THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

The second bank holiday in May is almost upon us and with it comes this year's Dot To Dot Festival, still going strong four years down the line, with a bigger line-up than ever before.

The festival is a two-day event for the first time in its history, with many acts alternating between Nottingham and Bristol on Saturday May 24 and Sunday 25. In addition to this, Dot To Dot makes its debut in London 48 hours earlier – today! – calling in at five venues in Hoxton/Shoreditch between the hours of 4pm and 2am. It’s cleverly called Hox To Dot.

Here are five must-see acts at this year’s Dot, and Hox, To Dot...

The Ruby Suns
This New Zealand three-piece blew us away earlier this year when their awesome second album Sea Lion dropped into our laps (Review). Eerily reminiscent of both Mercury Rev and Animal Collective's more experimental sides, DiS recommends you make the most of their first UK trip in ages. Those not at Dot To Dot can catch them at a DiS-associated show in London on May 27.
The Ruby Suns play Nottingham Bodega at 8:45pm on Saturday 24th and Bristol Fiddlers at 7:15pm on Sunday 25th.
MySpace

Saul Williams
Having pretty much re-invented hip-hop via a bastardised amalgamation of glam-rock and industrial noise, Saul’s onward and upward rise into the mainstream looks set to continue for some time yet. Having already wowed the ATP crowds last weekend, expect more of the same here.
Saul Williams plays Nottingham Rock City main hall at 6:00pm on Saturday 24th and Bristol Academy 1 at 6:15pm on Sunday 25th.
MySpace

Oppenheimer
Belfast's Oppenheimer are one of those acts who the phrase ‘multi-genre’ was invented for. Mixing electronica with wall-of-sound slabs of guitar, not to mention dual harmonies that give the likes of Weezer and My Bloody Valentine a run for their money, their first festival appearance(s) of the year promise to deliver something special indeed.
Oppenheimer play The Old Blue Last at 9:00pm on Thursday 22nd, then Bristol Fleece at 7:00pm on Saturday 24th and Nottingham Trent University upstairs at 7:15pm on Sunday 25th.
MySpace

Nephu Huzzband
Nottingham's most recent local boys doing good make their festival debut at this year's Dot To Dot. Expect to hear throbbing guitars, stadium-sized choruses and a sound so anthemic the likes of Mark Burgess and Carlos Dengler would be proud.
Nephu Huzzband play Nottingham Rescue Rooms at 2:00pm on Sunday 25th.
MySpace

Spiritualized
Jason Pierce and his latest assortment of musicians are possibly the biggest names on this year's bill, and not without good reason, too. Pierce himself has a career spanning well over two decades, so expect to hear a mix of older Spacemen 3 material alongside the more familiar stuff he's associated with, as well as a fair smattering of Spiritualized's forthcoming Songs In A&E collection.
Spiritualized play Bristol Trinity at 10:00pm on Saturday 24th and Nottingham Trent University Main Room at 9:45pm on Sunday 25th.
MySpace

The full (provisional) timetables read as follows:

Rock City Main Hall (14+)
2:00pm The King Blues
3:00pm Iglu & Hartly
4:00pm Metronomy
5:00pm 1990's
6:00pm Saul Williams
7:15pm The Holloways
8:45pm Dirty Pretty Things

Rock City Main Hall Late Night 18+
00:00 Bloc Party DJ set

Rock City Basement (14+)
1:15pm Maybeshewill
2:15pm Damn Shames
3:15pm Red Light Company
4:15pm Tropics
5:15pm Dusty Rhodes & The River Band
6:15pm Thee Oh Sees
7:15pm What Would Jesus Drive
8:15pm The Lancashire Hotpots
9:15pm Rolo Tomassi
10:15pm Ghost Of A Thousand
11:45pm Beat Union

The Rescue Rooms (18+ followed by Rescued! club night)
2:30pm The Mourning After
3:30pm Cheeky Cheeky & The Nosebleeds
4:30pm Cazals
5:30pm Team Waterpolo
6:30pm The Little Ones
7:30pm Ladyhawke
8:45pm Chromehoof
10:15pm Alphabeat

The Bodega
2:45pm Tom Mansi & The Icebreakers
3:45pm The Ettes
4:45pm Alexander G Muertos
5:45pm Rosie Oddie & The Odd Squad
6:45pm Pack AD
7:45pm Dag For Dag
8:45pm The Ruby Suns
9:45pm Slow Club
10:45pm Jeremy Warmsley
11:45pm Sarabeth Tucek

