What's On in Bristol
Gig guide & event listingsBristol's local and trusted what's on guide.
Events in Bristol
Headfirst is Bristol's leading gig guide with a freshly launched online ticket shop. We work directly with the city's promoters to provide the most up-to-date guide what's on in Bristol you'll find. The events calendar includes all events happening in Bristol tonight and for the forthcoming weekend. If you're a musician, band member or club night organiser be sure to add your event to the Headfirst Bristol calendar.
Made famous by the legendary Lakota, Bristol's warehouse events are the keystone to the city's clubbing culture. These no-frills venues are the place to see Bristol's house and techno at it's best. If you need addmission to forthcoming warehouse parties, you can buy Blue Mountain tickets here.
Made famous by the legendary Lakota, Bristol's warehouse events are the keystone to the city's clubbing culture. These no-frills venues are the place to see Bristol's house and techno at it's best. If you need addmission to forthcoming warehouse parties, you can buy Blue Mountain tickets here.
Gig Tickets
Bristol has always had it's fair share of what's on resources. While paper-based listings magazines like Venue and forums like Hijack Bristol favoured certain musical niches, Headfirst was Bristol's first truely comprehensive what's on resource. Our listings not only go far into the future (click on a date in the calendar) but also provide some great last minute resources. If you're planning a night out at short notice please see our list of live music tonight and events listings for this weekend.
Venues like Colston Hall and Thekla usually get most of the attention when Bristol's gigs are discussed online. Headfirst aims to put the focus on Bristols smaller live music venues. Here, you can buy tickets for concerts at Bristol's Louisiana and Exchange or browse our entire Bristol gig list.
Venues like Colston Hall and Thekla usually get most of the attention when Bristol's gigs are discussed online. Headfirst aims to put the focus on Bristols smaller live music venues. Here, you can buy tickets for concerts at Bristol's Louisiana and Exchange or browse our entire Bristol gig list.
Gig Of The Week
What's On: Featured Bristol Events
Driven by the notion that raves should be places of dark and dizzying eccentricity, upsammy favours trippy, oddball soundscapes over floor-ready dance cuts. Though upsammy's sets shift slowly from psychedelic, washed-out ambience to slamming electro cuts and fierce drum and bass, she crafts her signature sound through a commitment to the unheimlich.
Behind the controls at De School, this Amsterdammer has taken the time and space to develop into one of today’s most defiant and intriguing selectors. And if that wasn't enough...Housework still have the highest calibre residents in the BS-postcode (take a bow Shanti Celeste, Gramrcy, Daisy Moon and Golesworthy).
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E48905
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POST-GLOBAL EXPERIMENTALISM AT ST. THOMAS CHURCH
There’s a subtle thread of Outernationalism running through the acts at the Cacophonous Sarcophagus event this Saturday.
Headlined by Jerusalem In My Heart, an A/V duo who use 4x 16mm analogue projectors alongside buzuks, modular synthesis and Arabic lamentations to conjure a singular vision of contemporary Middle Eastern folk music.
‘Post-American’ artist Porest is behind many of the greatest releases for SUBLIME FREQUENCIES, though his solo material is known for it’s scathing critique of Arab-US relations, held together by a rapid-fire barrage of samples and hot takes, presented in the form of absurdist radio plays. Not quickly forgotten…
The bill is topped off by local dub-sorceress Sunun. Her 12” of ghost-rhythms and raw, spacious rhythms just dropped on the unstoppable Bokeh Versions. Don’t miss this chance to hear her sound with the extra reverb of the 50ft high church ceilings.
Tickets here:
Like his label counterpart Andy Stott, Claro Intelecto’s work is characterised by its commitment to textural experimentation. Heavily influenced by the smooth, filtered dub of Rhythm & Sound-era techno, the sculpted curves of his early releases on Modern Love contrast sharply with the jagged and abrasive edges seen on 2017’s Exhilarator LP from Delsin Records. Committed to his Analog setup, Claro is renowned for his live sets, which weave moments of ecstatic lightness into the fold of his dark, choppy soundscapes.
