Bristol's Festival Scene

Bristol festivals draw huge crowds year on year - from commercially run events like Tokyo World Festival in Eastville park to free (and community minded) events like Trinity Garden Party and St. Paul's carnival. There are a string of multi-venue festivals (in the style of Sonar in Barcelona) around the Stokes Croft area including Simple Things and Rave on Avon. Simple Things has expanded somewhat in the last few years and taken over the city's flagship venue, Colston Hall.

As well as music festivals, Bristol's deep historical connection to street art is celebrated in day events like Upfest. Centred around the recently created (and unofficial) street art district - North Street - you can spend the day watching apartment blocks getting a new lick of paint from head to toe. Truly a festival not to be missed!

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Our recent festival recommendations

Screening as part of Bristol Palestine Film Festival, this intimate documentary traces Palestinian heritage, resilience and community via the story of grain miller Aisha Azzam – who has spent over three decades running a mill in Baqa’a refugee camp. Presented alongside a tasting session to bring alive the flavours and culinary traditions in the film. Aisha’s Story at Bristol Palestine Museum.

A maddening deep-dive into the economic machinery of the occupation of Palestine. Lowenstein’s shocking documentary reveals how Israeli military tech companies reap the rewards from their live ‘battle-tested’ human laboratory, making them the #1 export choice for genocidal regimes and Western neo-liberals alike. The Palestine Laboratory at Arnolfini.

Sell out warning! Annemarie Jacir’s historical epic tells the story of life in 1930s Palestine and the local uprising against British colonial rule. Using rare archival footage, Palestine 36 casts a timely light on Britain’s long-standing legacy of violence in the Middle East in a powerful testament to Palestinian resistance. This historical pre-WWII epic documents the revolt against British rule by villages in Mandatory Palestine, as Yusuf moves between his rural home and Jerusalem, yearning for a life beyond the unrest.

Penny Serenade reveals a seldom-seen side of Cary Grant, far from the top-hat charm and screwball wit. Opposite Irene Dunne, he wrestles tenderness, loss, and paternal devotion with unshowy precision. A deep cut in the Grant filmography, it lingers in the terrain of domestic heartbreak where even the most polished leading men reckon with grief. A woman on the brink of divorce revisits the soundtrack of her life in this heartfelt melodrama about love, loss, and the fragility of happiness.

What our editors say

“Next year, we’re welcoming a slightly bigger community, unveiling a brand new wellbeing area, and offering a rich mix of fresh and already adored dance workshops. Ah, and of course, the unforgettable club night sessions too! The farm is ready to host us once again for what promises to be a truly sensational celebration of movement and togetherness. One and only festival of this kind :)”
From: Dancing Body Festival 2026

“Drinks will be provided on a donation basis - please bring a card or some cash if you wish to make a donation to our summer festival and in-year outreach costs. We are a charity and can claim gift aid on any donations.”
From: CarmenCo Trio and Young Performers' Spotlight

“Jessica Olivia Neill is a Bristol-based writer, producer and accredited funeral celebrant. Born and raised till aged nine in Jamaica, her work is often concerned with themes of memory, history, belonging and loss, strongly underpinned by a reverence for nature. Part of the team at the Diverse Artists Network, one of our Creators in Residence, she works with communities and helps produce DIASPORA!, a city-wide festival celebrating cultural diversity through the arts.”
From: Letters to Loss: A Creative Writing Workshop

“Immerse yourself in the enchanting celebration of Imbolc, an ancient Celtic festival that blossoms from the rich roots of pre-Christian Britain. Celebrated by many modern neo-pagans today, Imbolc marks the sacred midpoint between the winter solstice and the arrival of spring, falling on February 1st and 2nd. The name "Imbolc" translates to "in the belly of the Mother," symbolizing how the seeds of new life are beginning to stir deep within Mother Earth’s embrace.”
From: Imbolc Blessings & Rituals - The Making a Brigid Doll

“All donations from this year’s festival will go to Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), providing humanitarian assistance as well as health and social services to Palestinians whenever and wherever needed.”
From: Palestine Comedy Club