There was something for everyone at some of the best venues Bristol has to offer. The day was a triumph everywhere you looked. It was forecast rain and storms, but the weather held off, and it was a beautiful day all round. We thought we’d take you through some of our highlights, and get you looking forward to Dot to Dot 2019…

A new edition to this year’s D2D in Bristol, Rough Trade, did not disappoint and became a creative, buzzing hub for festival goers to visit throughout the day. One of our local recommendations, Joe Probert, opened up the Rough Trade stage in the early afternoon and was met with a packed room full of eager fans and curious people, who had stumbled in on what was a fantastic performance.



Later on we saw the band Sports Team take to the stage who, despite the seemingly unenthused maracas player, really got the crowd moving and turned Rough Trade into a sweaty hot-spot. No doubt the venue was busy all day and, judging from the snapshot we got, it was well worth spending your time there.

D2D took over some other incredible venues as well like Thekla, The Louisiana, The Fleece, SWX and the O2 Academy. Although we didn’t get around to every location, there were amazing acts playing at each one, so you never felt you were missing out by not being at the larger venues. If you wanted a quiet drink you could stop by the Strawberry Thief and watch locals Agata and Jasper Storey play, the perfect calming serenade in a day as hectic as D2D can be.



Other venues showcased some potentially big up and coming artists, including the enchanting Mahalia at SWX, Bath’s indie-rock quartet Farebrother dominating upstairs in SWX2, and the alternative-jazz influenced sounds of Oscar Jerome who played The Louisiana. We actually snagged an interview with Oscar Jerome, so keep an eye out for that one.

Our evening of fun finished off at Mr Wolf’s with James Humphrys and his band, who had us grooving throughout the entire set and loving every second. The night didn’t stop there though, as the music continued well on into the early hours with Cassia playing at midnight at Bristol’s beloved Thekla, followed by a DJ set by The Horrors - for the night-owls with wristbands, the D2D excitement didn’t end until 3am!

Bristol is such a vibrant, thriving city, and the perfect place for the music D2D provides every year. It’s the perfect start to the festival season, and we already can’t wait for the next one.

Get your 2019 festival tickets here.