Music / Bristol gig listings
Bristol’s month in Folk and Roots – May 2026
If May is the most folky of all months then Bristol is not letting us down.
The first Bank Holiday weekend of the month sees the best folk three days that the city has to offer but, after that, there’s a whole load of good stuff.
If you can find a maypole, dance round it. Or follow Jack in the Green around the city on Saturday 2, from the Harbourside to Horfield. Or you could just enjoy some brilliant music.
Bristol Folk Festival (May 1–3)
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It looks as though this year’s Folk Festival is set to be the biggest one ever. On Friday (May 1) the sublime sister-harmonies of the Staves will fill the Cathedral (supported, as is traditional, by Heartwood Chorus), while Shovel Dance Collective bring their alt-trad brilliance to the Arnolfini and the Tamsin Elliot Trio play at the Folk House.
The Saturday night is headlined by the Unthanks at the Beacon, with support from the Breath and Ye Vagabonds. John Smith & Ellie Gowers play at St George’s at the same time and, at the same place in the afternoon, Sam Sweeney, Robbie Cavanagh and Aelin kick things off.
Then on Sunday Malin Lewis is at the Folk House while Honeyfeet rounds off a superb day at St George’s. There’s masses of other stuff over the weekend too, including workshops, discussions, sessions, some late night revelry and a ceilidh. The Folk Festival is always brilliant; this year it looks incredible.
It has been an absolutely remarkable year at Downend Folk & Roots club so far. Virtually every show has been sold out and its reputation as one of the best folk nights in the country grows with every passing month.
In May the Charlotte Carrivick Band brings world-class Bluegrass, flatpicking and clawhammer banjo to Christ Church. Carrivick is joined by various members of Midnight Skyracer, Pet Yeti and the Often Herd (who have already played in this bit of South Glos this year and were so good) and together they guarantee good times. They play on Friday 15.
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The Beacon is reliably folk-centric in May. Legendary flutey folk-rockers Jethro Tull play the Main Hall on Sunday May 10. The following day Joshua Burnside, the Northern Irish innovator, brings his unique ‘alt-folk’ textures to the Lantern.
There’s then a bit of a Country one-two as Kentucky-born modern country superstar Carly Pearce plays on Wednesday 13 and then the undisputed Queen of alt-Country, Emmylou Harris, plays the Main Hall on Friday 15 as part of her Farewell Europe tour. Tears will be shed.
There’s a heavy-hitting double bill of raw, passionate folk-country-rock and seriously good songwriting as Glen Hansard & Courtney Marie Andrews play the Lantern on Tuesday 19. Saturday 30 sees a bit of a folky clash as Conservatoire Folk Ensemble are in the Lantern while Bristol’s finest shanty-men, the Longest Johns, are in the Main Hall. Spoiled for choice? Just a bit!
Finally, the superb Valerie June wraps the month up on Sunday 31. Her voice is incredible and her songs can only be described as ‘classic’ so if you fancy some “ethereal Appalachian soul” there’s only one place to be.
Following last year’s gig at the Mount Without, Brighde Chaimbeul supports the incredible Americana duo Stephanie Coleman & Nora Brown at St George’s this month – photo: @bcmanke
Once St George’s has recovered from the excitements of the Folk Festival, there’s still time to fit in a whole host of wonderful things. Brìghde Chaimbeul, a genius on the Scottish smallpipes, plays on Thursday 21.
There’s more high-octane Highland brilliance with Skipinnish on Tuesday 26, while those masters of Gothic Americana storytelling, the Handsome Family, are back in Bristol on Wednesday 27.
Never to be out done, Park Street’s favourite wood-panelled room is busy as ever. Highlights include the award-winning folk duo Gilmore & Roberts on Sunday 10, a lively ceilidh on Friday 15, and Yorkshire’s finest singer-songwriter Chris Brain on Saturday 23.
However, if there’s one gig that I wouldn’t want to miss this month (leaving aside the Festival, obviously), it would be Jon Doran & the Northern Assembly on Sunday 24. Tradfolk described them as being “filled to the brim with energy, excitement and a lust for life” and contemporary folk music just doesn’t get any better than this.
Thekla
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There are two gigs on Bristol’s fine old boat this month and they are both absolute stunners. 11 piece all-female Irish traditional music supergroup Biird, play on Wednesday 27. Led by Lisa Canny, a seven-time all-Irish champion on harp and banjo, they are part of the new Irish trad cool thing going on and have an absolutely ferocious “festival energy”.
On the next night (Thursday 28) C.W Stoneking brings his wonderful, eccentric ‘Hokum’ blues and vintage calypso-folk to the harbour.
If you want your folk music to have a little more dirt beneath its fingernails then the Exchange is the place to be. There’s the baritone-led power of Sean Rowe on Tuesday 5, the indie-folk of Great Lake Swimmers on Thursday 7, and the legendary Blues-folk of Charlie Parr on Thursday 21.
Two of the scene’s most fun bands play at the Louisiana this month. The frenetic energy of 3 Daft Monkeys will have you dancing like a right old silly head on Monday 4 – it’s a Bank Holiday so dancing is obligatory – while there’s the infectious Western Swing stylings of Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra on Friday 8.
That might not be a Bank Holiday but the same dancing rules probably apply.
Other things and other places
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If deliciously odd, dark folk is your thing then Milkweed at Strange Brew on Sunday 3 will be well worth a look. I know it clashes with the last day of the Folk Festival but they are absolutely extraordinary.
There are a couple of interesting things happening at Bridge Farm/Tree Craft. There’s a classic May Day celebration in their truly communal setting on Sunday 3 while Folk duo Griffin & Collier play on Thursday 14.
Folk Tales is inviting former hosts and organisers along to perform for a special night of story, music, reminiscing and cake – photo: Cabot Cruising Club
It’s very special night for Folk Tales as they celebrate their 20 year anniversary at the Cabot Cruising Club on Wednesday 6.
On Thursday 7 GANNA plays her first ever Bristol gig at the glorious To the Moon. She is an astonishing vocalist who takes traditional Ukrainian folk music and blends it with electronica and improvised jazz. Support comes from Bristolian alt-folk-y boci.
Greenbank Folk Club takes over St Anne’s in Easton for Sweden’s Northern Resonance on Friday 15. They are at the very boundaries of the Nordic Folk tradition and making some of the most interesting music around.
Appalachian fiddler Joseph Decosimo comes to Cafe Kino this month – photo: Joseph Decosimo
Cafe Kino is becoming THE place for quirky and intimate folk-ish things. There’s a co-headliner featuring two fantastic singer-songwriters in Teorstan and Anya Pailthorpe on Sunday 17 (think Bon Iver, Laura Marling and Sufjan Stevens) and then the Appalachian fiddle mastery of Joseph Decosimo on Friday 22.
Folk-rock twin brothers, the Ocelots, play down on the Harbourside on Monday May 19.
There’s very good stuff at everyone’s favourite little Bristolian venue the Jam Jar too as Laura Wilkie plays her stunning fiddle arrangements beneath the lights on Wednesday 27.
Main image: Paul Blakemore
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