Bristol Techno Nights

upcoming clubnight

Bristol's Techno Scene

Techno is a big deal in Bristol, book the right names or build a strong enough reputation and you’re gonna need a seriously big club to keep everyone happy. And so Bristol has Motion, masterfully converted into a 1200+ capacity nightclub from derelict warehouse via a skatepark. If Motion is Bristol’s techno castle then there’s no denying Just Jack is king. Reigning for over a decade, Just Jack have enough programming muscle to pull names like Ricardo Villalobos and Omar S. If there’s a secret to the ultimate big-room techno experience, then Motion knows it.

On the other hand, if there’s a secret to healthy techno scene, then Bristol has totally nailed it. While tickets for Just Jack, Apex and Tribe of Frog may sell in their thousands, some of Bristol’s most forward thinking techno nights have capacities for just one or two hundred. The Prison Cells at The Island have become an unlikely home to some of the most adventurous dance music in Bristol. Promoters like Room 237 and Timedance are putting out challenging and thought-provoking line-ups with past guests including the likes of Surgeon, Untold, Asusu and Helena Hauff.

If techno had a spiritual home in Bristol, it would be Lakota. With 4 rooms, a back-to-basics yard and a pair of coroners courtrooms for larger events, Lakota is Bristol’s ultimate techno playground. The venue has found favour with pervasive promoters including the electro-techno focused Get Born and bass techno masters Wide Eyes.

Amongst the city’s resident house music djs, many of Bristol’s best techno djs regularly play Bristol’s smaller clubs and bars. Dojos, The Love Inn, The Doghouse and the Small Horse Inn to name a few.

Buy tickets for techno events in Bristol

Our recent techno recommendations

For the initiated, only Willikens will do. The Salon GOAT gets real deep with a rare-opening set, stretching minimal synth slayers and acidic chug to psychedelic breaking point before Saskia fires up the subwise hardware explorations and Anina & Lynne absoultely wipe the floor with junglist domination. Secret Shade, we salute you. The Secret Shade: Lena Willikens, Lynne b2b Anina, Saskia at Strange Brew.

Sell out warning! Absolute go-hard-or-go-home belter for Zone 1 and Bris-Tek’s big birthday bash! Storming The Boxing Gym: Barcelona tekno firecracker Amygdala, bassline boss Jenny Sparks and donk sommelier DJ Bax touching down in Bris + Grandma Wubplate’s hard-dance swag and jungle euphoria from Betsy Mae. And that’s not even half of it…. ZONE 1 x BRIS-TEK / AMYGDALA, DJ BAX, JENNY SPARKS, VANDAL at The Boxing Gym.

Sleek club futurism with two spinners packing serious sub pressure and off-kilter rhythms! Ehua brings her percussive bass workouts alongside LWS’s ice-cold UK techno rollers, twisting dance machinery into stranger shapes for devotees of Timedance, Fever AM, TraTraTrax and Pressure Dome. Forma: Ehua, LWS, Dom Carlo, severine at The Island.

Sell out warning! Following 5 years of sold out parties and what we thought would be their biggest event ever, Brown Excellence are taking over The Boxing Gym with this truly mahooosive celebration of South Asian culture. 4 rooms fusing live ragas, sitar club heat, percussive dek bass, Bollywood disco, food stalls and much more - ain't nothing else like it! Brown Excellence 5th Birthday Festival at The Boxing Gym.

More Photos of Bristol Techno Nights

What our editors say

“Karl O'Connor is most certainly Regis and it is also highly probable that he propagates other pseudonyms. This has only added to the greater mythology surrounding the influential Downwards label that he has run with fellow art terrorist Peter Sutton (Female) since 1993. Unconventional and single-minded to say the least (what label can boast a back catalogue free of the industry standard cash cow remix ) by decentralising the focus on the dj/producer personality, he remains one of the more highly regarded creative forces within the British techno/electronic scene. Degenerate art indeed.”
From: Regis featuring Liam Andrews + Support TBC

“For more than four decades, Sven Väth has been one of electronic music's most influential and captivating DJs. From shaping Frankfurt's techno scene with Omen, Harthouse and Eye Q, to creating the legendary Cocoon brand and its iconic Ibiza residency, his impact on club culture is unmatched.”
From: Bugged Out presents: Sven Väth, Dave Clarke, Erol Alkan & more

“His unique sound signature merges the complex rhythms of jazz, beats of electronica, the dynamic energy of techno, the soulful essence of house and the narrative depth of hip-hop into a singular, harmonious experience.”
From: Bigger Boat w/ Lefto Early Bird

“Bringing their shared love of UK garage, house, electro, and techno to the dancefloor, the pair have developed a natural chemistry that moves effortlessly between rolling groove and off-kilter club energy.”
From: Van Wilkins & Roaming Data

“Tim Reaper (Future Retro) We've seen hints here and there, whispers in the passages, but not once has Tim Reaper gone full out on his techno and 140 side. As Future Retro boss he has pioneered the revival of Jungle and has picked up lauded acclaim from infamous labels like Hyperdub. Come see him play as never before.”
From: Cirrina Sessions w/ Tim Reaper , i-sha & residents