Festival Preview: Dot To Dot 2023

Dot To Dot is a staple of Nottingham’s festival circuit. Spread across many of the city’s indoor music venues, including Rock City, Rescue Rooms and The Bodega, this year’s festival will take place on 28 May.

With a huge line-up and limited capacity in each venue, it’s important to plan ahead so you don’t miss any must-see acts. So, here are LeftLion’s recommendations if you’re planning to head to Dot To Dot at the end of the month.

Yard Act
From a slot lower down the bill at The Bodega in 2021 to returning to headline the whole thing, Yard Act have had a monumental rise to success since their critically acclaimed debut album The Overload was released last year. You’d be silly to miss the headliners, after all!

ALVVAYS
Toronto-based ALVVAYS will also headline the festival with their combination of indie pop with infectious, sugary melodies and melancholy noise rock. Their 2022 album Blue Rev received rave reviews from the likes of NME and Pitchfork, and we loved it here at LeftLion, too.

Finn Foxell
After an absolutely electric show at The Bodega last November, West-London’s Finn Foxell returns to Nottingham this year for a set at Dot To Dot. Finn is an artist who is on a rapid rise to being the ‘next big thing’ so we recommend you catch him in these intimate venues while you can.

Sophie May
With a hugely dedicated online following, and megastar fans like Billie Eilish and Celeste, Sophie has already accumulated over one million combined streams in just a few months. The TikTok sensation will be bringing her melodic folk-pop straight from your phone screens to the Dot To Dot stage.

Heartworms
Following a support slot at The Bodega for Lime Garden last November, Heartworms (also known as Jojo Orme) has recently been signed to cult indie label Speedy Wunderground, who were a huge fan of her unique strand of defiant and angsty goth-inspired post-punk.

Cucamaras
Nottingham's very own Cucamaras grace the Dot To Dot line-up this year, following the release of their latest singles Cotton Wool and Porcelain. These guys have been picked up by NME, so they are sure to be a national sensation soon, but there’s something special about catching an artist in their hometown.

JERUB
From studying at the University of Nottingham to performing as part of King Charles III’s coronation concert, JERUB is one of Nottingham’s most special talents. His latest singles Cold and Scared To Be Myself leave us wondering how he isn’t a global name yet, so we recommend hearing these songs live before the rest of the world catches on.

Midnight Rodeo
We interviewed them for Issue #159 of the mag, so you best believe the hype is real. This will be Midnight Rodeo’s first year playing Dot To Dot as a full band, so it’s sure to be a special one. The “woozy surf pop sextet” (as they put it) promised us a fun set, so you best get down there and join the party.

BEKA
If you can't wait until September to see BEKA at Rescue Rooms, Dot to Dot is the perfect chance to catch her before then. Her latest single Tears proves why she is one of the latest Nottingham-based artists to broaden her horizons; she is a powerhouse pop artist who wouldn't seem out of place if you heard her on national radio.

Jayahadadream
A commanding voice within the hip hop industry, Jayahadadream articulates her own personal experiences in a way that makes her stand a level above her peers, a statement that is captured perfectly by her latest single, Top One. Keep an eye out for our upcoming interview with her in our next issue. 

Luna and the Lime Slices
Winners of the Ultimate Battle of the Bands at Metronome earlier this year, this Confetti band earned themselves a spot at Splendour in July, but will first grace the Dot to Dot stage. Their gorgeous harmonies demonstrate their natural chemistry, having only come together as a band last September - impressive stuff, we think.

Dot To Dot will take place in Nottingham on 28 May

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