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

Superlative, high-camp satire of family-values conservatism via Hollywood’s take on French stage comedy La Cage Aux Folles. Miami cabaret couple Robin Williams and Nathan Lane go from drag glamour to farcical subterfuge as they play it straight for the sake of their son and his would-be in-laws. A watershed moment for LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media, and a real gem in the Williams oeuvre. Join Queer Vision with the special screening of The Birdcage at the Bristol Megascreen!

Sell out warning! Bristol > Abergavenny summer getaway par excellence, Come Bye hosts a steaming pre-festival warmup with this Sauna + DJ session in Horfield Common’s community wellness retreat. Sweat out to residents spinning acid chug, bumpin’ garage and sunshine-filled house before taking the deep cold plunge. A 1 day sauna festival featuring music, drinks & sauna

One of Bristol’s sharpest voices, few contemporary poets can match Samatar Elmi’s distinctive combination of technical dexterity and political bite. He launches new collection Agen Bien Fou at EBB, joined in literary provocation by experimental writer and researcher Nell Osbourne and Swansea’s foremost Dylan Thomas evangelist Jeff Towns. Launch of Samatar Elmi's book of poetry *Agen Bien Fou*, published by Kulvert Press.

Sell out warning! A beautifully shot documentary following the seasonal rhythms of an off-grid nonagenarian deep in rural Canada. With her stubbornly analogue existence of land cultivation and self-sufficiency, Agatha’s a slow-living ecofeminist inspiration who’ll make you swear off tech forever. Reject modernity! Embrace tradition! Grow some vegetables and throw your phone into the sea! 86 wonderful minutes with the style icon and duct tape queen Agatha Bock