Rock Gigs in Bristol

upcoming gig

Bristol's Rock Scene

With so many artists jumping ship in favour of more fashionable genre name, it's always amazing to see how much falls under the 'rock' umbrella. Classic rock venues in Bristol include The O2 Academy and The Fleece.

Have Idles put Bristol rock music back on the map?

Idles have put Bristol rock music back on everyone’s mind, but they’re just one of the talented Bristol rock bands who have the nation’s attention. While more retro rock gigs like Let’s Rock Bristol festival and rock and metal cover bands at the Fleece and Beerkeller (RIP), make Bristol’s rock scene look 80s focused, the List of current bands in Bristol is long. Bands like Heavy Lungs, Stolen Body record their own brand of psychedelic rock (including the popular yearl Bristol Psych Fest). For those who love to rock: Bristol’s live music scene salutes you.

Buy tickets for rock events in Bristol

Our recent rock recommendations

Reverb-drenched riders of the apocalyptic haze, London-based five-piece The Confederate Dead summon drone-laced guitar voyages out of of pulsing waves and elliptical loops. Step into the silken heat! FFO: Galaxie 500, Spiritualized, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, staring into the void. Confederate Dead, Lamears + Barbican

Seismic Bristol debut for these incendiary garage-punk / prog-jazz / heavy psych disciples. From LA they came, riding heady clouds of sax squall into stoner fuzz pedal storms, screaming with proto-punk falsettos and afro-funk chops. This’ll be a serious third eye watering FFO: Osees, Ty Segall, King Gizzard, Bitches Brew, Witch, King Crimson. Notorious LA Psych / Punk / ROCK known for their high-energy and sweat-drenched shows

Rollicking double bass-slappin’ rockabilly and punkish r’n’r revival from two crucial underground acts seen supporting the titanic likes of the Meteors, Klingonz, OH! GUNQUIT and the Zipheads. Expect b-movie horror, UFOs, voodoo women, zombies and more than a lil leopard print FFO: Stray Cats, Eddie Cochran, Tiger Army, Matchbox, the Cramps. Kro-Magnon Klub presents THE DEAD SHOUT and PLANET STRANGE

Sell out warning! Lush legend and anti-pop heroine Miki Berenyi returns revitalised after her much-acclaimed confessional memoirs with a new trio playing classic Lush tracks and new material. Essential for all dreampoppers, shoegazers and 90s kids. A Grey Muzzle Promotions event

More Photos of Rock Gigs in Bristol

What our editors say

“Those who are down and out will hopefully get back on their feet again at some point. But where exactly does the point begin where things start to get better? Is it that clear-cut? Is the worst still ahead of you—or are you already well on the road to recovery? SHORELINE also ask themselves this question and dedicate an entire album to it: Is This The Low Point Or The Moment After? Their new songs undoubtedly propel the band from Münster to the peak of their creative powers: emo and hardcore meet a newfound passion for alternative rock, smart songwriting, and lyrics that go where it hurts.”
From: Shoreline

“Crash Test Dummies is one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music history. The alternative rock band is a three-time Grammy-nominated and JUNO award-winning group, who soared to the top of the worldwide charts in the early 1990’s with hits “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song”. Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was a highlight of the soundtrack to the blockbuster film, “Dumb and Dumber”, while simultaneously reaching #4 on the US Top 100 album charts. They have remained true to the same folk-hued, alternative spirit of their early sound, centered around the distinct baritone of frontman Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid’s folk rock fusion.”
From: Crash Test Dummies

“Sugar are an American alternative rock band. Originally active between 1992 and early 1995, they are led by the singer and guitarist Bob Mould, alongside bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis. Following thirty years of inactivity, the band reformed in October 2025”
From: SUGAR Love You Even Still 2026 World Tour

“Formed through a mutual love of 80’s goth and alternative rock music. Sanctum Sanctorium are a live 4 -piece band that faithfully recreate classic hits by artists such as The Cult, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, The Cure, Bauhaus and more. Smoke machines at the ready with the clothes and the attitude. Visually and musically, they are startlingly accurate. Sanctum Sanctorium deliver a blistering live set from She Sells Sanctuary and Love like Blood through to Bela Lugosi’s Dead & This Corrosion. Dust down your leather jacket and paint your nails and get ready to be transported to The Dark Side of the 80’s.”
From: Sanctum Sanctorium

“The Chicago art rock 4-piece made a splash during 2020 with their sophomore album Just Look at That Sky, finding themselves included in best of lists from that year including Vice, Rolling Stone, Paste, and more. Through the pandemic, the band remotely collaborated with other artists for a remix EP including Andy Bell (Oasis, Ride), Sad13 (Speedy Ortiz), Adam Faulkner (Gilla Band), and Bartees Strange while communicating with listeners online waiting for the opportunity to play their mix of noisy post-punk with “surreal humor and dark playfulness” (Paste).”
From: Ganser