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

Hella diverse community all-dayer jam-packed with fresh creative energy courtesy of the Blackmail collective. Featuring tarot reading, DJ workshops, community education from Bristol Race Equity, live neo-soul from Naysa and tear-out junglism from Deselecta. Day party! With henna and psychic tarot reads from dedicated creatives, LEORASSA is your opportunity to experience the real underground of the UK’s creative scene. Tattoo artist Earth.Magik will be making an appearance to share their recent off-skin works, and Bristol local Anando is hosting a sketch workshop! Dance, eat, draw and play. We welcome you all at BLACK DON’T CRACK

Bristol-based sound artist Yas Clarke meditates on our relationship to the natural world in the context of climate breakdown, stretching language like play-doh across an enigmatic acapella score for four voices. Shepherded by click tracks, the vocalists’ syllables tumble into abstraction, and selfhood dissolves. Unmissable FFO: Steve Reich, Kali Malone, Mica Levi, Terry Riley, Meredith Monk. Impossible and arcane: a strange new four-part a capella work from Bristol-based sound artist Yas Clarke. With support from Emergency Chorus.

Another free entry happening from the experimental performance minds at MAYK. They’re commandeering the Millennium Square screens with a dance film responding to Bristol’s built environment, bleeding out into the flesh with live body-popping action from Ramelle Williams. Fragments of Us is a call to dance, express yourself, or just observe the reactions of an unsuspecting crowd. Live performance, short film premiere & open jam

Five powerful short films curated by Refugee Week and BRF exploring the theme of 'community as a superpower'. Our highlights: autobiographical animation The Scent of Geranium, documenting director Naghmeh Farzaneh’s complex experience as an Iranian immigrant in the US, and Oscar nominated Los Comandos, a sobering profile of emergency responders in El Salvador. A selection of short films chosen from the Refugee Week film list shown at the Bristol Bike Project, a community project.

What our editors say

“For 2025, our festival is presented with the frame Bodies of Care, inviting audiences to explore circus work that embeds practices of care into the way it is made and performed and speaks to this important facet of human experience.”
From: Circus City Festival Passes

“Join us for a vibrant celebration of the summer harvest festival, where we explore its rich symbols and traditions through hands-on crafting of traditional home decor from locally sourced straw, dried grass, flowers, and herbs. This inspiring event invites participants to meditate on their intentions for the winter season while creating meaningful artifacts that honor folklore and seasonal change, blending artistic expression with cultural reflection in a unique and engaging experience.”
From: Autumn Equinox Rituals & Nature Craft Workshop

“Unlike a traditional festival where you turn up and spectate; at Come Bye you’re invited to be an active participant and get involved in any way you want. The festival is built on contributions and each year is unique as the programme depends on you, the attendees and what you decide to bring.”
From: Come Bye 2025

“Bringing together marketplace, animation festival and workshop space, Gordon The Godzilla and his friends will be taking over the Trinity Centre for a full day of festivities, activities and art.”
From: Zinezilla Arts Festival

“My Date with Pierce Brosnan is the creation of indie game developer and seasoned clown Alistair Aitcheson. His interactive shows have won awards at festivals including IndieCade in Los Angeles and the Creative Gaming Awards in Hamburg.”
From: My Date with Pierce Brosnan - Immersive Comedy Show