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PHOTO: BURAK CINGI

Simple Things adds The Avalanches and Cobrah for second lineup wave

31 July 2026, 16:52 | Written by Best Fit

Bristol's Simple Things festival has confirmed The Avalanches and Cobrah among a new batch of names for its 2026 edition, taking place on Saturday 7 November.

The additions complete the festival's four-part curator strand for its twelfth edition. The Avalanches return to Bristol for the first time in close to a decade, with a set expected to draw on both records alongside more recent collaborative work while COBRAH becomes the fourth and final curator, joining Squid, Shabaka and Jeremy Deller, each of whom has been handed a portion of the bill to shape independently.

Elsewhere in the second wave, Olof Dreijer of The Knife plays a solo set, while Canadian trio Big Brave bring drone metal minimalism to the programme. Alewya and Hannah Diamond tops the bill at the Cellars with synth-pop.

Trumpeter Takuya Nakamura, whose work spans dub and live electronics, also joins the lineup, as does DFA-signed duo Mermaid Chunky. On the club and electronic front, 96 Back debuts a live performance built around fractured techno and IDM, Alex Wilcox brings high-tempo techno, Grand River presents an audiovisual piece called Temporary, and Kloyd plays a heavier, bass-driven set.

Simple things 2026

The announcement also brings in a run of Bristol and wider UK names including bassist and producer Marla Kether, riot grrrl group The Menstrual Cramps and DIALS – a new project pairing Batu with Memotone's William Yates, SCALER's James Rushforth, Eldon and Bethany Ley. Also confirmed are ashnymph, Avery Friedman, Rian Brazil, Bathing Suits, Cutouts, Dumbhead, RIP Magic, Charlie Osborne and The Gnomes.

With this wave, the lineup swells to more than 60 acts playing across venues including Bristol Beacon, Strange Brew, Rough Trade and the Sportsman, plus the newly added Shredenhams skatepark. The four curators' individual selections for their respective stages have yet to be announced.

Simple Things 2026 takes place on 7 November in Bristol; tickets and the full lineup are available via the festival's website at simplethingsfestival.co.uk

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