Pop
Dot To Dot Festival Nottingham 2026: What to expect this May
Dot To Dot Festival returns to Nottingham in May 2026 with one of its most exciting line‑ups yet, bringing a full day of emerging talent and city‑wide live music discovery.
Dot To Dot Festival returns to Nottingham on Sunday 24 May 2026, once again turning the city centre into a buzzing circuit of live music, late‑night energy and next‑big‑thing discoveries.
The beloved metropolitan festival has long been a launchpad for breakthrough acts, and this year’s edition looks set to continue that tradition with one of its most eclectic and energetic line‑ups to date.
The 2026 programme leans heavily into the festival’s trademark mix of punk bite, alt‑rock swagger and shimmering indie, with rising names such as Lambrini Girls, Fcukers and NewDad already generating serious excitement.
The bill also includes Sancho Panza, Leah Wilcox, People Laughing, Cheap Dirty Horse, Archy and The Astronauts, Pict, Drury Hill, Rainbow Frog Biscuits, Manic State, The Harbours, Emidora and Dura Matter.
Alongside them, a wide cast of emerging artists — from art‑rock experimenters to left‑field pop outsiders — will fill every corner of the city with new sounds and fresh ideas.
As always, Dot To Dot will spill across Nottingham’s most iconic grassroots venues, with crowds weaving between Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega, Stealth, Rough Trade and a constellation of smaller spaces that thrive on discovery. Part of the festival’s enduring charm is the freedom to wander, follow the noise and stumble across a future favourite in a room you didn’t expect to end up in.
With more than a hundred acts expected across the day, Dot To Dot 2026 arrives at a moment when appetite for emerging music feels stronger than ever.
