BlackFest 2026 – Bristol Music Showcase

# BlackFest 2026 × Bristol: Rhythms Night + Shore to Shore Exchange

BlackFest brings its iconic Rhythms Night to Bristol for its eighth year, connecting Liverpool and Bristol through history, heritage, live music, culture and conversation.

Wednesday 28 October 2026
The Jam Jar, Bristol

## Shore to Shore Exchange

The evening begins with the Shore to Shore Exchange, exploring the shared histories and experiences of Liverpool and Bristol, two port cities shaped by enslavement, colonialism, migration, resilience and cultural exchange.

### Malik Al Nasir

Malik Al Nasir is an author and PhD candidate in History at the University of Cambridge, St Catharine’s College, and an Associate of Cambridge Digital Humanities. His research explores the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, reparative justice and the decolonisation of archives.

He is the author of Searching for My Slave Roots (2025) and Letters to Gil (2021), Co-Founder of Barriers to Black Academia and Founder of the Sandbach Tinne Project. He is also Project Manager of the Connector Project, in partnership with National Museums Liverpool and Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

### Roger Griffith MBE

Roger Griffith MBE is a Bristol-based writer, social activist and creative producer, and former Executive Chair and broadcaster of Ujima Radio.

For more than 30 years, his work has explored race, inclusion and social inequality. He is the author of My American Odyssey: From the Windrush to the White House and has received the Bristol Lord Mayor’s Medal, an MBE and an honorary doctorate in Arts.

He is currently developing First Born Second: Children of the Windrush Era, an Arts Council England-supported project exploring the legacy of the Windrush Generation.

## Rhythms Night: Bristol × Liverpool

The cultural exchange will be followed by live music spanning Hip-Hop, Alternative R&B, neo-soul, reggae, jazz, acoustic and soulful sounds, bringing together artists from Bristol and Liverpool.

### Featured Artists

Rising Son
A longstanding figure in UK underground Hip-Hop, known for socially conscious lyricism centred on empowerment and meaningful messages. His work includes an appearance on Nas’ Thief’s Theme Remix and his K.I.N.G EP.

Laura Dia
A Bristol singer, songwriter and producer blending contemporary R&B, Pop and Alternative music with influences from her Nigerian heritage. She has received support from BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 1 and performed at Bristol Beacon, Forwards Festival, Boomtown and Glastonbury.

Rebel Soul
A Bristol multi-genre vocalist whose sound draws from neo-soul and reggae. Rooted in Bristol’s musical culture, she is currently developing original material through a music production programme with Saffron Music.

MARNS
A UK soul and jazz singer who has performed at Love Saves The Day, Latitude and Green Man. Her work has received support from BBC Radio Bristol, Ujima Radio and BCFM.

MoYah
A Mozambican Afrofusion multidisciplinary artist, educator and community organiser whose music explores identity, migration, spirituality and social justice. He has performed across 19 countries and shared stages with Nas, Talib Kweli and K’naan.

MINA
A Paris-born, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter blending Alternative Pop, Folk, Soft Rock and Soul with intimate songwriting exploring life and love.

KingFast
Born in Kingston, raised in Belfast and now based in Liverpool, KingFast combines his diverse roots through soulful music and energetic live performance.

Rafaela
A queer, mixed-race artist blending reggae, soul and jazz while drawing on her Portuguese and Angolan heritage and Liverpool identity.

Bluboy
A rapper, singer-songwriter and guitarist bringing a distinctive and versatile performance style to the BlackFest × Bristol stage.

## Community Organisations

Black Mothers Matter provides resources, information and support to Black and Mixed Black women and birthers. Their community stall will include pregnancy handbooks, information about their groups, their five-year impact report and other resources.

The UnMuseum, developed by Black South West Network, reimagines how Black and Racially Minoritised cultural heritage is defined, collected and shared. Their community stall will provide information about the project and opportunities for people to get involved.

## Industry Panel

The programme will also include an industry panel with music and creative professionals, discussing creativity, performance, collaboration and the music industry.

BlackFest × Bristol brings together artists, academics, historians, cultural organisations, community organisations and industry professionals, building connections between Liverpool and Bristol through their shared histories and contemporary creative communities.

History • Heritage • Live Music • Culture • Conversation • Community

Wednesday 28 October 2026
The Jam Jar, Bristol

BLACKFEST 2026 – COMIN’ ATCHA

Entry requirements: no age restrictions (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult over 21yrs, 1:1 ratio)