Festivals in Bristol - Festivals and events in Bristol and the South West

1. Before arriving in Bristol
2. How to get to Bristol - Getting to Bristol by train, plane, car or bus
3. Public transport in and around Bristol - Getting around Bristol and the UK
4. The cost of living in Bristol
5. Save money in Bristol - Tips for living on a student budget in Bristol
6. Accommodation for students in Bristol - Top tips and advice
7. Bristol neighborhoods - The most important districts of Bristol
8. Nightlife in Bristol - Nightclub guide and going out in Bristol
9. British cuisine - The gastronomy of Britain and traditional dishes
10. What to do in Bristol
11. Festivals in Bristol - Festivals and events in Bristol and the South West
12. Day trips from Bristol - Places to visit and excursions around Bristol
13. Bristol in 3 days - What to see and do in 3 days

It is safe to say there is always something going on in Bristol! Be it food, music, performance, balloons or Zombies, there is bound to be at least one festival on whilst you are living in Bristol for your Erasmus experience! Although a lot of these festivals take place during the summer months of July and August - the months that Britain can (sort of) bank on dry, good weather - if you are still in Bristol you should definitely try and make it down to one! UK festivals really are something magical!

In Bristol

Balloon fiesta

Bristol Balloon Fiesta takes place every August over a four day period and is a spectacular experience. During this fiesta, hundreds of hot air balloons take to the sky and people gather to watch as the balloons fill the air. If you are in Bristol during August, be sure to head down to a more tranquil spot, such as the Clifton Downs, the observatory or Brandon Hill for some of the best views of the Balloon Fiesta. This event is free, too!

Bristol Harbour Festival

Every July this celebration takes place to commemorate maritime heritage in Bristol and therefore the importance of both the docks and the harbour of Bristol. This is another free event and it is jam-packed with music, delicious food and drink!

Grillstock

This festival takes place at the beginning of July every year in Bristol! Not only does it have a great line-up of artists, bands and DJ’s, there’s also battle of the bands, eating competitions and hundreds of delicious food stalls and bars packed with drinks and cider! Grab a ticket for the 2 day event with tickets starting at just £25.00.

Upfest

Bristol is the birthplace of the internationally recognised street artist Banksy, and the home to lots of intricate and incredible street art, therefore, Bristol holds Europe's largest graffiti and street art festival! At the end of July each year, hundreds of street artists come to Bristol and paint, spray and add new street art around Bedminster and Southville areas. It truly is something spectacular, and you can still enjoy it once the festival is over. This event is free.

St. Paul’s Carnival

On the first Saturday of July every year, in the area that is St. Paul’s, expect to see the streets full of colourful costumes and dancers, the sound of reggae and dancehall filling your ears, and the sweet smell of jerk chicken filling your nostrils, for this is where St. Paul’s Afrikan Caribbean carnival was born. The street parties are free but there are after-parties throughout the clubs in Bristol that you will need to buy tickets for. Prices start at £10.00 but it will vary from club to club.

Rave on Avon

This event kick starts the summer by taking place mid-May over seven venues across Bristol (namely Stokes Croft). Here you can expect all kinds of genres from Drum and Bass to Acid House and Grime! Rave on from day until dawn at this awesome little festy. Tickets are £12.50 if bought in advance and £15.00 if purchased at the door.

Bristol Americana festival

This one takes place in mid-July and hosts all kinds of genres from the Blues to country and folk! Run by the same organisation that is behind the scenes at Colston Hall, head on down to dance your blues and shoes away!

Love saves the day

At this one, there is a whole lotta love, music and dancing that really does save the day! Taking place at Eastville Park at the end of May, this mini-festival is sure to get you smiling. Get your tickets early though as they tend to sell out quickly! Ticket prices start at just £25.00 and can purchased online. There are options to buy weekend tickets or just a Saturday or Sunday ticket.

Tokyo world

Tokyo world takes place at the end of September, the perfect way to round off the summer of festivals! With names as big as Basement Jaxx and Wilkinson on the line-up, be sure to secure yourself a ticket (£25.00 for a day ticket or £45.00 for the whole weekend). Purchase your tickets in advance!

Zombie walk

As Halloween looms, the people of Bristol begin preparing for the annual walk of the dead through the streets of Bristol... Be prepared for brain-eating, human flesh chasing, zombie brides, grooms, politicians and pirates on Halloween. Even if you don’t wish to partake (which you definitely should, as it is so fun pretending to be a zombie!) you should definitely head down to take a look at the innovative and realistic zombie costumes that people put a lot of hard work into!

Bristol Christmas Market

Bristol’s Christmas market takes place in the heart of the city and Bristol’s main shopping quarter; Broadmead. With stalls filled with the perfect things to gift your family (or yourself), get into that Christmas spirit by trying a hot mulled cider (yes it is a thing and it is delicious) or tasting a pulled pork bun with apple sauce! Entrance to the market is free.

Park and slide

This was a one-off event but it was necessary to include it here so you can get a feel of just how great and original Bristol really is. You may have heard of Park and Ride, where you park outside the city for free and just pay to ride the bus into the centre to save on traffic congestion within the city, well, Bristolian artist, Luke Jerram, brought fun to the streets on Park Street with PARK AND SLIDE. It’s all in the name really, a giant slide down the length of Park Street that the public could enjoy (with a golden ticket) just for one day! Take a look at this video to see what it was like!

Apart from those listed above, you will come across countless numbers of food, drink, CIDER, chocolate, film and beer festivals in Bristol! So keep your eyes peeled for posters and events on Facebook.

In The South West

Glastonbury Festival

This festival is the home to 200,000 festival-goers for five days every June. One of the biggest festivals in the world, it hosts artists such as Coldplay, Gregory Porter and The Rolling Stones and it is located just an hour down the road in Pilton Village, just outside Glastonbury town. It is very tricky to get a ticket though, they come on sale in October for the following year and you have to be pre-registered and battle thousands of others for a ticket to the must-see show! In the past, all of 200,000 tickets have sold out in record times of 1.5 hours! Just look at the sea of tents, which serves as little homes to those lucky enough to go for the duration of the festival! Tickets are also expensive at the price of £225.00 but it is definitely worth it!

• Continue to Day trips from Bristol - Places to visit and excursions around Bristol
• Return to What to do in Bristol

Photo gallery