Connect Festival 2022: Massive Attack, The National headline

Connect Festival has taken on a somewhat mythic quality among music fans of a certain age, after two semi-legendary outings at the end of the 2000s which brought Beastie Boys, Björk, The Roots, Grinderman, LCD Soundsystem and dozens of others to Inverary Castle on Loch Fyne.

In 2022, the festival name is back on the agenda, and while the venue – the Royal Highland Centre in west Edinburgh – isn't quite a magical castle getaway, the lineup for this year's festival on the final weekend of August is fittingly packed with big names and exciting new bands.

Connect 2022: The headliners

Connect's three days each have a huge headline name attached, with the Friday topped by Massive Attack. The Bristol trip-hop legends are joined by South African house legend Black Coffee, the ethereal techno of Jon Hopkins, and the sweary baroque indie of John Grant.

Saturday is headed up by The Chemical Brothers, with the equally danceable Bonobo and Caribou also on the bill. Those looking for a change of pace on the day are well-served by slowcore greats LOW, Ride (playing their debut album Nowhere in full), and the always-fantastic The Twilight Sad.

Sunday's bill is topped by American indie titans The National, with Mogwai, second on the bill back in 2007, taking up a similar spot this time round. There are also spots high on the bill for the artists behind two of 2021's very best albums – Self Esteem, and Little Simz.

Also on the bill...

Bombay Bicycle Club, Moses Boyd, Erol Alkan, Sudan Archives and Black Country, New Road also feature on the Connect lineup, full details of which can be found at the foot of the page. Further local highlights from the Connect lineup include Idlewild playing their third album The Remote Part in full, plus sets from a few of our favourite new Scottish acts including Cloth, Swim School, Hamish Hawk and Lizzie Reid.

Connect Music Festival 2022: The lineup so far

FRI 26 AUG: Massive Attack, Jon Hopkins, Black Coffee, John Grant, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Future Utopia, Maeve, Moses Boyd, Cloth, LVRA, Optimo (Espacio), Hammer.

SAT 27 AUG: The Chemical Brothers, Bonobo, The Twilight Sad, Caribou, Chloe Moriondo, Ride playing Nowhere, LOW, Matt Maltese, Willie J Healey, Swim School, Erol Alkan, Nightwave.

SUN 28 AUG: The National, Mogwai, Bombay Bicycle Club, Little Simz, Self Esteem, Black Country, New Road, Rae Morris, Idlewild playing The Remote Part, Admiral Fallow, Sudan Archives, Dehd, Hamish Hawk, Lizzie Reid, Geese, Kathleen Frances, Horse Meat Disco, Jamz Supernova, Rebecca Vasmant

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Connect Music Festival takes place at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, 26-28 Aug; tickets go on sale this weekend

connectmusicfestival.com