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Poetry & Spoken Word Events in Bristol

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Bristol's Poetry Scene

At the time of writing there are very few regular poetry events in Bristol. Milk hosts regular nights at Halo on Gloucester Road and The Wardrobe Theatre in Old Market. Hammer & Tongue occasionally bring their poetry slams to town and have used The Grain Barge for past events. Stand Up For Lyricism promotes poetry events in south Bristol at The Rope Walk and Tobacco Factory Theatre.

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What our editors say

“Come and kindle the bright fire with: - Grounded yet dynamic movement to awaken the body-mind - Breath practices to cultivate inner fire - A heart-centred yoga nidra to listen deeply to intention - A candle-lit poetry ritual to nourish what is coming into being - Shared snacks and warm drinks to close and ground the work”
From: Bright Fire: A Beltane Yoga & Ritual Gathering

“Date: Thursday 23rd April 2026 Venue: The Board Walk (SS Great Britain) Time: 19:00 - 20:00 Tickets: £5 ✅ All Lyra Fest venues are wheelchair accessible. Access Information Pack available at www.lyrafest.com. Words and Water: Poems on the Avon Come along to The Board Walk, by Brunel’s SS Great Britain, for an evening of poetry responding to Bristol waterways and the River Avon, through themes of environmentalism, conservation, migration, grief, joy and more. Enjoy performances from an array of local poets, Sophie Dumont, Asmaa Jama, Suzannah V. Evans, Saili Katebe, plus music and poetry from The Avonas. Part of Lyra – Bristol Poetry Festival 2026 #LyraFest Filters: Live Event ✓”
From: Words and Water: Poems on the Avon

“If you were dazzled by Ben’s previous novels The Topeka School, 10:04 and Leaving The Atocha Station, as well as his variously acclaimed poetry collections and writings on related subjects, you’ll know that this whole thing is a bit of a one-off, so don’t sleep on tickets.”
From: Ben Lerner: Transcription

“Cathy Galvin is a poet and journalist. She is co-founder of the Sunday Times Short Story Award. Her journalism has appeared in the Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, Newsweek, The Sunday Times, and The Tablet where she is a non-executive director. She has published three poetry pamphlets: *Black and Blue* (The Melos Press, 2014), *Rough Translation* (The Melos Press, 2016) and *Walking the Coventry Ring Road with Lady Godiva* (Guillemot Press, 2019). Her debut poetry collection, *Ethnology. A love song for Connemara* is forthcoming from Bloodaxe Books in February 2026.”
From: Poetry: Eleanor Rees & Cathy Galvin

“Glauber's film pulsates with fury and radiates poetry, the film of a man longing for a better world. This film is a great example of the "aesthetic of hunger" he cultivated in order to depict Latin America's unique situation as a continent, a film style mixing mysticism and politics to countervail the dominance of Western cinematic forms. Please, come to Brazil with us!”
From: Black God, White Devil 8pm