Bristol Festivals To Look Forward To

Forget your winter woes and start planning your Bristol festival season

It’s time to forget your winter woes and start planning a summer you’ll never forget. Bristol has tonnes to offer in terms of festivals – from music to food and literally everything in between.

1. Bristol Film Festival

When: 11^th – 13^th March

Where: Various locations

What: Not just film – the festival will feature a mix of activities, entertainment, screenings and even film-related wine tastings. Something not to be missed for any film fanatics.

More info: http://www.bristolfilmfestival.com/

2. Jazz and Blues Festival

When: 18^th – 20^th March

Where: Various locations

What: Featuring free concerts, jam sessions, dancing and workshops, this festival has something for all the family and is a great way to learn about jazz and blues if you’re not already a pro.

More info: http://www.bristoljazzandbluesfest.com/

3. Bristol Swing Festival

When: 25^th – 28^th March

Where: Circomedia, The Trinity Centre and All Hallows Hall

What: Now in its sixth year, they aim to be the perfect Lindy Hop festival, with an added Bristol twist. Their schedule includes classes for absolute beginners, so has there ever been a better time to learn the original swing dance?

More info: www.swingdancebristol.com

4. Food Connections

When: 28^th April – 7^th May

Where: Various locations

What: Food glorious food! The festival encourages people to submit their own events, keeping with Bristol’s independent nature, but will also include banquets, cooking demos and community events.

More info: http://www.bristolfoodconnections.com/

5. Bristol Folk Festival

6. Mayfest

When: 12th – 22nd May

Where: Various locations

What: A festival of contemporary theatre taking place across the city. Plays are taking place everywhere – from the Old Vic to secret outside venues.

More info: http://mayfestbristol.co.uk/

7. Vegfest

When: 21^st – 22^nd May

Where: Various locations

What: This is the UK’s biggest vegan event. There will food stalls during the day, followed by live DJs in the evening. If you’ve been thinking about making the change to vegan, this is the event for you.

More info: http://vegfest.co.uk/bristol/

8. Love Saves The Day

When: 28^th – 29^th May

Where: Eastville Park

What: The music festival has grown in recent years and is now attracting bigger and better headliners. This year’s line up boasts Hot Chip and Dizzee Rascal and tickets are selling fast.

More info: www.lovesavestheday.org

9. Festival Of Nature

When: 11^th – 25^th June

Where: Various locations

What: The Festival of Nature gives wildlife-lovers of all age the opportunity to discover and enjoy the natural world, featuring a line-up of hands-on activities, amazing river art and performance, workshops, celebrity talks, live entertainment, local market stalls and much more.

More info: http://www.festivalofnature.org/

10. Bristol Pride

When: 1^st – 10^th July

Where: Various locations

What: Celebrating all things LGBT, there are events all week, but the main feature of the festival is Pride Day on the 9^th. The line up is yet to be announced, but there will be Pride comedy nights and theatre throughout the week.

More info: http://bristolpride.co.uk/

11. Grillstock

When: 2^nd – 3^rd July

Where: Bristol Harbourside

What: A festival of meat and music. Last year featured DJ Yoda and Goldie Looking Chain, but this year’s acts are TBA.

More info: http://grillstock.co.uk/festival/

12. Bristol Harbour Festival

When: 15th – 17th July

Where: Bristol Harbourside

What: The Harbour Festival is one of the country’s largest free festivals with more than 200,000 people attending each year. It features two miles of entertainment – from music to unusual vessels, and circus acts to regional food markets.

More info: http://bristolharbourfestival.co.uk/

13. Upfest

When: 25^th – 26^th July

Where: Various locations

What: Of course Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival is in Bristol! And it’s all set to the soundtrack of local performers.

More info: http://www.upfest.co.uk/page/upfest-festival

14. The Balloon Fiesta

When: 11th – 14th August

Where: Ashton Court Estate

What: Europe’s largest hot air balloon fair. The balloons gather to take off at dawn and dusk each day and feature everything from traditional balloons to the weird and wacky.

More info: http://www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk/

15. Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival

When: 20^th – 25^th September

Where: Watershed

What: Films will last from 90 seconds to 20 minutes and audiences can expect films from around the world. There’s also a late lounge for sexier screenings.

More info: http://encounters-festival.org.uk/

So there you have it – plenty to tickle your taste buds, help you forget this miserable weather and give you something to look forward to!