Bristol's World Music Gigs

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Bristol's World Scene

Do we need the term World music in 2020?

World music has always been a problematic term, somewhere like Bristol is a key example of why. With 16% of the population being from ethnic minority groups and dedicated centres studying the impact of migration on citizenship, there seems little distinction between ‘local music’ and ‘world music’ anymore. Reggae is often classed as ‘world music’ given its Jamaican roots, but it has a strong UK heritage and for someone who is a 2nd or 3rd generation UK citizen with migrant parents, making music that’s classed as ‘world’ when they’ve never lived anywhere else but say, Bristol, seems an offensive categorisation. Its almost a cliche to say we live in a global society, so isn’t all music now world music?

Everyone knows that Bristol is a true melting pot of cultures and it comes as no surprise that the city has a healthy world music scene which manages to avoid the cliche. The on-trend big names in world music like William Onyeabor, Ebo Taylor or the Kuti family usually find themselves at home in Bristol’s Colston Hall. Occasional headliners can also be found at The Fleece and the Trinity Centre. St George’s hosts regular world music events covering more traditional music from Senegal, Mozambique and South Africa, where instruments like the kora and mbira are commonplace.

Locally, Bristol is home to some very talented ‘world music’ musicians. Afrobeat stalwarts like Mankala and No Stop Go (formerly Bristol Afrobeat Project) play smaller venues like The Canteen and The Old Market Assembly but also get the opportunity to support international bands at larger Bristol venues.

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Our recent world recommendations

A bodily call-to-prayer at the Jam Jar with Birame Seck and the Senegalese soul collective Awale Jant Band. Dancing is not optional in their radiant vortex of jazzy, melodic Afrobeat ouroboros rhythms – these are dubby and dazzling flows, irresistible FFO: Bantu, Songhoy Blues, Groupe RTD, and Nation Beat. Birame Seck & Awale Jant Band at The Jam Jar.

Sell out warning! The Jam Jar's global melting pot gets a serious stir when arch-fusionistas Lokkhi Terra revitalise their bewitching Cubafrobeat clash with Dele Sosimi. A star-studded 8-person spectacular, rallying Yoruba spirits and raga Ustads into an utterly unmissable musical force FFO: Fea Kuti, Irakere, Kokoroko, Tito Puente. Twende presents: Lokkhi Terra’s and Dele Sosimi, Their music spans across continents fusing together the sound of Cuba, West Africa, Bangladesh and London for a multicultural collaboration of music and culture creating a sound that is distinctly new!

Cumbia is the new punk! CDMX psychobillies mash marimba and chicha into madcap party music. We bet you’ve not heard much like Son Rompe Pera: fried spaghetti licks, lashings of ska mexicano and mallet-driven thrash frenzy welded onto traditional Latinx rhythms. Tis a revolution in-waiting FFO: Los Pirañas, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Chicha Libre, Panteon Rococo. Pioneers of Cumbia Punk, Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera are set to electrify audiences with their marimba-driven, defiant sound as part of their 2025 world tour, with dates now confirmed in London, Bristol, and Liverpool.

Sell out warning! Border-burning avant-rock built from a landslide of ritualistic West African folk onto the flat planes of European industrial grot rock. Avalanche Kaito are a revolution: this is the band the future has demanded, and you must answer the call. FFO: Senyawa, black midi, early Gang Gang Dance, Nihiloxica, The Ex. Return of Griot-Punk-Noise Trio from Burkina Faso/Belgium

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What our editors say

“Having studied and played with musicians such as bluesmen Ian Siegal and afrobeat star Dele Sosimi, these experiences are now more than ever being channeled into Goodall’s own idiosyncratic music and performance style.”
From: Jack Goodall

“Expect ultra-tight musicianship and unstoppable energy as Nubiyan Twist bring their electrifying blend of jazz, afrobeat, soul, hip-hop and dance music to the stage with a brand new line-up and live show for 2026.”
From: Nubiyan Twist

“Fusing DJ sets with live instruments, this event dives into a bold, relatively untapped sound that feels right. Expect genre-blurring performances featuring live guitar, saxophone, and trombone woven seamlessly into DJ sets, all under a vibrant world music theme.”
From: Merchant

“9-piece collective TC & The Groove Family are bringing their fiery, eclectic sound that flies through afrobeat, broken beat, jungle, jazz, and grime to Bristol's Strange Brew.”
From: TC & The Groove Family

“In the early 1980s, Ronald Langestraat was one of the mainstays of the Amsterdam jazz scene; he played in jazz bands like Cascada and Ritmo Natural. At that time, he also started to search for his own sound – a spacy mix of jazz, soul and groovy salsa. Ronald went on a space mission, resulting in a psychedelic, otherworldly, pristine and personal sound. Fast forward to 2022 and Langestraat’s peculiar cosmic pop has never sounded more relevant.”
From: Ronald Langestraat + Martha Rose + Spooky J