Bristol's Family Event Scene

While Bristol is well known for it's hedonistic nightlife, it's also home to many young families looking for child-friendly events. A lot of the city's key tourist attractions like @Bristol (now renamed We The Curious) and the Aquarium run one-off events providing entertainment for all the family. Both are located on the Harbourside making that a key location for families visiting from out of town. The SS Great Britain is a big draw for families wanting to look round the famous naval ship, but they also offering chilling pirate stories as an additional attraction.

Windmill Hill City Farm and Bristol Zoo run regular workshops introducing children to environmental issues and you can also get the kids started on a budding acting career at the Tobacco Factory Theatre.

Ashton Court hosts the Bristol Balloon Festival annually. A wildly popular family event featuring (you guessed it) giant hot air balloons as well as flying demonstrations from the RFA and enough food and drink to keep any kid happy.

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What our editors say

“Pear Tree is a stand up comedy show about pear shaped events between Sri Lanka and Australia. It’s about family, love, homes, knives, kids and cats - spliced with a bit of geopolitics and singing. As with her last show Boundaries (now on YouTube) Sashi’s signature observations remain dedicated to taking absolutely nothing too seriously.”
From: Sashi Perera: Pear Tree

“Now, after another sell-out Fringe in 2025, Harry is ready to shed his shell again. Because that’s what Lobster is all about — change. Lobsters grow by breaking out of their hard shells, hiding away while a new one forms. It’s vulnerable, uncomfortable, a bit of a mess… and completely unavoidable. Over the past few years, Harry and his family have had to change shells more than once. From moving to a “up-and-coming” postcode, to travelling the world, falling in love, becoming housemates with his own dad, and navigating puberty in 2025, Lobster dives into life’s inevitable transformations with honesty, heart, and relentless laughs.”
From: Harry Stachini: Lobster – UK Tour

“Michael Malay is a writer and teacher based in Bristol. He was raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, before moving to Australia with his family at the age of ten. His first book, Late Light, is about migration, extinction and uncharismatic creatures and was awarded the 2024 Wainwright Prize for Top Nature Writing.”
From: Wild Medicine

“Explore Bristol in 1486 with Dame Edith Comfrey who knows it like the back of her hand. She was there to cheer the new King Henry VII when he entered the city in triumph, and she worked for the great alchemist Thomas Norton who turned base metal into gold and brewed the Elixir of Life. Edith's secrets include her family's source of fresh water - a Saxon well. She also knows the first man to map all the city's streets - with his feet. The only thing Edith doesn't know is where her friend Marjorie Marjoram is so she's checking their haunts. There's lots of Medieval Bristol left to see, you just need to know where to look...”
From: Magic and Mayhem in Medieval Bristol - Theatre Walk

“The show will be filled with chat and laughter, as well as a possible guest appearance from some of your favourite family members or celebrity friends. Plus, the shows will feature YOU, the fans, who have made the podcast what it is.”
From: Natalie Cassidy: with Nat