Music / Bristol festivals
‘Life affirming musical memories’: Looking ahead to Ritual Union 2026
Ritual Union returns for its annual takeover of the centre on March 28, once again combining the best emerging and established artists from across the UK’s vibrant music scene.
Taking place across three of Bristol’s most celebrated venues, Electric, Rough Trade and Strange Brew, this year the festival also extends its footprint to nearby the Lanes, the multi-functional events space acting as a hub for festival-goers to recharge and connect.
Headlining the 2026 instalment is Keo, a London quartet already making serious waves on the live circuit.
Their sound bridges 90s grunge, shoegaze and modern alternative rock, taking the emotional resonance of Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and the Smashing Pumpkins, and pairing it with more contemporary sonics reminiscent of Wunderhorse and Fontaines D.C.
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Elsewhere on the lineup is Working Men’s Club, bringing their blend of post-punk, synth-pop and dance music back to Bristol for the first time since 2022.
Irish/Cornish band GIRL IN THE YEAR ABOVE blend a Celtic, storytelling feel with a ferocious emotional performance, and Dead Dads Club regularly perform live with Fontaines DC.
Other new additions to this year’s festival include the introduction of the (very) sold-out AFTERGLOW event where, for the first time ever, Ritual Union will be keeping the party going late into the night with an official afterparty.
Girl in the Year Above, led by Jennifer Ball, bring their Celtic-infused sound to Bristol hot off the back of their tour support slot for the Kooks – photo: Girl in the Year Above
Leading the AFTERGLOW line-up is Ninajirachi, one of Australia’s most exciting electronic exports who has rapidly established herself as a global force in dance music for her sets packed with euphoric high energy moments.
Also performing is newcomer LACES, and KAVARI, who is emerging as one of the more influential figures in the UK’s underground electronic scene.
To find out more about what to expect from this year’s stellar lineup, Bristol24/7 caught up with one of the festival’s promoters, Lawrence Coales-Duffy.
What does this year’s lineup represent for Ritual Union in terms of ambition and ethos?
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“We feel the lineup represents a perfect balance between new, local talent and established acts from elsewhere in the country and indeed the world.
“A strong turnout for the grassroots artists on the bill earlier in the day relies on us booking the right acts for the more prominent slots. Locking in the full lineup certainly didn’t happen overnight, myself and Owain [Jones, promoter] have worked tirelessly for months to curate the finished product.”
What made Keo feel like the right band to close the festival at this point in their trajectory?
“We felt going with a rising star for the headline slot over an act who had been around for a while would show fans that Ritual Union is at the cutting edge of indie music.
“Booking an established artist with proven ticket worth would’ve been the comfortable option, but what matters more to us is always pushing things forward and Keo satisfies that desire.”
Second headliner Working Men’s Club blend post-punk, synth-pop and dance music. How does this genre fluidity reflect the current music scene?
“It certainly does feel like now, more than ever, indie bands are crafting songs that can’t easily be pinned to one genre, indeed acts that are enjoying success in the indie world right now are the ones who are blending dancy and punky elements.
“Working Men’s Club could be considered pioneers of this – when they broke onto the scene a few years back, what they were doing was really groundbreaking, whereas now it’s the prevalent trend.”
What makes Electric Bristol, Rough Trade, and Strange Brew central to the identity of Ritual Union?
“We are so lucky as a city to have three of the best venues in the country within a two minute walk of one another. People know that at Ritual Union they don’t have to plan for arduous walks between sets, they can walk (sometimes stumble!) out of one venue and almost immediately be in another.
“The Lanes is such an iconic Bristol indie music venue and Crosstown are huge admirers of the booking that Miles does in-house, so we felt it was only right, especially given its proximity to the Ritual Union venues, that we get him and the team involved this year!”
How important is it to create a space for conversation and community-building within the festival experience?
“It’s absolutely essential. Ritual Union has a loyal following of people hungry to experience some of the best new music the UK has to offer. If we can provide a space to foster a community around that, we should do.
“It can be a very full-on day darting between venues to try and catch everything so taking a moment for a breather when you get the chance is important.”
What do you hope festival-goers take from this year’s event?
“Life affirming musical memories and maybe a band tee from our merch area, new for 2026!”
Ritual Union returns to Bristol City Centre on Saturday, March 28 2026. Final release tickets are available at ritual-union.gigantic.com/ritual-union-tickets
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