Watch as We Join the Dots at Nottingham's Dot to Dot Festival

Words: Darci Jackson

Photography: Izzi Glover

It’s the place to find the hottest new bands and artists across the industry, taking place in both Bristol and Nottingham across two days over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Dot to Dot Festival returned for 2025, championing diversity and an electric lineup across multiple genres. Despite being a busy weekend in the city with Nottingham Forest playing at home, and England winning their 5 day test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham’s Dot to Dot offered a breath of fresh air to end the weekend. With a swift wristband collection outside main venue Rock City, the early summer afternoon was begging to be bathed in, with a slice of festival fun.

A street party feeling settled itself outside of Rock City, with bunting adorning overhead, and the smell of wood-fired pizza, freshly poured pints (in the colourful Dot to Dot branded reusable cups) and the distinct rumble of chat.

Dizzy Magazine firstly found themselves at The Bodega, where we hosted an International Women’s Day celebration earlier on in the year. But this time, we were greeted in the bar of the venue by Dublin four-piece, Basht., who’re currently touring their debut EP, Bitter & Twisted - an amalgamation of moody and mysterious rock. Although being a gloriously warm afternoon, as soon as we stepped into The Bodega (as much as we could do, for the bar was filled to the brim with those hoping to catch but a glimpse), a gloomy atmosphere settled over us as Basht. mesmerised with their quiet confidence.

Guitarist, Lughaidh Armstrong Mayock, described their set as "one of [his] favourite gigs of the tour so far."

"For half two it was pretty packed!" added bassist Louis Christle.

Fellow Irish band, Cardinals, stunned with their soul warming rock straight from the other end of the country in Cork. With their shanty style swagger and brooding aura, the 5-piece included an accordion, giving a nod to their Irish traditional folk narratives, and transporting us straight to the picturesque landscape of their hometown of Kinsale.

Rescue Rooms was an ideal central hub during the day, offering an eclectic mix of genres to satisfy all tastes.

With his stellar pop sensibilities, Kai Bosch (in his own words, like the washing machine and power drill), wrapped the Stealth crowd around his fingers, mentioning how he was ‘really chuffed to be here.’

Bosch also headlined the previous day at Bristol’s The Island: "It was really packed and I was on last so it was a really nice end to the day. I just went out and had a hoot! I think I pulled a muscle but worth it!”

And we think that shows his dedication to his craft, having recently released synth fuelled singles Angel and Popstar of Your Dreams as well as duetting with Tom Odell at London’s The Roundhouse.

"I’ve been listening to Tom Odell since I was like 13, it was such a crazy moment, and I heard Tom Odell singing my song as well which is even weirder. I had so much fun, and he was so lovely and amazing to work with."

Speaking of performing live, talk turned to to Bosch’s love for Eurovision:

"I am absolutely obsessed with Eurovision. I can name you any entry, any year."

After writing single Rodeo Romeo, he put it forward for this year’s UK entry, but "it wasn’t meant to be."

"We need another gay bop. My gay bop."

If you close your eyes and listen to Bosch, it feels like the excitement before the start of a party or a night out, complete with a disco-esque atmosphere. And with that, we asked what Dizzy Magazine would find at a Kai Bosch disco:

"Obviously a glitterball, cowboy hat on entry, golden streamers on all the walls. There would be a cowboy DJing and he would go between Charli XCX to Evacuate the Dancefloor by Cascada to Black Eyed Peas's I Gotta Feeling. Just a gay old hoot."

Bosch is well on his way to becoming the popstar of his dreams, and we believe that’s coming sooner than we think!

"I’ve got so many big plans, maybe a song coming out at some point in the summertime, I’m in the studio a lot working on my next stuff. More absolute bops, campy fun pop. I’m working on maybe something a bit bigger, maybe an album, we’ll see. I’m having so much fun, almost caring less about what people think."

And that’s something we can vouch for, as despite running into some technical difficulties during his set, Bosch steamrolled through, spinning and jumping his way through the crowd, bringing his powerhouse choruses to create a set that he will ‘remember forever.’

Sticking in Rescue Rooms, it appeared that currently, everyone is after a slice of Keo pie, and we’re no exception to that rule. And we can see why, as they headlined the main room, offering all the hallmarks of bands that play 5x the size of that venue. Their epic guitars reverberated around the walls like pure liquid gold, as something so raw immersed itself between the lines of their songs. Their debut EP comes out later this Summer, and we can’t tell you how or why, but we do have inside information that Keo are clivewunderhorse approved…

Both Rock City and Rock City Beta offered incredible sets throughout the day, namely from Liverpool’s dark alternative outfit Bandit, and Honeyglaze’s entrancing punk ideals.

Manchester’s new kids on the block, Westside Cowboy, instantly put a smile on our faces, with their cheery, sophisticated take on British indie with a touch of folk. Being at a Westside Cowboy set feels like going home and sitting on your sofa with a warm cuppa. They’re no stranger to a huge chorus, but the next moment they’re bringing it down a notch, leaving the crowd eagerly awaiting the next drop. With just two singles out, we’re patiently waiting for their next move.

Now, one thing that loomed over us for much of the day was the secret set, which was revealed earlier in the day to be the endlessly raucous outfit, tackling themes of modern Britain and youth, known as Sports Team! And after the release of their third album, Boys These Days, just a mere two days before tackling Dot to Dot, The Bodega was not ready to host the sheer excitement that festival goers held.

Playing at 1am was not at all a deterrent, as we piled like sardines into the venue, with queues still outside both entrances to the venue. Having been lucky enough to make our way inside just in time, the only way we can describe the set was pure bliss. We’re firm believers that Sports Team must be experienced in a sweaty, intimate setting, and we were proved absolutely right as three quarters of the tiny room became one big mosh pit, transporting us straight back to the glory days of seeing them in such small venues. Playing singles from the new album such as Sensible and I’m In Love (Subaru), Sports Team also revisited debut album, Deep Down Happy, to fish out fan favourites Camel Crew and Fishing. But the real cherry on top was ending on Stanton, to the absolute delight of Sports Team’s diehard fanbase.

Dot to Dot’s no-fuss atmosphere showcasing some of the most exciting talent in the music space right now is exactly what we need, and definitely gave us lots of homework in terms of discovering so many more artists.