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Reggae Nights in Bristol

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Bristol's Reggae & Dub Scene

Is Bristol the capital of reggae & dub in the UK?

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.

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Our recent reggae & dub recommendations

Sell out warning! On-U Sound’s AHC return to Bristol for a full-throttle blowout at Trinity, delivering thunderous dub rhythms, bonkers polyrhythmic percussion and soaring melodic chants - all riddled with post-punk attitude and dizzying psychedelic catharsis. AFRICAN HEAD CHARGE PLUS GUESTS at The Trinity Centre.

Kicking off the fest with a live quadruple threat: DJ Python’s subaqueous reggaeton and textural ambience meets a highly-anticipated Bristol debut of expressionist Sufi poeticism from vocalist Abdullah Miniawy. Joined by sprawling avant-punk-dub from Coby Sey + band (aka Continue) and mary hurrell’s spectral sound art meditations. Coby Sey & Continue, DJ Python , Abdullah Miniawy & more at DOCUMENT.

The praise heaped on the unstoppable Cimarons is long overdue. Their legacy is now secured as the first reggae band in the UK, the original exporters of roots to Africa and Japan, Bob Marely’s go-to backing band and the muscle behind countless (uncredited) studio sessions with every major Trojan artist. Seeing Cimarons live is your chance to dance with history, seize it! Cimarons + Talisman at The Jam Jar.

Ex-Babyfather affiliates James Massiah and Lord Tusk lit up festival stages all summer with their thunderous stepper 'Might Be The One'. Their sci-fi-drenched dub pressure pairs seamlessly with Big Murk’s ferocious grime, Yung Yusuf’s raw lyricism and Grove’s punk-charged energy. James Massiah x Lord Tusk, Big Murk, Grove x Yung Yusuf at Loco Klub.

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What our editors say

“Fresh from their 2025 tour, Toots and the Maytals feat. Leba Hibbert bring reggae’s true spirit back to the stage. Formed in the 1960s and famed for classics like 54-46 Was My Number, Monkey Man and Pressure Drop, the Maytals remain one of reggae’s most iconic groups. Now led by Toots’ daughter Leba, expect a powerful celebration of timeless hits and living legacy.”
From: Toots and the Maytals ft Leba Hibbert

“The album has been produced in collaboration with Nostalgia 77 (Ben Lamdin) and the psychedelic, dub aesthetic of the production deepens and enhances the atmosphere of the album and that's the experience we want to give the listener live!”
From: James Allsopp Group

“Rookie Numbers are a high-octane, 7-piece collective paving the way for a fourth generation of ska - 'ska-rave'. The band keeps the bravado pumping, their antics on stage a clear show of their youthfulness. Their originals are pumped full of energy, with influences from classic two-tone, as well as jungle, dub, and DnB, ensuring that Rookie Numbers will put on a show more intense than a nuclear power plant, something that people won't forget in a hurry.”
From: Rookie Numbers

“In 2007, the German label Groove Attack released their debut album Version Excursions, contributing to their international success. The album has sold over 40,000 copies to date, and is being reissued on vinyl this year, 2023. Made up of covers as varied as they are astonishing, it reaches a very wide audience, well beyond the reggae scene, and is played on numerous radio stations, compilations and playlists, including that of Don Letts. Nicole Willis asked them to remix two of her tracks, My four leaf clover and Feelin Free.”
From: The Dynamics

“The Sabres of Paradise was a London-based electronic music trio formed in 1992, known for their innovative blend of dub, techno, and experimental sounds, as well as their influential remixes. The group comprised Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner, and Gary Burns. They achieved recognition for their debut album, Sabresonic, and the follow-up, Haunted Dancehall, and for their contributions to the UK's electronic music scene.”
From: The Sabres of Paradise + special guests