1) LOL
January (22-25) sees the annual Slapstick Festival, celebrating silent and classic comedy, return to the city and this year it is bigger and better than ever. Vic & Bob, Victoria Wood, Stephen Fry and Chris Addison are among the guests this year.For five days in July (1-5) Queen Square in the city centre is taken over by the Bristol Comedy Garden, a festival of comedy that has previously attracted big names such as Josh Widdicombe, Milton Jones and Nina Conti.
See up and coming comedians at the Smoke & Mirrors on Denmark Street, where local boy Russell Howard cut his teeth, or be lucky enough to get a ticket for a circuit comedian at The Bristol Hippodrome or Colston Hall.
2) Go Green
Bristol is European Capital for 2015, the first UK city to win the award. Events, big and small, are taking place throughout the year. The Bristol Blue Whale (Harbourside, from April) will be a huge interactive sculpture made by locals from recycled materials. Fog Bridge (Pero’s Bridge, 12-22 February), part of the In Between Time festival, aims to highlight how a changing climate may disrupt our lives by making the bridge completely ‘disappear’ in a man-made fog. Bristol BIG Green Week (13-21 June) promises to be bigger and greener than ever in this special year.Over 90% of the Bristol population live within 300-metres of a parkland or waterway, which means there are plenty to explore on foot or by pedal power, not least the bike-friendly trails at Ashton Court which is just across the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the Leigh Woods side.
3) Investigate the ships shaped in Bristol
From April, local artist Luke Jerram (who masterminded the water slide on Park Street in 2014), will install a flotilla of abandoned fishing vessels in Leigh Woods. The display, part of the European Green Capital calendar, will be available for the public to view for six months during which time this thought-provoking and engaging installation will raise discussion about climate change, extreme weather, falling fish stocks and our impact on the marine environment.Brunel’s ss Great Britain is the top-rated attraction in the city according to Trip Advisor reviews and it is easy to see why. History is really brought to life on this ‘time machine’ of an attraction. You can even climb the mast and out on to the yard-arm with ‘Go Aloft!’. The best way to get to the ship is via one of the many ferry boats that service the pontoon there.
If we’re talking boats, you can go far wrong with an Avon Gorge trip on either The Matthew or one of the vessels operated by The Bristol Packet or Bristol Ferry Boats. See the Clifton Suspension Bridge like you have never seen it before!
4) Flock to Bristol for a baaa-rilliant time with Shaun in the year of the Sheep
Aardman Animations’ loveable lamb, Shaun the Sheep, and his flock will be brightening up the city streets of Bristol from 6 July to 31 August with an arts trail that ‘ewe’ won’t want to miss! 60 five-foot high sculptures painted by local artists and celebrities will be placed all across the city for the summer before they are auctioned off by Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal to raise money for the Bristol Children’s Hospital.To whet your appetite don’t miss the Shaun the Sheep Movie, which was made in Bristol, in cinemas from 6 February.
5) Here come the girls
Bristol Academy is one of the top Women’s Football teams in the country and this March they take on Frankfurt in the Quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Don’t miss the home leg of the tie at Ashton Gate Stadium (date tbc).If cricket is more your thing, England’s women take on Australia in a one-day international, part of the Ashes Series, at The Bristol County Ground on 23 July.
6) Eat, drink and be merry
Bristol is getting a reputation as a real destination for foodies and if the thought of fabulous culinary delights gets you salivating then you need to block out May in your diary now. Local celebrity chef Josh Eggleton’s Eat Drink Bristol Fashion returns to Queen Square at the start of the month (30 April-9 May) once again featuring the cream of west-country food and drink within a tepee village.Bristol Food Connections (1-9 May) kicks off with the BBC’s Food & Farming Awards before bringing together hundreds of food-themed events across the city. The month of food is finished off with VegFest 2015 (23-24 May) at the Harbourside.
Meat-eaters are in for a treat later when Grillstock, the celebration of ‘Music, Meat and Mayhem’ returns for the weekend of 11-12 July.
September (date tbc) sees the return of the popular Grape & Grain Festival for its second year around the Harbourside bringing together bodacious beers, fine wines and vibrant fresh foods.
