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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

Finally! Top billing for the top ranking darkside prince of dnb - his most deserving outing in Bristol in a decade. Source Direct elevated amen programming to new heights that’re still rarely touched. Menacing, brooding, complex, like a snake in Blade shades, slithering through the Loco tunnels with Rupture’s Double O inna unmissable tearout junglist session for the night warriors. Intaception Presents: Journey To The Center at Loco Klub.

Calling all baddies looking to shake A-$-$! Get down to The Island for grime MC and hi-NRG DJ Jolie P serving a ghettotech special, itoa bringing the juke + footwork bounce and further jungle heat from Betsy Mae. Call of Booty - Itoa - Jolie P at The Island.

Free entry monthly blowout from the Undo crew ft. Boca’s hella authentic hardcore stylings (laced with 2020s futurism) + Upraw / Future Retro raggamuffin Eminence leading the dance. Only the finest old skool / nu skool delights inside FFO: Top Cat, Tim Reaper, Bizzy B, Source Direct, Rupture. Undo Sessions @ The Lion at The Red Lion.

Sell out warning! Chain mail at the ready! The medievalcore LARPing agenda marches upon Loco Klub for tankard-clanking revelry in The Great Hall and Dungeon. Proceedings open with a live double violin serenade; bardcore, archaic donk, jungle and jigs follow alongside daring circus feats, mischievous puppetry and jester japes. Knights Out II at Loco Klub.

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Crowd at a drum and bass night in Bristol 2025

What our editors say

“For this anniversary session, we’re uniting our favourite systems and selectors for a once-in-a-lifetime showcase of sound system culture - from roots to jungle, dub to UKG, and drum & bass. No compromises. No half measures. Just pure, wall-to-wall sound system pressure.”
From: 10 Years of Wall of Bass | The Underground

“Nu:Motive celebrate 10 years of amplifying underground music forward by welcoming IMANU back to Bristol after two previous sell-out shows. This time, he’s joined by Nala Brown, MAZE, and Stellar Audio (PAARSEC B2B AKSEL A/V Show) at the Clock Factory for a night of cutting-edge drum and bass.”
From: Nu:Motive • IMANU, Nala Brown, Maze & more

“Expect more silliness than you know what to do with. A full spectrum of bass music, from disco to drum and bass, from UKG to dubstep. It's time to bring Father Funk back home, back to where it all began.”
From: Church of Love vs Thick Boy: FATHER FUNK: Office Christmas Party

“It's Xmas Bash time again and the Bristol Hi-Fi trio of Daddy G, Queen Bee and Mr Benn are once again bringing the good tidings to the Jam Jar. Their tried and tested formula of good music, good people and good times always delivers the finest in bass heavy party jams from reggae to funk to boogie to afro to disco to dancehall to ska to jungle to hip hop and beyond.”
From: Bristol Hi-Fi Xmas Bash 2025

“Pitch Shift continues to drive the sound of the underground with the best of hardcore, jungle, jungle-techno, and drum & bass.”
From: Education Sessions presents Pitch Shift