Simple Things Festival 2025
Simple Things Festival returns to Bristol Beacon and more venues across the city on Saturday 8 November with tickets on sale from Wednesday 30 April at 12pm.
Simple Things Festival returns to Bristol on Saturday 8 November 2025, celebrating more than a decade of championing bold and boundary-pushing sounds with the likes of Dry Cleaning, Tunde Adebimpe, Factory Floor, Decius, Rich(ard) Dawson and more. Renowned for its curatorial edge and deep connection with the underground music community, Simple Things once again stakes its claim as one of the UK's most respected forward-thinking festivals and tickets are now available to purchase via the Simple Things website.
Centred around Bristol Beacon and spreading across the city's signature venues, the 2025 edition brings a focused line-up that captures where modern music is heading - blending live electronics, heavy experimentalism, off-centre pop and raw guitar energy.
This year's programme features standout artists such as Dry Cleaning, the South London post-punk outfit whose debut album New Long Leg broke into the UK Top 5 and established them as one of Britain's most vital new bands. Also taking the stage is Tunde Adebimpe, the celebrated frontman of TV on the Radio, now breaking new ground with his acclaimed solo work and his 2025 debut album, Thee Black Boltz.
Alongside them, an incredibly diverse cast of artists includes: Factory Floor, Decius, Rich(ard) Dawson, These New Puritans, Fievel Is Glauque, Joshua Idehen + The Social Singing Choir, MOULD, Rachika Nayar, Lucy Gooch, Florence Sinclair, The Zawose Queens, Hotline TNT, Mandrake Handshake, Mechatok, Jawnino, Ceephax Acid Crew, Y, Horse Vision, Mystery Tiime, 10 years of Nyege Nyege Tapes showcase, The Sick Man of Europe, Smerz, The Orielles, Malibu, Upchuck, Iglooghost and a showcase of favourite acts from World Snooker Champion, DJ and Bristol resident Steve Davis.
Thomas Frost, Co-Founder and Director at Crack Magazine, said: “There is never a year when getting all the Simple Things jigsaw pieces out of the box isn’t exciting. This edition is no different. Working together on a line-up that is musically representative of what we do at Crack Magazine, and creating a whole package that feels essential, is always a highlight, and we can’t wait to continue building around this incredible first phase of musical talent.”
“Simple Things has always been about pushing things forward - championing artists who aren’t afraid to experiment and challenge the status quo," said Matthew Aitken, Programmer at Bristol Beacon. "For 2025, we’ve curated a line-up that captures the energy, innovation and raw creativity that make modern music so exciting right now. It’s a celebration of boundary-breakers and future icons, all set against the backdrop of the city that helped inspire it."
Simple Things has always prioritised innovation over commercial trends, with past editions featuring trailblazers such as Max Cooper, Flowdan, Wu-Lu, Warmduscher, Gazelle Twin, and SCALER. The 2025 line-up continues this spirit, spotlighting artists who are shaping the future of music in fearless and unexpected ways.
Dave Harvey, Director at Team Love, said: “The unique nature of this show and working with such great partners make this a yearly highlight for our team. The multi-venue nature of the show makes it so different from many of the bigger outdoor shows we produce, so we’re always excited to get stuck into some of Bristol’s best gig spaces. This event allows what we do to flourish in such a great way, and the music is absolutely first class too.”
Venues being used for the 2025 edition include five stages across Bristol Beacon, Bristol Megascreen (formerly The Bristol IMAX), which features the use of their 19m x 15m cinema screen, Strange Brew, The Sportsmans, Rough Trade, and The Christmas Steps.
Further acts will be revealed over the coming months, as well as a closing show on the Sunday and other shows in the lead-up to the main day, plus after-party details for November 8th.
For the latest updates, visit simplethingsfestival.co.uk and bristolbeacon.org.
TICKETS FOR SIMPLE THINGS ARE ON SALE NOW.