Crushing electro meets emotive IDM at the Arnolfini for a very special Room 237 Bristol live showcase on Saturday. Claro Intelecto will be joined by Varg, Gábor Lázár, White Peak and Brecon.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E49180
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Dr. Rubinstein puts her successes down to good fortune, but her infrequent mixes, and local hero status at ://about party pay testament to a wealth of skill and knowledge. Driven by her unabated love for acid, the doctor’s selections are borne from an urgent need to dance, fusing the notorious 303 wiggle with heavy basslines and coarse, industrial rhythms. Rubinstein’s sets also showcase a reflective capacity - the breakbeat journey of her September FACT mix is laced with a stunning intimacy that far surpasses the dancefloor, giving way to a deeply emotional trip.
She headlines for Shutter at The Island on Friday with Fake Doors and Little to warm the floor.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E48825
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It’s little wonder that Harvey Sutherland’s jazzy dance cuts are endorsed by MCDE Recordings and Rhythm Section International. The self-proclaimed funk synthesist has been crafting shimmering, Chicago-tinged floorfillers with an Analog swing since 2014. Shifting slowly towards his Bermuda Trio live setup, the Melbourne native has retained the irresistible groove of his earlier works, whilst embracing a more fluid potential that's drawn comparisons with Floating Points. His latest release ‘Amethyst’ is a frenetic free-jazz journey alongside prodigal saxophonist Nubya Garcia, that sheds light upon the full depth of his influences.
Flâneur Company brings the trio to the Colston Hall foyer on Saturday for a British Heart Foundation fundraiser with Sven Atterton Music and the Noods Radio crew.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E49370
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Djrum sits alongside Burial as one of few UK artists to have successfully captured the emotional ebb and flow of 90s rave culture. The multi-instrumentalist melds the excessive tempos of gabber and hardcore with the mind-boggling time signatures of jazz and classical, crafting otherworldly and cinematic pieces that complicate understandings of UK bass. His latest LP, 2018’s 'Portraits of Firewood', flits between heart-wrenching vocal snippets, and blurred, frenetic techno, nestling somewhere in the spaces ‘between euphoria and sadness’ (The Quietus).
One Two Five Events bring him to The Island cells on November 9th alongside Nie Wieder Schlafen's Sower and J Chrysalis.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E48742
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atYoung Marco is a selector who’s not afraid to put purists in their place. Dropping 'Last Christmas' in mid-July amidst afro-boogie throwdowns and obscure proto-house gems, Marco's renegade status sees him ditching ‘discogs melts’ in pursuit of a good time. This ethos, combined with top-notch selection and a commitment to deep-digging, makes him one of Amsterdam’s most treasured musical elite.
Celebrate with him at atblThe Black Swan as Noods Radio turn three this November.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E48386
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Rioghnach Connolly's commanding vocals return to Trinity Centre after gracing the stage with her Shambala headling group, Honeyfeet. Rioghnach's woozy voice is matched by jazz-leaning structures and an attention to sonic design that's unsurprising given the rest of The Breath's affiliaition with The Cinematic Orchestra. Their new album for Real World Records is a modern alt-folk milestone from the Manchester band - a total trip through delicate hushed Hardanger fiddles, torch-bearing choruses and heartfelt moments of introspection.
Backed by SOME THING GOOD's DJ Dad and the haunting soundscapes of rising Bristol act The Desert - this is a big recommendation for fans of Mazzy Star, Fleet Foxes or Afro Celt Soundsystem.
🎫 Tickets hdfst.uk/E46727
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Buy Bristol Gig Tickets
Headfirst is the most objective Bristol gig guide on the internet. With no editorial to write, bands to interview or advertisers to please, we can focus on creating the best music listings & ticket shop this side of the Avon. From Bristol University’s music graduates playing a concert at St Georges Hall to an intimate gig at The Louisiana - we believe these events are what make Bristol special.
Bristol Nightlife & Nightclubs
Electronic music produced in Bristol has a knack of rewriting the rules and penetrating the international club scene. From Tectonic to Apple Pips to Eats Everything & Arkist - Headfirst has seen Bristol’s music scene grow and evolve since our humble beginnings in 2008.
