Charli XCX has been announced for the inaugural Bristol festival FORWARDS this autumn, marking her first live appearance in the city – you can buy tickets from here.

She joins the already announced Jamie xx, Little Simz, Khruangbin and Fred Again.. on the Saturday (September 3) line-up at Bristol’s Clifton Downs. FORWARDS runs across two days, culminating with a headline set from The Chemical Brothers on the Sunday (September 4).

Also playing the weekend are Róisín Murphy, Caribou, Sleaford Mods, Spiritualized, Floating Points, Kae Tempest, Kojey Radical, Self Esteem, Shygirl, The Comet Is Coming, Warmduscher, OVERMONO, Gabriels, Sudan Archives, Chrissi, Billy Nomates, Melt Yourself Down, Connie Constance, Kam-Bu, Rozi Plain, Hypothetics, Ishmael Ensemble And Friends, Willow Kayne and Harvey Causon.

FORWARDS is described in press material as a festival that “challenges what metropolitan festivals can be today, kickstarting a new breed of city festivals by committing to positive change through social initiatives and a powerful platform for discussion”.

As well as the two main music stages, FORWARDS will also platform forward-thinking conversations. This will include a discussion on race with the former footballer and author of The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism John Barnes, who will be in conversation with Bristolian poet and active media spokesperson on the Colston Four trial, Lawrence Hoo.

Also on the talks line-up are discussions on trans rights and gender fluidity, the cost of living crisis, feminist agendas and the music industry today. Other speakers booked for the festival include Lemn Sissay, Jack Monroe, Jay Rayner and Shon Faye.

Additionally, the festival has built social initiatives into its infrastructure including partnering with community catering company Team Canteen, which fights against food vulnerability, and will provide community-led catering across the two-day event.

Presenting the first wave of music for FORWARDS Bristol 2022. A new 2-day music festival, specially curated to harness the power of live events.

Pre-sale Release: Thurs 24th Feb
General Release: 8AM Fri 25th Febhttps://t.co/OC4pk99IyN pic.twitter.com/f6todxY3Oo

— Forwards Bristol (@ForwardsBristol) February 22, 2022

Day tickets are now available from £56.89, with weekend tickets available from £102.14. Concessions are available for children aged 5-15, locals and low income individuals.

Elsewhere, Charli XCX is joining Soft Cell, The Go-Go’s and Corey Hart to perform a special virtual concert to celebrate the arrival of Stranger Things season four.

Titled ‘Live From The Upside Down’, the livestream show is set to go ahead on June 23 and is the result of a deal struck between Netflix and Doritos.