a stand out. 

After catching as much of the set as possible, we raced over to The Bodega to see Home Counties. Packed with arresting groove and palpable energy, the set was instantly enlivening, opening with danceable first song Uptight. While their lyrics explore the often dismal aspects of modern living, their sound remains glittering and thrilling, imbued with funk and disco inspirations. Impressively eccentric and oozing with unparalleled groove, Home Counties are undoubtedly one of the most exciting acts on the UK music scene right now.

After an energetic performance from Home Counties, it was time to make our way over to Rock City to bid a farewell to well-loved indie legends The Magic Gang. Following a whirlwind musical career, the group came to Nottingham fresh off the back of their farewell UK tour. The room was filled with a bittersweet air as a crowd of eager fans watched them perform their set of euphoric, raucous hits for the last time. 

Rock City stayed buzzing with energy as the crowd awaited genre-defying co-headliners Jockstrap. Exhilaratingly idiosyncratic, the set opened with bhangra-infused, head-banging hit Debra. The song itself immediately establishes Jockstrap’s unique sounds, which gleefully oscillate between soaring, silky vocals and maximalist electronic explosions. 

Remaining elaborately experimental and offbeat, the duo segued into the dynamic Jennifer B, before keeping the energy up with Good Girl, a punchy, artful tune from their latest album, I<3UQTINVU, a series of remixes that echo their existing works. 

Equally thundering and melodic, chaotic and calm, the set stepped further into its full glory with Glasgow, an evocative ballad whose orchestral swells leave it brimming with joyous nostalgia. 

The pair ushered in a slower pace with the intimate and lovesick, What’s It All About? and Angst, a more vulnerable track whose raw, evocative imagery reflects Jockstrap’s lyrical excellence. Across the rest of the set, which continued to race between agile, electronic remixes and raw ballads, highlights included Greatest Hits and Concrete Over Water, a tumultuous sonic adventure that waltzes unexpectedly between stripped back vocal-led sections and dizzying, operatic hyperpop climaxes. 

Following Jockstrap’s headline performance, we headed outside as festival goers began to wind down for the day outside Rescue Rooms, listening to the warming, summery sounds of Lucille’s acoustic set, before dropping into the venue for a smooth DJ set from Oscar #WorldPeace. 

Our night ended with a run over to Wunderhorse’s set. Having attracted a buzzing crowd, the co-headliners set was packed near to its full capacity, with eager concert goers filling even the quirkiest spots in Nottingham venue The Level in attempt to catch a glimpse of the group. Throughout the set, the celebrated indie-rock band moved through popular classics as well as more recent singles, all enhanced by raspy vocals from frontman Jacob Slater.

Amidst impassioned wails and swelling electric ambience, a flourishing, heart-filled energy brought the night to a close, the packed crowd telling of the refreshingly uniting power of music that Dot To Dot Festival exhibits year on year. 

Tickets for next year’s edition of Dot to Dot Festival, which will take place on the 24th & 25th May 2025 in Bristol and Nottingham, are on sale now.

Photography by Emma Last