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Bristol's Drum & Bass Events

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Bristol's Drum And Bass Scene

Is Stokes Croft a drum and bass Mecca?

Drum and bass in Bristol needs no bigger homes than Lakota and Blue Mountain. Both on the same street in Stokes Croft - they’ve continued Bristol’s drum n bass lineage from DJ Krust and Roni Size through to Intrigue Music and the more experimental UVB76 crew. Bristol’s place in the history of drum n bass is assured. Figureheads like DJ Die draw the line between the jungle and drum n bass scenes, jungle is key in Bristol - a city with so much Caribbean heritage, roots reggae’s influence on drum n bass comes through the language of jungle. But with both Lakota and Blue Mountain closing their doors soon to developers, is Bristol in a drum n bass crisis?

Drum and bass in Bristol encapsulates the genre in the wider world. Big venues play host to big acts with nights such as Bedlam, One Nation and Shit the Bed offering International stars including Pendulum, Chase and Status, Andy C and Noisia on a regular basis. In addition to this, alternative venues like the Dojo Lounge, Basement 45 and the Black Swan foster the rarefied sounds of dnb's many sub genres offering the city a unique depth to its plethora of drum and bass music. New years eve in Bristol clubs sees the city's venues rammed to the brim with all of the drum and bass's big players djing somewhere in Bristol.

Agro, Dissident and Mongrel offer dnb of a techy, dark variety while the bastion of the deeper sound, Intrigue, continues to push artists such as Marcus Intalex, Calibre and Fabio. Torque, straddling the line between dark and deep is a drum and bass monthly of significant recognition, hosting label nights and affiliated artists from Club Autonomic to Critical and Shogun Audio.

With drum and bass such a popular genre in Bristol, most clubs present dnb of some description at least once per month. Basement 45 has emerged as a consistent venue, with Torque, Abstraction and Nine Tree all on regular rotation at the club. Dojos plays host to the aforementioned Intrigue while Lab is home to Signal which runs as a bi-monthly event.

Of the larger venues Motion has a throng of events that are less frequent but larger in scale. Although many of these nights are multi-genre affairs, Run and Shit The Bed routinely promote dnb artists as their headline acts.

Lakota is another important dnb venue, housing Concrete Beat, Agro and since September 2010, Bedlam. Hospitality's residency at the Thekla ensures dnb is consistent fixture on the ship, while the rave-ready Black Swan is the spearhead for the harder jungle-tek sounds of the dnb genre.

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Our recent drum and bass recommendations

Sell out warning! Hauff Force One docks in Sawmills, going full CDJ orchestra with Timedance don Batu for the biggest En Masse since records began. 'Tis an uncompromising, nigh historical union of club wreckage with Verraco's TraTraTrax raptor-damaged-techno, Barker's weightless living soundworlds + more TBA. Out of body experiences likely (but not guaranteed)... En Masse x Sawmills - Helena Hauff b2b Batu + more at Sawmills.

Sell out warning! Chain mail at the ready! The medievalcore LARPing agenda marches upon Loco Klub once again for tankard-clanking revelry in The Great Hall and Dungeon. Bardcore, archaic donk, Celtic techno, jungle and jigs galore alongside theatrical immersion, fortune-telling mischievous puppetry and jester japes. Knights Out 3 at Loco Klub.

Sell out warning! Rupture celebrates TWENTY (!!) years of nu-skool magik in the halls of Trinity for a proper junglist dnb blowout - only they can do it like this! Kicking off with a Double O live scored theatrical treat, before taking to the 'floor with Sully’s twisted sci-fi tekkers, Loxy’s darkside dread & MUCH MOREEE. You just know this is gonna lift the roof off ... 20 Years of Rupture at The Trinity Centre.

Ok ok ok ok. DJ Marcelle is punk in her own odd way: bonkers turntablism ft. wonky dubstep, percussive scraps, tractor sounds, goat noises and a whole lotta distortion. She arrives in timely fashion for Ceramic boiz Copper Sounds’ new release party with mega support from Sarahsson and k means’ ultra-spun-out club excursions. Deranged club fulfillment … cripes! DJ Marcelle, Copper Sounds, k means, Sarahsson at The Island.

More Photos of Bristol's Drum & Bass Events

Crowd at a drum and bass night in Bristol 2026

What our editors say

“The style of music they do is a mixture of garage, jungle and drum n bass blended live vocals and live punk rock metal guitar riffs creating a fusion similar to that of the prodigy or pendulum but with its own distinctive taste.”
From: New age Collective Crusty Raver tour

“Fabio & Grooverider return to Clock Factory Bristol this December for their Up Close & Personal Tour. For over 30 years, Fabio & Grooverider have stood at the very core of drum & bass. From the pirate airwaves and illegal raves of the late ’80s to their groundbreaking Rage residency in London, they helped shape jungle and D&B into the global force it is today. Their 14-year, award-winning BBC Radio 1 show gave early exposure to now-household names including Chase & Status, Wilkinson, Sub Focus, Pendulum, High Contrast and Calibre.”
From: Fabio & Grooverider: Up Close & Personal Tour

“Back in 2006, Daddy G invited Queen Bee & Mr Benn to join him as residents at his newly opened Tube micro-club in Bristol. The remit was simple - rock the spot with a mash up of top deck reggae, dancehall, hip hop, funk, disco, house, jungle, beats and pieces and whatever else kept it live. ”
From: Bristol Hi-Fi 20th Anniversary Xmas Bash

“Goth-Trad has been pushing the boundaries of bass music and experimental sound since the late 1990s. His music draws from dub, dubstep, jungle, grime, techno, rave, noise, industrial, and experimental music, constantly evolving into his own unique sound as one of dubstep’s leading artists. Alongside producing and touring, Goth-Trad still runs Japan’s most famous bass driven club night, Back To Chill. Appearing at numerous leading international festivals he remains one of the key figures connecting Japan’s underground sound with the global bass music community.”
From: It's Okay

“Join us for what is our last ever event,for this we are at our spiritual home of Basement 45 in Bristol. We have legendary MC Harry Shotta and Bristols very own Axel boy headlining the night alongside a huge supporting lineup of artists including our resident and local djs. The night is spread over 2 rooms,with the main room focusing on drum and bass/dubstep and room 2 will covering ukg and house. Drinks offers will be available all night at one of Bristols premier underground venue. This one is not to be missed and sure to be our biggest event yet.”
From: Bass in the basement HARRY SHOTTA/AXEL BOY