7) Dance to the music
Bristol’s live music scene is a treat on any night of the year, but the city is also host to a number of larger events, catering for every musical taste. The Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival takes place at Colston Hall from 5-8 March with performers from around the world.Bristol Folk Festival has events at St George’s Bristol as well as Bristol Folk House from 2-3 May and the Bristol Proms (27 July – 1 August) are rightly attracting much media attention for their varied and interesting programme of classical music events.
Love Saves the Day dance music festival takes place over the late May Bank Holiday weekend and Bristol Summer Series (24-28 June) will bring big name acts for open-air Harbourside gigs.
Bristol Harbour Festival, one of the largest annual events in the city, takes place over the weekend of 17-19 July with stages popping up all around the Harbourside.
2015 also sees the return of the hugely popular Bristol International Kite Festival, taking place at its new home of Durdham Downs on 22-23 August.
Walking the Chains is a circus-theatre play with music all about the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The world premiere was staged in the apt setting of the historic Passenger Shed at Bristol Temple Meads Station on 13 January. The show combines history, legend and recent day anecdotes to tell the long and lively story of the bridge and runs until 25 January.
‘Nature, Camera, Action!’ will be the flagship exhibition at M Shed Museum in support of the European Green Capital programme of events. It will highlight Bristol as a global centre for wildlife filmmaking and runs from 18 July to 1 November.
Bristol Zoo Gardens offers a fun-packed day out for all the family with over 400 species packed into 12-acres of beautifully manicured gardens. Better still, take the City Sightseeing open-top bus tour, which stops right outside, and claim 20% off your zoo entry ticket from the driver.
Bristol Aquarium has some new residents for 2015, along with their 4,000 other aquatic creatures you can now view a quartet of ‘sexy shrimps’! The tiny crustaceans are famed for their bizarre, booty-shaking dance which has led to their provocative common name.
Continuing on the same theme, St Nicholas Markets is fiercely independent and also hosts a number of weekly markets in addition to the permanent stalls in the Covered Market and Glass Arcade.
Many independent retailers welcome payment in the Bristol Pound, the UK’s first city-wide local currency, which ensures that money spent in the city stays in the city. Download a directory from bristolpound.org and pick up some Bristol Pounds from the Tourist Information Centre.
Upfest, Europe’s largest urban art festival returns to North Street on 25-27 July. Talented artists travel from over 50 countries to paint live at this free event. The weekend also features live music, graffiti workshops, illustration battles and hundreds of pieces of affordable art for sale.
Mayfest presents a broad range of unusual, playful and ambitious work from leading theatre makers from Bristol, the UK and beyond across several venues from 14-24 May. The Guardian describes it as, “A mix of work so tasty it makes you want to up sticks and move to Bristol permanently”.
The Bristol Shakespeare Festival takes place in July across some of the city’s most beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has exhibitions throughout the year, but two not to miss for art fans are, ‘Hockney: A Rake’s Progress’, where Hogarth’s classic morality tale gets a Pop Art makeover by renowned and influential artist David Hockney (31 January – 4 June). This should whet your appetite for a major exhibition in the summer when TATE Britain lends its entire collection of oil paintings by William Hogarth to the venue at the top of Park Street. This will be the most comprehensive show of the artist’s work ever in the South West and takes place from 16 May to 31 August.
The Affordable Art Fair returns to Brunel’s Old Station over the weekend of 18-20 September, offering art for sale from as little as £40.
Bristol has a large number of hotels and restaurants to help visitors relax over a long weekend or enjoy a short break.
Bristol Harbour Festival, one of the largest annual events in the city, takes place over the weekend of 17-19 July with stages popping up all around the Harbourside.
8) Up, up and away
The largest event on the calendar is always the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and 2015 will be no different. Marvel at the huge number of hot-air balloons taking off at the same time and majestically floating across the city. To tie-in with the year as European Green Capital the world’s first modern solar-powered balloon, designed by local hot-air balloon legends Cameron Balloons, will launch at the Fiesta which takes place at Ashton Court 6-9 August.2015 also sees the return of the hugely popular Bristol International Kite Festival, taking place at its new home of Durdham Downs on 22-23 August.
9) Roll up, roll up
Circus City, a new festival of contemporary circus in and for Bristol takes place in October in venues across the city.Walking the Chains is a circus-theatre play with music all about the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The world premiere was staged in the apt setting of the historic Passenger Shed at Bristol Temple Meads Station on 13 January. The show combines history, legend and recent day anecdotes to tell the long and lively story of the bridge and runs until 25 January.
