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Folk Nights & Acoustic Music in Bristol

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Bristol's Folk & Acoustic Scene

Like jazz, folk is an extremely broad genre. From Joan Baez and Joanna Newsom to Bon Iver and the Fleet Foxes to Sheelanegig and Beirut, the folk field is vast. Fortunately when it comes to catering for such a broad spectrum of live music, Bristol excels.

Was folk & acoustic born in the West Country?

With local venues like Bristol Folk House and Bristol University Folk society, folk and acoustic music has a strong foothold in Bristol. The romantic images of a farmer chewing grass sitting on a hay bale is a West Country classic, English folk music has always thrived in the countryside. While Bristol isn’t as rural as its surroundings, music people have always flocked to Bristol from the surrounding areas, bringing the folk sound with them. So while folk music wasn’t born in the west country, it sure does have a home in Bristol.

Folk venues in Bristol
For off-centre Twee and Anti-Folk, be sure to check out what's on at the Louisiana and check the Lost Horizon listings. Cafe Kino and The Arts House both on Stokes Croft also host occasional anti-folk bands and solo musicians.

For less lo-fi and more straight up folk, key venues include: Lost Horizon, The Lansdown in Clifton, The South Bank Centre and The Folk House.

For more feisty folk bands keep an eye on gigs at The Attic and check out our gypsy jazz listings.

The folk big-guns and pop-crossover 'stars' like Noah and The Whale, Seth Lakeman and Mumford and Sons will be found at the biggest Bristol Venues (Colston Hall, o2 Academy and St George's Hall). For these gigs, arrive early as big folk events (at St Georges Hall in particular) can come packaged with some great (and potentially better) support artists.

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Our recent folk & acoustic recommendations

Local scene royalty and Brilliant Corners/Experimental Pop Band alumnus Davey Woodward joins both Karen and The Winter Orphans for a ramshackle new wave/alt-rock/twee pop double-billing. With scrappy poetics, lo-fi intimacy and finely wrought codas, this is C86-style indie with actual C86 pedigree! Essential FFO: Big Star, Wilco, The Pastels, Hefner, Sarah Records. Karen / Davey Woodward and The Winter Orphans at Exchange.

Two wonders of improvised performance! UK free jazz GOAT Evan Parker spins hypnotic patterns with circular breathing and overtone manipulation, while Trance Map+ – a collaborative trio with Parker, Matt Wright, and Filipe Gomes – blend acoustic instruments with live electronic processing to create shape-shifting soundscapes in real time. Evan Parker and Trance Map+ at Arnolfini.

Quietly haunting and deeply expressive, classical guitarist and composer Laura Snowden weaves mystic threads between pastoral folk lyricism and spectral modernism. Her rippling arpeggios and glassy harmonics conjure half-remembered stories of memory, myth and landscape – timeless FFO: Ralph Towner, Chopin, Marin Marais. Laura Snowden + A.L. Lacey at The Cube.

Romantic-noir crooner for an anxious age, Mark William Lewis’ uncanny allure is inescapable. Recently signed to the cult A24, his devastatingly poetic, intricately cinematic songwriting magic is paired with Tony Bontana’s introspective left-field rap for a fully enthralling Brew outing. Mark William Lewis + Tony Bontana at Strange Brew.

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What our editors say

“Having shared stages with Overpass, Ellur, and Twin Atlantic, the band have honed a sound that shimmers with emotion and surges with scale. With new music slated for autumn/winter 2026, Fright Years are set to embark on their biggest headline tour to date, bringing their soaring sound and emotional intensity to stages across the country marking the next thrilling chapter in their ascent.”
From: Fright Years

“Shtëpi are a melting pot of exhilarating art-punk sounds, boasting an aggressive and emphatic live sound, reminiscent of Viagra Boys & Idles. Expect industrial synth sounds, groovy percussion and guitars that vary between static and devoted, yet always triumphant. The band’s eclectic song-writing defies the containment of genres, with their latest EP ‘CTRL + ALT + ROCK’ forming the consummation of 3 years of relentless gigging, which has seen the surging act support the likes of Geese, Personal Trainer and Getdown Services. Shtëpi are one of the country’s most exciting upcoming bands, catch them before they’re the country’s worst kept secret!”
From: Shtëpi + guests

“In January and February, they embarked on their first US tour in 11 years. March and April saw a tour in Western Japan. In August, they toured the Czech Republic and Germany, marking their inaugural European tour. In September, they played two shows in Taiwan, their first time performing in another Asian country besides Japan.”
From: Sunflowers + Green Milk From The Planet Orange

“Over the past few years, the collective has been popping up at free parties, festivals, and street performances across the country bringing their mobile sound-systems and wild energy to every corner of the UK. Now, they’re hitting live venues to bring their unique rock/rave fusion show to a city near you!”
From: New Age Collective Winter Solstice

“Bringing a new splash of spirit to old time genres, four-piece band Moonshine Malarkey raise the roof with raucous drinking songs and tell lyrical tales of monkeys, mermaids and moonshine. Expect a signature blend of footstompin’ country, swing, folk, calypso and boozy blues, with fiery violin solos, high energy drums and smooth lead vocals joined by soulful harmonies.”
From: Moonshine Malarkey