The Island

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.

What's On At The Island

Quiet interiors, Loud realities at The Island
— The Island
exhibition
Zumba and Dance Fitness Taster Class at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Cirrina Sessions w/ Tim Reaper , i-sha & residents at The Island
— The Island
minimal techno experimental 140 techno noise
Sunshine School of Pro Wrestling: Fundamentals Class at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes theatre sport & exercise
DJ Marcelle, Copper Sounds, k means, Sarahsson at The Island
— The Island
electronic experimental techno footwork lgbtq+
En Masse 2026: After Party w/ severine, Special Guest , Om Unit at The Island
— The Island
dub dubstep electro techno festival
Sunshine School of Pro Wrestling: Fundamentals Class at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes theatre sport & exercise
Solace - Atmosphere in Motion at The Island
— The Island
experimental workshops & classes exhibition-opening exhibition
Forma x Nerve Collect: Identified Patient, Dual Monitor & severine at The Island
— The Island
dubstep electro experimental techno tech house
Palestine Through the Lens: Photography Exhibition at The Island
— The Island
festival exhibition film
Grama10 - lifeisfeedback, amaia, bkv cadavre at The Island
— The Island
goth dubstep 140 techno
PLU Dance w/ Chloe at The Island
— The Island
electro house new wave post-punk lgbtq+
RTN w/ Luigi Tozzi at The Island
— The Island
minimal techno electro techno industrial techno
A Workshop for Children: “ExplorArabica” at The Island
— The Island
festival workshops & classes family
Saied Silbak: in Concert at The Island
— The Island
festival film
Regis featuring Liam Andrews + Anina + Jay Galligan at The Island
— The Island
electronic experimental techno noise
Dis Fig + Cold Light, HARRGA at The Island
— The Island
dub electronic experimental rap noise
It's Okay at The Island
— The Island
drone dubstep electronic experimental noise
Objekt at The Island
— The Island
dubstep electro uk garage techno tech house
AM x PTS ϟ NYE 2027 at The Island
— The Island
experimental house techno grime footwork

Get a feel for The Island

Our recent recommendations for The Island

Ok ok ok ok. DJ Marcelle is punk in her own odd way: bonkers turntablism ft. wonky dubstep, percussive scraps, tractor sounds, goat noises and a whole lotta distortion. She arrives in timely fashion for Ceramic boiz Copper Sounds’ new release party with mega support from Sarahsson and k means’ ultra-spun-out club excursions. Deranged club fulfillment … cripes! DJ Marcelle, Copper Sounds, k means, Sarahsson at The Island.

Sell out warning! Still reeling from his 3 hour devastation of Strange Brew, Cirrina invites a titanic pillar of 21st century junglism to ditch his amen stripes and school us on cutting edge techno / 140 mutations. This is a new kinda Reaper, rocking the The Island with AM's dubby conquerer i-sha + Casino Flats & Fez the Kid's opening downtempo hypnotics. Cirrina Sessions w/ Tim Reaper , i-sha & residents at The Island.

Free entry! Unmissable posthumous survey of the painted legacy of Bristol figurative trailblazer Frances Conway-Seymour; Quiet Interiors is a perspective-shifting dive into her large-scale explorations of 20th century political radicalism and the nuclear family across a 4 day run at the Island. Quiet interiors, Loud realities - Exhibition Launch at The Island.

Sybil opens an Island wormhole to the deepest realms of techno, trance, breakbeat, ambient and deep froggy proggy. in a truly mind-bending club catharsis from one of the best in the game. A total no brainer if you dig: Konduku, Kia, Vlada, DJ Nobu. Umbilical Chords, Waft Anon and Escalator To Nowhere return to the Wormhole with Sybil, Plantera and Stefan Brown for a night of deep, psychedelic and hypnotic sounds moving between light, dark and everything in between

Heavy b-funk ballistics raining down on the cells with an outrageous two-er of São Paulo club clank for the converted and soon-to-be-converted. Kontronatura unleashes break-neck dembow slammers and furious, groaning percussive machinery, while DJ Lorrany teeters along the scary/sexy axis with skuzzed, buzz-saw bruxaria and avant-ritmada choppage. Baile do Futuro joins forces with London’s Baile Trama to bring you the last instalment of 2026.