Now Headfirst is working with Bristol’s best dance music promoters and providing a secure place to buy tickets for Bristol club nights. While Motion may catch most of the attention, Headfirst is the place to buy tickets for all Bristol's clubnights and maybe even the next Alfresco Disco party. Over the coming months we'll be adding buy tickets buttons to many of our what's on listings.
From Headfirst's Ticket Shop
Bristol Gig Venues
Nightclubs & Warehouses
Upcoming Events
Illegal Data has come out of nowhere to become the most consistently surprising post-whatever 'club night' - with it's fingers so deep on the pulse that they're practically inside the vein. Four nights in and they've already hosted PC Music's SPINEE, a crushing nu-metal set from SLACK ALICE's Kelan, sino-grime from L U C Y and washes of machine noise from Silver Waves.
This instalment welcomes Central Processing Unit nu-electro king Daddy Long Legs, industrial trap from Kinlaw and MC Franco Franco (Noods Radio / Avon Terror Corps) and cloud gazing dancehall from Mixpak's Don Sinini. Part of some really eye-watering promoters flocking to make theStag and Hounds Public House Bristol's finest music pub of late (RIP Surrey Vaults).
🎫 Tickets hdfst.uk/E48378
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Illegal Data has come out of nowhere to become the most consistently surprising post-whatever 'club night' - with it's fingers so deep on the pulse that they're practically inside the vein. Four nights in and they've already hosted PC Music's SPINEE, a crushing nu-metal sets from SLACK ALICE's Kelan, sino-grime from L U C Y, and washes of modular noise from Silver Waves.
This instalment welcomes Central Processing Unit nu-electro king DADDY LONG LEGS, industrial trap from Kinlaw and Italian MC Franco Franco (from new Bristol firestarting collective Avon Terror Corps), vapor-dancehall from Mixpak's Don Sinini.
Part of some really eye-watering promoters flocking to make The Stag And Hounds Public House Bristol finest music pub of late (RIP Surrey Vaults).
🎫 Tickets hdfst.uk/E48378
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TheGreyArea welcomes The Scorpios to Bristol for their debut. Lead by vocalist Regia Ishag, they continue the legacy of legendary group The Scorpions. Fusing music old & new, rhythms from the Horn of Africa to Latin America, they’ve been out smashing the festival season. Now they hit The Lanes on 22nd Oct.
Local support comes from the Bloom Collective's s 8-headed Tezeta project, started in tribute to Mulata Ashtake and the Ethiopiques series.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E46902
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Pushing out thunderclap snares, lo-fi kicks and throbbing baselines from their Glaswegian home, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams have carved their name as a forerunners of pumped-up jackin’ dance music. Underpinned with a consistent commitment to deep, deep grooves, the label-running duo are true tastemakers of funky house, dropping acid tinged, emotive dance cuts and ‘rockin’ raw sat*t’ for the floor on Wednesday.
Absolute peache of a debut event for Rhythm Works at The Lanes - watch this space.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E48534
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Fusing the dubby, filtered haze of Basic Channel with a distinctive precision that’s pinned down by rolling percussive loops, Ed Davenport’s music touches on melancholia without wavering from its focused, driving core. No stranger to Berghain, his thundering DJ sets under his Inland alias explore the forefront of cutting-edge techno, melding intricate rhythmic patterns and hazy melodic textures with a progressive, hopeful outlook.
Currently exploring this artistic realm with an AV installation that’s premiering in the Big Haus just next month, there’s no better time to catch Inland in action than atMi Casa Su Casa's 3rd Birthday at The Island on Friday.
🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E47870
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Brutal, twisted kicks contrast with delicate highs, nods of Aphex delight minds while bodies convulse to one of Europe's most uninhibited techno producers, Bjarki.
Since breaking through in 2015 with brash raver anthem 'I Wanna Go Bang', the Icelander has refined his output as a mainstay on Nina Kraviz’ трип label, crafting a brand of haunting horror-techno that gathers the influence of gabber, hardcore and 90s techno into a nightmarish whole.
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