Stealth Live Room (Downstairs)
3:15pm Mirror Mirror
4:00pm Kill Cassidy
5:00pm The RGBs
6:00pm Friends Of The Bride
7:00pm Rosie And The Goldbug
8:00pm Cutting Pink With Knives
9:00pm The Mae Shi
10:00pm Juiceboxxx
11:00pm Bumblebeez
00:00am Dan Deacon
01:30am Midnight Juggernauts
03:00am Heartbreak

Stealth DJ Room (Upstairs)
7:30pm Goodbye Mother!
9:30pm Piers Martin
11:30pm Legowelt
01:00am Horsemeat Disco

NOTTINGHAM Sunday 25th May

Rock City Main Hall (14+)
2:00pm Lovvers
3:00pm XX Teens
4:00pm Peggy Sue & The Pirates
5:00pm The Teenagers
6:00pm Example
7:00pm Sons & Daughters
8:00pm Mystery Jets
9:30pm Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

Rock City Main Hall Late Night 18+
02:00am Kissy Sellout

Rock City Basement (14+)
2:15pm Jocasta Sleeps
3:15pm OneThousandHertz
4:15pm Fight Like Apes
5:15pm The Lost Boys
6:15pm Talk Taxis
7:15pm Mt. Eerie
8:15pm No Kids
9:15pm The Ghost Frequency
10:15pm Death Set

Nottingham Trent University Main Room (14+)

2:30pm The Most Serene Republic
3:30pm The Shortwave Set
4:30pm Ida Maria
5:30pm Born Ruffians
6:45pm Caribou
8:15pm Two Gallants
9:45pm Spiritualized

Nottingham Trent University Upstairs (14+)
2:15pm Radio Dinette Set
3:15pm Santa Dog
4:15pm The Xcerts
5:15pm Animal Kingdom
6:15pm Haunts
7:15pm Oppenheimer
8:15pm The Rushes
9:15pm Twisted Wheel
10:15pm Nick Harrison
11:15pm Natty

The Rescue Rooms (18+)
2:00pm Nephu Huzzband
3:00pm Tigers That Talked
4:00pm Tramp
5:00pm Operahouse
6:00pm Micachu
7:00pm Golden Silvers
8:00pm Cage The Elephant
9:00pm Wild Beasts
10:00pm Palladium
11:00pm Santogold
12:30am Glasvegas

The Bodega 3:00pm Lena Rez
4:00pm Joe Dangerous
5:00pm Thomas Tantrum
6:00pm Woodpigeon
7:00pm Semifinalists
8:00pm Eugene McGuinness
9:00pm Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit
10:15pm Noah And The Whale

The Bodega Late night:
GRIMEWATCH featuring:
Axeman
DJ Magic
Dot Rotten
P Money
Griminal
Tomb Crew
Bigger Than Barry DJs

Stealth Live Room (downstairs)
3:30pm The Hot Melts
4:30pm Hatcham Social
5:30pm A Human
6:30pm Detachments
7:30pm Telepathe
8:30pm We Are Wolves
9:30pm Pivot
10:30pm Esser
11:45pm Primary 1
00:45am The Shoes
01:45am Buraka Som Systema
02:45am A-Trak

Stealth DJ Room (upstairs)
Tim Sweeney
Tim Goldsworthy
Bang Gang DJs

BRISTOL Saturday 24th May

Academy 1 (14+) 4:15pm Example
5:15pm The Teenagers
6:15pm Frank Turner
7:30pm Mystery Jets
9:00pm Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

Academy Late Night 18+
11:00pm Streetlife DJs

Academy 2 (14+)
2:45pm Tramp
3:45pm The Lost Boys
4:45pm The Ghost Frequency
5:45pm Death Set
7:00pm Talk Taxis 8:15pm XX Teens

Trinity (14+)
2:45pm Countryside
3:45pm The Most Serene Republic
4:45pm Ida Maria
5:45pm Born Ruffians
7:00pm Caribou
8:30pm Two Gallants
10:00pm Spiritualized

Fiddlers (18+)
3:00pm Lena Rez
4:00pm Animal Kingdom
5:00pm Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck
6:00pm Operahouse
7:00pm Haunts
8:00pm Thomas Tantrum
9:00pm Mikachu
10:00pm Golden Silvers
11:00pm Palladium
00:15am Glasvegas

Louisiana
2:45pm Joe Dangerous
3:45pm Woodpigeon
4:45pm Semifinalists
5:45pm Eugene McGuinness
6:45pm Emmy The Great
7:45pm Peggy Sue & The Pirates
8:45pm Noah And The Whale
10:00pm Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit

