With the return of the community led St Paul’s carnival (getting national coverage in the Guardian), Bristol has always had claim to be the capital of the Jamaican diaspora sound. Reggae and dub can be heard on the streets of St Paul’s and Stokes Croft, on the airwaves of Ujima and at venues like Cosies and community-centred nights at Kuumba Centre and the Malcolm X centre. While smoking bans and rapid gentrification have murdered the nightlife of London, Bristol has it’s own problems that are impacting the reggae and dub communities. The recent sale of the Rastafari Cultural centre poses a threat to the beating heart of this vibrant scene in Bristol.
While it's still possible to see reggae legends like Lee Perry and Horace Andy at Bristol's large venues (ie Colston Hall and the o2 Academy), live reggae in Bristol is fewer and farther between. Dub and 'soundsystem culture' on the other hand, are literally huge. For the big dub and roots soundclashes, keep an eye on whats on at the Trinity Centre in Bristol, most notably Unity in Dub who's guest soundsystems have included Irration Steppas and the mighty King Earthquake.
On a much smaller scale look at Cosies listings for their weekly roots and reggae night and check whats on at the Attic (attached to the Full Moon on Stokes Croft). Pure ragga, bashment or dancehall events in Bristol are pretty rare, instead a reggae room is a pretty common fixture at big nights at venues like Lakota.
The rapid growth of dubstep in Bristol has brought with it a rekindled interest in modern dub (aka digi-dub aka future dub) and has led to some unlikely dub bookings like Mad Professor at Shit the Bed in the Motion listings.
Buy tickets for reggae & dub events in Bristol
Our recent reggae & dub recommendations
One of the most recognisable mic-men in modern steppas, roots and culture, Fikir Amlak lands in the heart of St Paul’s for a proper soundsystem dance. King Alpha’s go-to toaster joins the mad promising Yaksha in-house stable with live brass from the mighty King David Horns (of Scratch, Dawn Penn, Horace Andy pedigree). This is live dub done right, so get down!
FIKIR AMLAK meets YAKSHA SOUND ft. King David Horns & Emperor Wanje at KUUMBA LIVE. A mind-blowing gathering of DUB vibes & BAD beats!
Sell out warning! Darlings of chaos boogie Getdown Services are back in town at the end of a banger year and ready to launch their debut album into our eager grubby hands. If you know them, they need no introduction. If you don’t: picture two drunk dads spitting razor-sharp semi-nude social commentary to a screaming crowd. Come early for a (frankly ludicrous) six band support bill across both Exchange stages.
Wasteland Presents: Getdown Services Exchange takeover
Ecstatic batshit weirdness from Kiki Hitomi (Jahtari / King Midas Sound) and chiptune breakcore maverick DJ Scotch Egg fusing Japanese folk forms with breakbeats, dancehall, footwork, polyrhythmical hand-drumming…..anything and everything Earth has to offer tbh. Joined by evangelical grunge illbient tri-force Franco Franco, Yokel and D Ham for some seriously inspiring adventure sonics @ the Brew.
Shigeru Ishihara (DJ Scotch Egg / Seefeel) and Kiki Hitomi (King Midas)'s bombastic mix of dancehall, electronica, pop, polyrhythms + more
A firm sellout warning for longtime Ishmael collaborator and one of Bristol's most engaging soul/pop talents, you've been warned!
Vocalist, co-writer and pianist with critically acclaimed collective, Ishmael Ensemble, Holysseus Fly has already made a powerful impression
More Photos of Reggae Nights in Bristol
What our editors say
“Widely regarded as one of the world’s finest live draws, Fat Freddy’s Drop has navigated sunshine reggae and soul psychedelia before swerving onto a desolate Detroit superhighway at night. This euphoric vibe demands to be heard live, a potent mixture of jazz virtuosity and diaphragm-wrecking digital sonics.”
From: Fat Freddy's Drop
“Accompanied by his cheerful choir, The Sounds of Joy, over nine tracks Oho takes his listeners on a journey like no other – lilting from low slung reggae based numbers to upbeat songs played in traditional local rhythms.”
From: Alogte Oho and his Sounds of Joy
“You're invited to the most anticipated reggae dancehall event of the year - get ready to immerse yourself in the euphoric sounds of Masicka and Mali Donn, plus special guests still to be announced as they touch down in Bristol. ”
From: Masicka & Malie Donn
“In the seaside resort of Brighton, Sophie Bond, also known as IYAMAH (pronounced i-yam-ah), grew up surrounded by the rhythms of reggae music and African drumming. She picked up a piano and began creating songs, but she kept them as a form of journaling for her personal self-expression. She didn't develop a love for Neo-Soul and hip hop until she began taking vocal classes in school, presenting solo renditions of songs by strong female musicians like Whitney Houston, Etta James and Aretha Franklin, along with performers like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.”
From: IYAMAH + guests
“Roots reggae has no finer ambassadors to come out of the south-west than Talisman. Formed in 1978, Talisman vied for the title of the country's most popular live reggae act with successful national tours, which bought them loyal fans and left behind long-lasting memories. During the late 70's and early 80's, the bands performance prowess earned them support slots with bands as diverse as Burning Spear, The Clash, and The Rolling Stones.”
From: Talisman + DJs