The Island
Former police station turned creative playground
The Island is a vibrant multi-use venue in the heart of Bristol city centre. Once occupied by Bridewell Police Station, it’s been in the hands of community arts charity Artspace Lifespace since 2008.
Home to over 100 resident artists, The Island boasts a diverse mix of spaces and facilities including dance and circus training studios, a sewing room and an art gallery, while doubling up as a thriving events venue – covering live music, workshops and classes, immersive performance art, and more.
After dark the Edwardian cells come alive with experimental club nights, recent highlights including Timedance’s forward-thinking techno and bass nights, jungle, soul and Afrobeats from Nightspace, and late-night sessions from leftfield festival En Masse.
The 300-capacity venue is at basement level and is not wheelchair accessible. Free tickets are available for personal assistants. See https://artspace.uk/venue/the-island/ for details of the different event spaces within the building.
Home to over 100 resident artists, The Island boasts a diverse mix of spaces and facilities including dance and circus training studios, a sewing room and an art gallery, while doubling up as a thriving events venue – covering live music, workshops and classes, immersive performance art, and more.
After dark the Edwardian cells come alive with experimental club nights, recent highlights including Timedance’s forward-thinking techno and bass nights, jungle, soul and Afrobeats from Nightspace, and late-night sessions from leftfield festival En Masse.
The 300-capacity venue is at basement level and is not wheelchair accessible. Free tickets are available for personal assistants. See https://artspace.uk/venue/the-island/ for details of the different event spaces within the building.
What's On At The Island
— The Island
house
electro
acid house
progressive house
minimal tech house
— The Island
jungle
house
techno
deep house
downtempo
— The Island
workshops & classes
theatre
sport & exercise
Get a feel for The Island
Our recent recommendations for The Island
No phones / no prisoners queer techno powerhouses RTN unite two mighty forces of warehouse-grade hypnosis. Mike Parker’s hard-as-nails minimalism is as future-facing as the first time it slapped the club – out of body experiences will happen in the presence of his Buffalo GOATness, alongside the witchy heart at the centre of Brooklyn’s Merge, Clarisa Kimskii. Deeper than deep FFO: Sandwell, Dozzy, Plastikman.
RTN w/ Mike Parker + Clarisa Kimskii at The Island.
PWYC! Another if-you-know-you-know soiree from Bristol’s essential local’s club night - do their lineups ever not satisfy?! Get down early for Cowper’s lysergic downtempo brain-melters, queer community powerhouse Peoplelikeusdj, and stay til the lights come on for Anina’s occult DnB magic. Let's be honest, this is a night where the DJs have to bring their A-game – Grama’s truly doing God's work here!
Grama07 - anina, peoplelikeusdj + cowper at The Island.
Mischievous AFX-grade braindance with minimal house texture teasing and sci-fi electro slam. Wisdom Tooth’s Welsh wonderkid Jorg Kuning crosses the lil pond with a table-and-a-bit’s-worth of hardware for a wiggy romp through percussive wonderlands. Lush alien bangers inside FFO: Isolée, Kompakt, Reptant, Legowelt, Call Super.
Behave. Presents Jorg Kuning at The Island.
Calling all dancefloor luvvers and club divas, popstar of the moment Mel 4ever serves up high-femme glitch-pop in the service of conceptual rave icons Fagbutt. They’re on a mission to guarantee you the night of your life with Por Detroit’s Kodemul supplying sxc techno, Dani Whylie serving crunchy 4x4 flex + Chido Wey’s delish delicacies keeping your energy high all the way through to 4am.
This night is dedicated to the romance of the dancefloor: dim lights, electric tension, and pure pleasure in motion.
Forma returns with another hit of twisted club tomfoolery, this time linking up with dance expremos Rut. Syz serves sculpted sound system precision and slick UK techno hybrids, perfectly tuned for the ‘floor alongside Small Crab’s percussion-driven bassweight pressure. Essential outting for future bass bods hardwired to Yushh, Batu, re:ni, Rhyw, etc.
Rut and forma join forces for a lethal meeting point of textural experimentation and soundsystem intent.