Louisiana Bar
5:30pm Sid Delicious
6:30pm War Against Sleep
7:30pm Thomas Aplin
8:30pm Tigers That Talked
9:30pm Santa Dog

Fleece
3:00pm Hatcham Social
4:00pm Brandon Steep
5:00pm Fight Like Apes
6:00pm We Are Wolves
7:00pm Oppenheimer
8:00pm The Xcerts
9:00pm Nick Harrison
10:00pm Twisted Wheel
11:00pm The Rushes
00:00am Natty

Thekla
2:00pm OneThousandHertz
3:00pm Telepathe
4:00pm Detachments
5:00pm Pivot
6:00pm A Human
7:00pm Esser
8:00pm The Shoes
9:00pm Primary 1
10:00pm Buraka Som Sistema
11:00pm Santogold
00:15am A-Trak
02:15am Bang Gang DJs

BRISTOL Sunday 25th May

Academy 1 (14+) 3:15pm Dusty Rhodes & The River Band
4:15pm Iglu & Hartly
5:15pm Chromehoof
6:15pm Saul Williams
7:30pm The Holloways
9:00pm Dirty Pretty Things

Academy Late Night 18+
11:00pm Bloc Party DJs

Academy 2 (14+)
2:45pm Tripwires
3:45pm What Would Jesus Drive
4:45pm Rolo Tomassi
5:45pm Beat Union
7:00pm Ghost Of A Thousand 8:30pm The King Blues

Trinity (14+)
3:30pm Transpersonals
4:30pm Team Waterpolo
5:30pm Cazals
6:30pm The Little Ones
7:30pm Ladyhawke
8:45pm Metronomy
10:15pm Alphabeat

Fiddlers (18+)
3:15pm The Hosts
4:15pm Kill Cassidy
5:15pm Cheeky Cheeky & The Nosebleeds
6:25pm Friends Of The Bride
7:15pm The Ruby Suns
8:30pm Thee Oh Sees
9:00pm Mikachu
10:00pm 1990s

Louisiana
3:00pm Rosie Oddie And The Odd Squad
5:00pm Alexander G Muertos
6:00pm Pack AD
7:00pm Dag For Dag
8:00pm Slow Club
9:00pm Jeremy Warmsley
10:00pm Sarabeth Tucek

Louisiana Bar
4:30pm Light Of Words
5:30pm The Lancashire Hotpots
6:30pm Oxygen Thief
7:30pm Tom Mansi & The Icebreakers
8:30pm Neil Gay (The Cedar)
9:30pm Bobby (Fortune Drive)

Fleece
4:30pm Swimming
5:30pm Damn Shames
6:30pm Maybeshewill
7:30pm Red Light Company
8:30pm Dan Deacon
10:00pm Infadels

Thekla
2:45pm Tropics
3:45pm The RGBs
5:00pm Bumblebeez
6:00pm Mirror Mirror
7:00pm Rosie And The Goldbug
8:00pm The Mae Shi
9:00pm Cutting Pink With Knives
10:00pm Juiceboxxx
11:15pm Heartbreak
00:30am Hercules & Love Affair
02:00am Legowelt DJs

LONDON Thursday 22nd May

Catch
6:00pm Cerys Thomas (DJ)
7:30pm Detachments
8:00pm Nightmoves (DJ)
8:45pm Karaoke Joe (Primary 1)
9:15pm Nightmoves (DJ)
10:00pm Cadence Weapon 10:45pm Piers Martin (DJ)
11:30pm Heartbreak
00:00am Horsemeat Disco

Electricity Showrooms
6:30pm Snaggle (DJ)
7:30pm Juiceboxxx
8:00pm Tomb Crew presents:-
DJ Magic ft. P Money
Dot Rotten
Griminal
10:30pm Legowelt (DJ)

Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
7:00pm Dag For Dag
8:00pm Iglu & Hartly
9:00pm Esser
10:00pm House Of Brothers
11:00pm Eugene McGuinness
00:00am Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit

Macbeth
7:15pm Tramp
7:45pm Skill Wizard (DJ)
8:15pm Tropics
8:45pm Skill Wizard (DJ)
9:15pm Turbowolf
9:45pm Goodbye Mother (DJ)
10:15pm Thee Oh Sees
10:45pm Goodbye Mother (DJ)
11:15pm Cutting Pink With Knives
11:45pm No Pain In Pop DJs
00:45am Dan Deacon

Old Blue Last
6:15pm Collapsing Cities
7:00pm The Recovery
8:00pm Pack AD
9:00pm Oppenheimer
10:00pm Pivot
11:00pm Death Set
00:00am The Ghost Frequency

For more information on the festival click here for the Dot To Dot website.