What's On / Bristol Gigs

Bristol Gigs

— All Bristol's Live Music

Buy tickets for Bristol's best gigs and live music.

Live music gig with great Bristol bands.

Bristol’s best gigs

Every week, the Headfirst editors trawl through all of the live music listings on the website and pick the best gigs for you to go to. Our event selections range from classical music concerts at St George’s Hall to smaller, local musician’s gigs at The Canteen or the Exchange.

Check out this week’s Bristol gig selections over on the Headfirst Facebook page and don’t forget to join our weekly email list for ticket alerts and announcements about interesting bands coming to Bristol including our biggest venues like SWX.

All tickets for this concert were sold through Headfirst Ticket Shop.

Tickets for Bristol gigs

In 2016, Headfirst Bristol launched an online ticket shop for live music events. Inspired by local cooperatives and community interest companies like the Bristol Cable and The Island, Headfirst provides an ethical and respectful place to buy tickets for gigs in Bristol. Our booking fees are low (usually 65p per ticket) and we strive to help support independent live music events as much as large concerts at venues like Bristol Beacon or Marble Factory.

Upcoming gigs in Bristol

Fri 21st November
CONAN at Thekla
— Thekla

CONAN in Bristol Tickets

Tue 12th May
Larry Fleet at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Larry Fleet in Bristol Tickets

Thu 2nd April
Searows at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Searows in Bristol Tickets

Fri 1st May
Mesh at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Mesh in Bristol Tickets

Wed 3rd December
Saffron Emerging Artist Showcase at Rough Trade Bristol
— Rough Trade Bristol

Saffron Emerging Artist Showcase in Bristol Tickets

Live music venues in Bristol

Bristol’s gig venues play an essential and often overlooked role in the city’s music scene. A spectrum of venues provides a ladder for new bands and musical talent to ascend. DIY spaces like Lost Horizon and Strangebrew provide a testbed for the screaming synthesisers and the guitars that will undoubtedly become part of Bristol’s future. Check out Headfirst’s Bristol venues page to discover which kind of performances and concerts you can expect from each gig venue.

First live gig for one of Bristol's best guitarists.

Our editor's top live music recommendation

Angeline Morrison crafts hauntingly beautiful folk injected with a captivating blend of melancholy and darkness, accompanied by the poignant strings of the autoharp. Her latest works are visionary re-writings of Black people’s experiences into a tradition that largely ignored them. History in the making FFO: Buffy Sainte Marie, Shirley Collins, Shovel Dance Collective. Angeline Morrison at The Wardrobe Theatre.

Sell out warning! Dean Blunt-championed darlings Bar Italia continue their steady ascent to slacker indie superstardom, gifting Trinity a fifth album haul of seasick alt-rock polished with moody romanticism and nostalgic 90s hooks. Move over post-punk, the hour of wonky pop-grunge is upon us FFO: Sonic Youth, Elastica, The Velvet Underground, Wet Leg. Bar Italia at The Trinity Centre.

Sell out warning! Beloved Ohio indie-emo quartet Remember Sports bring their ripping alt-pop and sunroof-dropping riffs to town. Big scrappy rave-ups with both goofy earnestness and subtle emotional insight – these are loud anthems for quiet people. Unmissable FFO: Ratboys, Joyce Manor, Alvvays. Remember Sports at Exchange.

Sell out warning! Brazil-born, LA-based guitar master Fabiano do Nascimento builds whole worlds armed with just a 7-string and a loop pedal. His unique Rio groove is alive with the spirit of traditional Afro-samba, choro and folk – one of the most transportive live jazz experiences you’ll find this side of the Atlantic. Fabiano do Nascimento at The Jam Jar.

Recommended Gigs

Tue 31st March
Angeline Morrison at The Wardrobe Theatre
— The Wardrobe Theatre

Angeline Morrison in Bristol Tickets

Fri 9th October
The Lemonheads at Electric Bristol
— Electric Bristol

The Lemonheads in Bristol Tickets

Mon 16th March
Lime Garden at The Louisiana
— The Louisiana

Lime Garden in Bristol Tickets

Tue 3rd March
The Wave Pictures at Strange Brew
— Strange Brew

The Wave Pictures in Bristol Tickets

Fri 27th March
Joan Shelley at Strange Brew
— Strange Brew

Joan Shelley in Bristol Tickets

Sun 14th December
Jazz in the Loft - Dennis Rollins at The Tobacco Factory
— The Tobacco Factory

Jazz in the Loft - Dennis Rollins in Bristol Tickets

Sat 6th December
Porij, My First Time, Bloodworm & More at Thekla
— Thekla

Porij, My First Time, Bloodworm & More in Bristol Tickets

Fri 6th February
Yann Tiersen at Bristol Beacon
— Bristol Beacon

Yann Tiersen in Bristol Tickets

Sun 12th April
Frank Turner at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Frank Turner in Bristol Tickets

Tue 24th February
Cam at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Cam in Bristol Tickets

Gigs in Bristol today

Most of Headfirst’s visitors come to discover new bands and live music in Bristol. We’re proud to be Bristol’s most complete gig listings resource, complete with a full breakdown of gigs in Bristol today and tour dates for the next six months. A sterling selection of open mic nights (particularly along Gloucester Road), provide ample midweek entertainment for would-be talent scouts.

Sell out warning - buy tickets while you can!

Sell out warning! Kaleidoscopic, folkloric, synthpop siren songs: Mermaid Chunky’s whimsical world is a gleefully eccentric and precious pearl to behold. The duo – whose previous gig resumé includes soundtracking the wedding of 2 porcelain pooches – return to the Brew with a fresh batch of absurdist fever-dream magic. Mermaid Chunky at Strange Brew.

Gorgeous folk-noir awash with bowed chamber strings and otherworldly harmonies. Aussie sister duo Charm of Finches summon an indie-baroque heartache of epic proportions FFO: Kate Bush, Gillian Welch, Agnes Obel, Sufjan Stevens. Charm of Finches at The Jam Jar.

Rapper announces our new Bristol gig guide on the microphone!
More avant-garde magic from Copenhagen's ceaseless musical wellspring … Fine’s off-kilter singer-songwriting and collaborations with fellow power-Danes (inc Astrid Sonne and Erika de Casier) have launched her to cult status in just a few years. Tender, moody 90s alt-rock meets electronic bedroom pop, full of country murmurs and sleepy strangeness FFO: Mazzy Star, Why Bonnie, Maria BC, ML Buch. Fine + guests at Strange Brew.

Sell out warning! Unhinged psychedelic garage punk from Porto meets Japan’s most delirious heavy-prog outfits in a truly insane double-bill from the combined cosmic powers of Velvet Echoes and Extra Terrestrial. An outer-limits aural feast FFO: Mars Volta, Ruins, Acid Mothers Temple, Osees, Ty Segall, Frankie and the Witch Fingers. Sunflowers + Green Milk From The Planet Orange at The Croft.

Gigs at Lost Horizon Gigs at Exchange Louisiana Tickets Bristol Beacon Tickets View All Gig Venues

Local bands and musicians

Local musicians are the lifeblood and new energy that constantly rejuvenates Bristol’s venues and performance spaces. Graduates from Bristol University’s Music course and BIMM provide regular injections of talent ranging from electronic music producers to classically trained pianists and orchestral musicians. Some of Bristol’s most successful bands are the first to point out that their inspiration comes from other local bands and gigs they’ve attended; with this in mind Headfirst is careful to include as much local talent as possible in it’s gig guide.

In addition to attending gigs you can also support Bristol’s musicians by buying their records from independent stores like Idle Hands Records, Shall Not Fade and Christmas Steps Records.