What's On / Bristol Concerts, Theatre & Dance / classical

Classical Concerts in Bristol

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Bristol's Classical Scene

Bristol has a long history of classical music, with new talent emerging year upon year thanks to students at Bristol University’s prestigious department of music. The largest classical music performances see complete orchestras performing at St George’s Hall where natural acoustics continue to wow audiences of over five hundred guests. Contemporary solo performances have found home in Colston Hall’s second room, The Lantern. St Stephen’s church and the Victoria Rooms in Clifton are also essential venues for classical music and orchestras in Bristol.

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Our recent classical recommendations

Deep Red is an underrated Argento masterpiece that paints its themes in scarlet and slaughter. David Hemmings plays a jazz musician who becomes entangled in a bloody mystery, surrounded by lurid imagery, disturbing killings and cryptic hints, set to Goblin’s twitchy, hypnotic score. Beware the children’s song.... DEEP RED at Bristol Megascreen.

For anyone fascinated by eccentric thinkers, mysticism and the paranormal, it's time to get acquainted with Colin Wilson. This mammoth 6 hour screening is the definitive guide to the life of the self-taught philosopher, literary outsider and founder of ‘new existentialism’, who went from sleeping on the streets to penning 100+ consciousness-expanding tomes. Colin Wilson: His Life and Work at The Cube.

A double bill of cult cinema chaos! Heavy Pictures unleash the gloriously deranged Hungarian animated oddity Cat City, packed with gratuitous mouse nudity and some spectacularly questionable politics. Then Zinezilla return to their beginnings with Ishiro Honda’s '54 original Godzilla - the radioactive lizard at his most terrifying, and still a devastating screen incarnation of nuclear anxiety. Heavy Pictures & Zinezilla Presents Godzilla & Cat City at The Bristol Improv Theatre.

A rare treat for radical thespians: Worms Theatre hosts a playful, beginner’s-friendly deep dive into Augusto Boal’s revolutionary practice, culminating in a Forum Theatre play at the end of the course. Theatre of the Oppressed reframes ‘acting’ as a vehicle for social change, encouraging anarchic audience participation and providing a safe space to practice real-life resistance. Theatre of the Oppressed 10-Week Course at The Trinity Centre.

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What our editors say

“In Indian classical music, ragas are traditionally associated with different times of the day. This special morning concert draws on that rich tradition, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience acclaimed sarod player Debasmita Bhattacharya performing a programme of morning ragas.”
From: Morning Ragas by Debasmita Bhattacharya

“*The Book of Advice*, an experiment in self-translation, stems from the andarznameh tradition of classical Persian literature, a form that moves between verse and prose as it engages invented or familiar sayings and folktales. Originally written in Persian between 2018-2020, the book now speaks in both English and Persian, opening at once from the back and the front, in a voice both distanced and familiar. The vicissitudes of the everyday preoccupy its intimately impersonal speaker as she wrestles with the inadequacy and mobility of language.”
From: Eve Esfandiari-Denney: *Girling* & Ghazal Mosadeq: *The Book of Advice*

“The music will move between drone, ambient texture, minimalist repetition, trance rhythm, neo-classical fragments and slow-burning groove. The dancers become part of the practice — another layer of improvisation happening alongside the music”
From: Rah - music for free dancing

“This month, the exhibition is accompanied by live music from two Bristol-based artists. Pablo Jimenez-Moreno explores sound, space, and texture through classical fingerstyle guitar and minimalist composition, creating immersive soundscapes using intricate techniques, subtle dynamics, and layered acoustic textures. Shaved blends found sound and homemade instruments to create a laid-back ambient atmosphere.”
From: Pop-Up Art Exhibition

“Dj Devolicious fuses cross-generational rhythms, rich lyrics and irresistible bass. With roots in Ghanaian hi-life, church and classical music, and a passion for soul and electro, Devolicious delivers electric mixes that take listeners on a journey of dance music delights. ”
From: After Hours: Dance Out Special