Bristol's Experimental Pop Scene

Experimental pop events in Bristol are easy to find: Bristol has always been the place for music with a bit of an edge to it (notorious local act the Pop Group are anything but....) There's a range of smaller venues in the city like the Crofter's Rights, the Old England and the Cube that regular put on gigs of the experimental variety - often crossed over with those pop hooks you know and love.

Bristol's music crowd is well-known for it's open minded tastes so DJs in the city can get away with playing experimental music, even in busy mid-week venues like the Galllimaufry. Stokes Croft is really the place, with venues like Cafe Kino and the Arts House also putting on experimental pop gigs as well as folk and noise.

Buy tickets for experimental pop events in Bristol

What our editors say

“Anyone familiar with electronic music will know Mechatok, aka Emir Timur Tokdemir. He made his name touring globally and releasing a series of records and collaborations with some of the most forward-thinking artists of the past decade, from Drain Gang (Bladee, Ecco2k, Whitearmor, Thaiboy Digital) to Charli XCX to Lorenzo Senni. Often subtle in delivery, these works circulated widely across underground and adjacent mainstream scenes, subtly shaping the direction of experimental pop and club music.”
From: Mechatok + special guests

“Spanning experimental pop and club music, Babymorocco blends hyper-emotional songwriting with a palette drawn from early 2000s dance, French electro, 2-step, and hardcore. Over the years he has received support from Pitchfork, The Guardian, NME, The FADER, DIY, and more.”
From: Babymorocco + special guests

“Two eccentric El Rincon debuts for the price of one! - a conglomerate smorgasbord evening of music, ranging from improvisation, pop melodies and spoken word, to extraordinarily-bassoon-led compositions and “dirty furniture music”. The Crash Bandicoots are musical collaborators Taz and Quinn, who play original music on piano and bassoon, influenced by a wide range of unexpected genres – expect folk, reggae, pop, and blues like you’ve never heard before. Sorry is one half of ThankyouSorry, a clever, funny and singularly inventive experimental pop duo from Bristol featuring the voice & piano of Sally. We can’t wait!”
From: The Crash Bandicoots & Sorry

“Joining them is LA's Spike Hellis, with their fresh spin on minimal EBM blasted with dark, experimental pop, new beat, techno & freestyle, shot through with disenchantment and sarcasm - one of the most exciting new acts in the scene and with a hard-hitting live show.”
From: Adult. + Spike Hellis

“Producer, vocalist, DJ and dancer Andras_2020 combines the sonorous ripples of their Latin America with experimental pop, deconstructed club music and avant-garde. With influences that range from baile funk to neo-perreo, their music features lyrics that encompasses the explicitness of those genres, clashing with hard hitting drums and their soft falsetto.”
From: CONQUEER w/ ANDRAS_2020, KIIK AMOR & BJ HOLY