Bristol Entertainment

Bristol has a compact city centre, much of which is pedestrianised, adding to the night time ambience of the place. Although not a party town per se, the streets are loaded with pubs and restaurants, and the nightlife is particularly vibrant, much of which can be attributed to the University of Bristol and its thousands of students.

Nightlife

There are numerous clubs and pubs to enjoy after sun down in Bristol, the majority of which can be found on King street, near the harbour to the south of the city centre. The atmosphere is more laid-back than in Bristol’s neighbouring town of Bath, although there is no lack of upmarket establishments to choose from, ranging from glitzy bars to traditional pubs and even a nightclub housed in a converted ship. The Thekla is an old freight steamer that is moored on the Grove and is popular among students, as is the Baroque at Byron Place.

Theatre and Music

King street is noted for the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest working theatre in the UK, which is particularly revered for its high-class performances, many of which are Shakespeare plays. The new Vic Studio and the Basement Theatre are also popular, while St George's is a converted church located on Great George street that is known for its classical music performances. However, Bristol has more to offer than just classical music, with all of the popular musical genres represented at venues city-wide, from acid house to rock and jazz.

Festivals

Bristol’s vibrancy and party atmosphere is made all the more exciting with the inclusion of many popular festivals and events that take place throughout the year. Street fairs and parades are particularly popular in Bristol and there are also many carnivals and sporting events staged here, with some of the most popular including:

• North Somerset Show is held in the Wraxall area of Bristol and is an agricultural show with an itinerary that features a range of livestock including horses and llama (May).
• International Westonbirt Festival of Gardens, held not far from Bristol at Westonbirt Arboretum in nearby Tetbury, this festival is for the green-fingered, where several beautiful gardens are revealed in all their glory (June to September).
• Bristol International Balloon Festival, a huge hot air balloon festival held at the Ashton Court Estate, with scores of balloon launches taking place from morning until evening (August).
• Bristol Soil Associated and Organic Food Festival, featuring an organic food market, this festival takes place at the harbourside and is renowned for its celebrity chefs (September).
• Jane Austen Festival, the highlight of Bristol’s festival calendar for Jane Austin fans, with a costumed parade that begins at the Jane Austen Centre on Gay street in Bath (September).