Simple Things Is 4 Festivals In One: Our Guide to Bristol's Biggest Music Day Out
Simple Things is taking over Bristol's city-centre next Saturday 7th November, and for its 12th edition, the festival is handing over the reins to four guest curators.
Squid, Shabaka, Cobrah and Jeremy Deller have each built their own bill, so the festival works less like one lineup and more like four distinct worlds you can drift between.
From dance to jazz, punk and folk, there's something for everyone. Not sure where to start? Here's our guide.
If you want club chaos: Cobrah
Cobrah’s corner pulls from club, hyperpop and ballroom. She’s joined by MUCHAS PROBLEMS, the music project of fashion-art provocateur Charlie Le Mindu, plus DJ Latex, whose bass-heavy sets mutate everything around them, and Only Fire, who deal in erotic pop-techno. French producer and vocalist COUCOU CHLOE rounds it out with sleek, industrial beats and hypnotic vocals.
DMY must-see: COUCOU CHLOE.
If you want noise and nerves: Squid
Squid take over The Island, the Edwardian police station turned creative complex, which feels like the right setting for leftfield post-punk, math-rock and urgent noise. Bandmate Anton Pearson plays a rare solo set. Bristol’s own Minor Conflict bring post-punk and folk improvisation, Berlin trio 13 Year Cicada bring fractured polyrhythmic chaos, and Glasgow duo Comfort bring drum-and-synth punk.
DMY must-see: Anton Pearson’s solo set.
If you want to get lost in rhythm: Shabaka
Shabaka’s selection is rooted in avant-garde jazz and global percussion traditions. Bassoonist Joy Guidry was announced earlier. New to the bill are Ugandan collective Arsenal Mikebe, whose heavy-percussion industrial trance should be physical, and drummer and composer Sarathy Korwar in an intimate solo performance. It’s the most spiritual of the four, and probably the one to see if you fancy a change of pace.
DMY must-see: Arsenal Mikebe.
If you want folk absurdity and rave nostalgia: Jeremy Deller
The Turner Prize-winning artist’s showcase is built around the return of Acid Brass, in which The Listening Project plays brass band arrangements of 80s acid house anthems. Alongside it come folk-fusion ensemble Circle Dance, art-pop duo Mermaid Chunky (announced earlier, and billed as a glorious live spectacle) and art-rock performance group Grubby Mitts, led by multidisciplinary artist Andy Holden.
DMY must-see: Acid Brass, obviously.
But wait... there's more!
Between sets you’ve got plenty to fall back on. The Avalanches are the very special guests, and the lineup also includes Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Moor Mother, Olof Dreijer, Cloud Nothings and Alewya, spread across Bristol Beacon, Strange Brew, Rough Trade, The Island and the new skatepark space Shredenhams. Local promoters Temple Cloud take over the Cellars, headlined by Hannah Diamond.
The weekend also starts early, with an opening party on Friday 6 November at Shredenhams headlined by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and a late-night afterparty to follow across Strange Brew and The Island.
Get tickets to Simple Things 2026 here.
Submit music to DMY here.
