Entertainment / Best of 2025
Bristol’s best cultural events of 2025
2025 has been replete with memorable moments within the city’s flourishing cultural landscape.
Despite funding challenges at every turn, Bristol remains a bastion for creativity and collaboration.
Bristol24/7 writers pick out some of their highlights of the last 12 months.
Steven Wilson, Bristol Beacon (May)
Steven Wilson – photo: Bristol Beacon
Wilson’s unexpected return to epic prog with The Overview was a thing of pure joy, and this multimedia show proved a perfect complement. On a personal note, it marked my first gig after a period of illness – which added to the joy I felt.
Robin Askew
The Chaos That Has Been And Will No Doubt Return, Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic (July)
The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return – photo: Harry Elletson
Chalk Line theatre produced the most energised, thought-provoking and superbly produced theatre I have seen this year. Seemingly a coming-of-age drama, the writing, sheer theatrical brilliance and performances by three young actors elevated it as a standout show. It was funny, evocative and demonstrated that young people are inspiring if they are given a voice. It also supported the Ben Kinsella Trust tackling knife crime which is blighting so many in our society.
Bryan J Mason
Hot Summer Jam featuring IMOGENÉ, The Bristol Improv Theatre (August)
IMOGENÉ – photo: Bristol Improv Theatre
This hilarious interactive show was hosted by IMOGENÉ, the diva alter-ego of improv extraordinaire and drama psychotherapist, Imogen Palmer. IMOGENÉ’s surreal set blended improvised songs, glittery costume changes, and bizarre monologues. Audience members could participate in a handful of classic improv games, or sit back with a beverage and spectate. After a stressful week in the real world, it was a perfect Friday evening of escapism.
Sam McEvans
Idles’ Block Party, Queen Square, (August)
Joe Talbot, Idles, Queen Square – photo: Darren Clarke
There are some gigs you just know are going to be those most special of occasions that will live long in the memory. As much as seeing Self Esteem at the Beacon was an exceptional experience, Idles’ ‘Block Party’ on Queen Square for two days and nights at the start of August is my undoubted musical highlight of this year at an unmatched communal experience. They set a high bar and I can’t wait to see who will be on the lineup for a repeat of these big outdoor shows next year.
Martin Booth
Lovett, Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic (September)
This Boondog Theatre show was intense, clever and performed beautifully by its writer, Lucy Roslyn. It reframed what we think of as the Sweeney Todd story and proved that he wasn’t the demon at all, she was….
Jill Bennett
The Necromancer!, The Wardrobe Theatre (October)
The Necromancer, Crumplehorn Theatre – image: Katie Morris
Living in a city as creatively vibrant as Bristol, choosing a single cultural highlight is no easy task. Yet, The Necromancer at The Wardrobe Theatre stands out as a truly unforgettable grassroots gem. Packed with catchy tunes, sharp humour and moments of genuine emotional impact. Underlying it all is a powerful feminist perspective that resonates well beyond the final scene.
Isobel Higley
Ushti, Jam Jar (October)
Ushti album launch Jam Jar – photo: Inshot Media
After spending a year away from home travelling, Ushti at Jam Jar was the first gig I attended on back home soil. There was foot-stomping, crowd surfing and sweat galore. A joyous evening that welcomed me back to Bristol, which I’ll remember for years to come.
Betty Woolerton
Ushti’s new album, Flora, Fauna, Fight & Feast, delves into visceral topics such as migration, animal rights, climate and social inequality. The collective sound of the seven-piece band was as clean as a freshly minted coin, a kind of precision without pretence, brilliance beyond mere virtuoso pyrotechnics. They made it look ridiculously simple. I can safely say that they turned a crowd gathered at St Jude’s into a sweaty club in Ibiza, as if flipping a switch.
Milan Perera
Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters, Bristol Old Vic (November)
Josie Long – photo: Stephanie Gibson
There just isn’t anyone quite like Josie Long. Already a veteran of standup, having performed since her teens, she has always been characterised for her activism, her DIY aesthetic, and her irresistible authenticity. As well as the ever-present political charge, this show is a beautiful blend of her other current preoccupations, from climate dread to parenting, all told through the lens of the giant prehistoric megafauna she is reading about with her daughter each night. It is extremely funny, emotional, and remains brimming over with Long’s own unique brand of “revolutionary optimism”. I couldn’t have loved it more.
Sarski Anderson
Zack Polanski at Rizzle Kicks, O2 Academy (November)
If the energy at Rizzle Kicks’ Bristol show wasn’t already electric, the duo bringing out Green party leader Zack Polanski took it to another level. Sharing a call for peace, love and community – and introducing the absolute belter that is Down with the Trumpets, it felt like the true epitome of a Bristol moment.
Susie Long
Urooj Ashfaq: How to be a Baddie, The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio (November)
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I loved attending my first ever standup gig when Urooj Ashfaq was in Bristol in November. It made me laugh, feel refreshed and ignited a new love for live comedy shows. I was also brave enough to sit in the front row, so a pat on the back for me for that.
Karen Johnson
Moulin Scrooge, The Wardrobe Theatre (December)
Moulin Scrooge – photo: The Wardrobe Theatre
This show is an anarchic, ribald, rude and utterly hilarious grotesquerie that mashes up the doom-laden original with high-kicking Baz Luhrman burlesque, robbing dialogue from a wild collection of 90s popular culture while unashamedly ripping the piss out of the seasonal favourite, and of Christmas itself. I thought it was brilliant, and my undoubted Bristol cultural highlight of 2025.
Tom Henry
Main photo: Darren Clarke (Idles Block Party crowd)
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