10) Animal Magic
The Royal West of England Academy on Queens Road currently has the British Wildlife Photography Awards available to view until 8 March.‘Nature, Camera, Action!’ will be the flagship exhibition at M Shed Museum in support of the European Green Capital programme of events. It will highlight Bristol as a global centre for wildlife filmmaking and runs from 18 July to 1 November.
Bristol Zoo Gardens offers a fun-packed day out for all the family with over 400 species packed into 12-acres of beautifully manicured gardens. Better still, take the City Sightseeing open-top bus tour, which stops right outside, and claim 20% off your zoo entry ticket from the driver.
Bristol Aquarium has some new residents for 2015, along with their 4,000 other aquatic creatures you can now view a quartet of ‘sexy shrimps’! The tiny crustaceans are famed for their bizarre, booty-shaking dance which has led to their provocative common name.
11) Shop ‘til you drop
Bristol loves its independent shopping with Gloucester Road and North Street being among the favourite destinations, but Bristol Shopping Quarter has just released a guide to the independent shops in the city centre where you’ll find almost 100 businesses offering everything from fashion to food. Pick up a leaflet in the Tourist Information Centre.Continuing on the same theme, St Nicholas Markets is fiercely independent and also hosts a number of weekly markets in addition to the permanent stalls in the Covered Market and Glass Arcade.
Many independent retailers welcome payment in the Bristol Pound, the UK’s first city-wide local currency, which ensures that money spent in the city stays in the city. Download a directory from bristolpound.org and pick up some Bristol Pounds from the Tourist Information Centre.
12) Yes you can
New examples of amazing street art appear on the walls of Bristol buildings on a regular basis and if you are a fan of Banksy et al then a walking tour with Where The Wall Street Art Tours should be top of your list of things to do when you visit.Upfest, Europe’s largest urban art festival returns to North Street on 25-27 July. Talented artists travel from over 50 countries to paint live at this free event. The weekend also features live music, graffiti workshops, illustration battles and hundreds of pieces of affordable art for sale.
13) Find out more about Brunel’s bridge
The Clifton Suspension Bridge, an icon of Bristol, celebrated the 150th anniversary of its opening with a huge fireworks display in December 2014, but part of the programme to mark the anniversary saw a new visitor centre open on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge. Find out why the design of the bridge changed so many times, how daredevil bridge builders managed to get the suspension chains from one side to the other and much more. Entrance is free.14) Go to the Theatre
The tale of the witches of Oz flies into the Bristol Hippodrome on 18 March when the box-office smash hit, Wicked, starts a month-long run. Don’t miss Romeo & Juliet at the Tobacco Factory Theatres (19 February – 4 April) or the adaptation of Sebastian Faulkes’ Birdsong at the Bristol Old Vic (27 April – 9 May).Mayfest presents a broad range of unusual, playful and ambitious work from leading theatre makers from Bristol, the UK and beyond across several venues from 14-24 May. The Guardian describes it as, “A mix of work so tasty it makes you want to up sticks and move to Bristol permanently”.
The Bristol Shakespeare Festival takes place in July across some of the city’s most beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces.
15) Art Attack
The Royal West of England Academy’s 163rd Annual Open Exhibition takes place from 4 October to 29 November but earlier in the year (21 March to 7 June) don’t miss ‘Drawn’ a biennial open submission drawing exhibition. It aims to raise the profile of drawing, exploring it as both an autonomous discipline and an interdisciplinary tool. The exhibition pushes the parameters of drawing by exploring the parallel language of multiple disciplines.Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has exhibitions throughout the year, but two not to miss for art fans are, ‘Hockney: A Rake’s Progress’, where Hogarth’s classic morality tale gets a Pop Art makeover by renowned and influential artist David Hockney (31 January – 4 June). This should whet your appetite for a major exhibition in the summer when TATE Britain lends its entire collection of oil paintings by William Hogarth to the venue at the top of Park Street. This will be the most comprehensive show of the artist’s work ever in the South West and takes place from 16 May to 31 August.
The Affordable Art Fair returns to Brunel’s Old Station over the weekend of 18-20 September, offering art for sale from as little as £40.
Bristol has a large number of hotels and restaurants to help visitors relax over a long weekend or enjoy a short break.
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