THIS weekend will see Connect Festival take over the Royal Highland Centre in Islington, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Taking place from 26th – 28th August, the festival will unite award-winning musicians and homegrown heroes alike with The National. The Chemical Brothers and IDLES set to headline. And in addition to amazing music, there will be a wealth of unique, remarkable and experiences to immerse yourself in, from visual arts and installations and yoga sessions to unique culinary experiences and crafted drinks from local artisans.

Before it kicks off tomorrow, we’ve highlighted the acts you don’t want to miss across the weekend.

Little Simz

Little Simz is in her own league entirely. With two critically acclaimed. award-winning albums to her name, she traverses the musical spectrum seamlessly – from vintage funk and silky soul to grime, trap and R&B. Her raw musicality is elevated by the confessional nature of her songwriting. Exploring hefty themes like family, systemic racism, youth violence and more, she’s a poet and storyteller in every sense.

IDLES

However divisive they may be, there’s no denying that IDLES are an incendiary live force. With a magnetic frontman in Joe Talbot, their most recent album ‘CRAWLER’ indicated a great deal of personal growth – and they’ve been on a victory lap ever since. Expect hard riffs, heavy drums and plenty of anti-Tory chants.

Bombay Bicycle Club

Thirteen years on from the release of their debut album ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’, Bombay Bicycle Club are back on the festival circuit – and there’s even talk of a new album on the way. Each record over the years has been an opportunity for the band to reinvent themselves – from spindly indie kids on 2009’s ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’, to alt folkies on 2010’s ‘Flaws’ to dance rockers on 2011’s ‘A Different Kind of Fix’ and more, with frontman Jack Steadman pulling from an increasingly wide array of influences. Either way, their set will be a fun one – filled with indie disco classics from yesteryear.

LVRA

Nearly a year on from winning the Sound of Young Scotland Award, LVRA pulls from a wide array of influences – such as hip hop, hyperpop and industrial – to create a sound that is entirely of her own devising. With a string of impressive releases already to her name, LVRA holds a sonic maturity that is well beyond her years – and we predict a very bright future ahead.

Joesef

Glasgow soul star Joesef is back for another eagerly anticipated Scottish festival appearance – this time on the … at Connect. With each release, his star continues to rise – and recent single ‘East End Coast’ was another triumph. A captivating live performer, his sets are notoriously uplifting – with plenty of funky, soulful arrangements, swooning ballads and liquid grooves.

Last Boy 

Formerly of The Ninth Wave, Hadyn Park Patterson has turned his hand to a new solo project called LAST BOY. Most of his activities have so far been under wraps, with some snippets of material being sent to his mailing list and his debut headline show at McChuills selling out instantly. This weekend he’s all set to play a stripped back set at the Tiny Changes cottage ahead of a headline show at King Tut’s. An immensely talented songwriter in his own right, it will be a chance to see what he’s been working on.

CMAT

Irish songwriter CMAT crafts Americana-tinged unfiltered pop bops that have hit millions of streams and received widespread radio support. With a rapidly swelling fanbase following her every move, her songs are honest, at times mournful, timeless and clevery crafted – most importantly with a huge sense of humour. She released her debut album ‘If My Wife New I’d Be Dead’ earlier this year to much acclaim.

TAAHLIAH

Nominated twice for the prestigious AIM Awards following the release of last year’s Angelica EP, TAAHLIAH has establisehd herself as one of the main players in Scotland’s electronic scene. Earning praise from all corners of the industry, including Mary Anne Hobbs. Sherelle, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Boiler Room and more, her sound draws from a wide range of influences such as dance, hyper pop and more.

The Chemical Brothers

Master craftsmen of live electronic music, you don’t want to miss The Chemical Brothers when they headline the Grand Parade on Saturday night. Their live show is a glorious sensory overload with their iconic tunes accompanied by dazzling, mind-boggling visuals. Transcending any notion of a simply dance show, what they’ve created is an immense visual experience.

The Twilight Sad

Glasgow cult heroes The Twilight Sad are immense live performers. Seeing them play is like taking part in group primal scream therapy – their epic, impassioned post-punk unloads a new level of catharsis and emotion. Boasting huge walls of sound and potent lyrics that aim straight for the heart, don’t miss out on seeing them on home soil.

NewDad

NewDad followed up last year’s ‘Waves’ EP with the equally impressive ‘Banshee’. Widening the scope of their mesmerising, soft indie sound with bolder, richer sounds, it’s hard not to be swept away by their emotive, introspective lyrics and intoxicating melodies.

Swim School

Edinburgh’s Swim School released their debut EP ‘making sense of it all’ last year to widespread acclaim. Having spent some time hold away in the studio this year, heir music takes influence from modern indie, 90s grunge, dream-pop and more – filled with big hooks, distorted guitars and impactful lyrics. Led by the guitarist and vocalist Alice, they’re a live force to be reckoned with – shifting from singalong choruses and magnificent surges of noise – as has been seen throughout their busy festival season.

The Joy Hotel

Formed in the east end of Glasgow in 2019, The Joy Hotel are a joy to behold. With founders Morgan Woods (Emme Woods) and Luke Boyce sharing vocal duties, the band has swollen to include seven members – all bonded by their shared love of vintage pop, layered arrangements and classic vocal groups. With elements of psych rock, dream pop and alt-country all thrown in to the mix, their live shows are nothing short of captivating.

Self Esteem

Rebecca Taylor, aka Self Esteem, released one of the best pop albums of 2021 in ‘Prioritise Pleasure’. With powerful, truth-telling lyricism that speaks to her love of rhythmic noughties pop and RnB, she sheds light on important issues around female autonomy, comparison culture and more – while her live show is known to be a spectacle.

Lizzie Reid

Lizzie Reid tops off a busy summer with an appearance at Connect, and the release of her second EP ‘Mooching’. Whether performing with her band or acoustically, she can hold an audience to standstill with her deeply personal songs about love, loss, identity and heartache. Undoubtedly one of the most exciting emerging songwriters in the country this now, she plays two shows at the festival – one on the Guitars and Other Machines stage on Sunday, as well as a stripped back acoustic set on Saturday on the Tiny Changes stage.

Black Country, New Road 

When frontman Isaac Wood left Black Country, New Road just days before the release of their second album ‘Ants From Up There’, the future of the band seemed far from guaranteed. However, the six-piece  returned earlier in the year for an intimate UK show with other members of the band taking turns on lead vocals – appearing revitalised and ready to take on the world again with a remarkable set of unreleased music. It seems their unmatched creativity and exhilarating musicianship isn’t going anywhere.

Sam Gellaitry

Scottish DJ and producer Sam Gellaitry crafts forward-thinking, genre-bending electronic music that is as evocative and experimental as it is club ready. Inspired by the likes of Kaytranada and Flume, his globe-trotting sound derives from personal experience with his most recent collaboration with Pinkpantheress, ‘Picture in my mind’, blowing up on the radio.