Indie Gigs in Bristol

upcoming gig

Bristol's Indie Scene

Bristol has a decent spread of indie venues for both big names (keep your eye on the O2 Academy listings) and local up-and-coming indie bands. Perhaps the most important mid-sized indie venue is The Louisiana whose "played-here-before-they-were-really-famous" list boasts Bloc Party, Kings of Leon, Fleet Foxes and Muse.

What’s become of Indie music? For many of a certain generation the early 2000s were the peak of indie music here in Bristol and in the UK as a whole. Not to be confused with the association of independent music (although indie does stand for ‘independent music’) indie came out of the 80s DIY scene and peaked in the 00s mainstream with acts like the Strokes and the Libertines. So where is indie now? Now indie in Bristol might just amount to clubnights like Ramshackle, and we have the decline of grassroots music venues to blame maybe. So while independent music might always be around, the genre formerly known as indie might be dead!

Buy tickets for indie events in Bristol

Our recent indie recommendations

Sell out warning! Early bets on the beatdown of the year, 2:1 on Sunami to pummel all contenders with their no-it’s-not-a-joke-anymore bada$$ bully crossover hxc. You’ve seen the news, so expect a bleeding lip or two (and don’t wear that fresh white tee). Fans of Terror, First Blood God’s Hate etc – you know the drill! Sunami at Shredenhams.

Sell out warning! The Brownswood polymath / scene GOAT lends her exuberant electro-jazz sensibilities to the Miles canon in a supreme act of love. Emma pushes the King of Cool's electric era into deeper fusion territory with the 21st century wisdom of broken beat and footwork, cos we all know he was a junglist born too soon. A bonafide life-affirmer for all the Brainfeeders out there... Dear Miles – A Love Letter at Strange Brew.

Sell out warning! Harakiri are the only band you need on your post-black sky chariot riding mix. Triumphant melody barely disguising soul-wrenching trauma, blistering blast-beats; BM purists beware, this is pure catharsis stitched with post-rock, post-hardcore, grunge and skramz DNA. With Denmark's impossibly mournful Sunken opening things up, ethereal awakenings await disciples of: Alcest, Deafheaven, Drudkh, WitTR. Harakiri for the Sky & Sunken at Strange Brew.

Sell out warning! You’ve never heard pipes like this! Queer futurism from visionary bagpiper Malin Lewis, playing self-made instruments and the world’s first wooden Lindsay Chanter. Malin channels their pipes and drones to form a layered, shifting sonic language that lives between binaries. Malin Lewis at The Jam Jar.

More Photos of Indie Gigs in Bristol

What our editors say

“Two of the best in lo-fi slacker indie rock team up for a tour across the UK and EU next March. Fish Narc and Toner will bring their dream pop and shoegaze tinged sounds to Rough Trade on March 26th in support of two unreal album releases they've put this year. Do not miss out!”
From: Fish Narc

“Having fun is a form of art, and Ciao Lucifer have mastered it like no other. This Amsterdam duo wears the label 'feel-good band' with pride. Since their high school days these two friends have made music, and since a few years as Ciao Lucifer: the indie pop project in which they tackle life's hardships with cheerful music. Their danceable, sunny tunes exist for one purpose only: to escape bleak reality, and dance away your demons. A kind of exorcism ritual, but with more kazoo.”
From: Ciao Lucifer

“Rowena Wise is a Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter whose work balances beauty and mess with rare emotional precision, drawing from 60s folk storytelling while grounded in indie rock, garage pop and alt-folk. Raised in Margaret River, Western Australia, by a luthier father and a Chicago-born folk musician mother, Wise moved to Melbourne at 18 to forge her own path.”
From: ROWENA WISE

“FIRST 150 TICKETS FREE! ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ LUSH DUCK • www.instagram.com/lushduck_ North London electro-indie-pop four-piece blending indie rock, dance and infectious pop hooks. Known for their energetic, non-stop live sets, the band have built momentum through sold-out London and Leeds shows, festival appearances and support slots with Mystery Jets. Their previous highlights include BBC Introducing Song of the Week, DORK coverage and a Tramlines Festival shortlist.”
From: LUSH DUCK

“Lonely Mountain are brothers Archie & Finlay Johnson, an independent folk duo from the North Wales coast. Rooted in traditional and indie folk, storytelling and a love of the outdoors, their music is shaped by family sailing adventures, mountain landscapes and a DIY approach to recording and producing their songs. From filming live music on the mountain above their home to building a community of like-minded adventurers through social media, everything they do is created close to home. Following two EPs, the brothers bring their original folk music on a UK Winter tour ahead of their debut album, due early 2027.”
From: Lonely Mountain