Things To Do / Bristol
24 things to do in Bristol this week, April 20-26 2026
Monday-Sunday: Lyra – Bristol Poetry Festival, various venues
Bristol Poetry Festival is the South West’s largest dedicated poetry festival, featuring ten days of events at venues across the city.
Following 2025’s ‘weird and wild’, this year’s chosen theme is ‘wonder & wanderers’ – photo: Lyra Fest
Tuesday: Disrupting Misogyny, Easton Community Centre
A free set of workshops running for six weeks for women to explore the harm and impact of misogyny on their lives and community.
Girlhood Reclaimed is in collaboration with Easton Community Trust – image: Eastside Community Trust
Tuesday-Thursday: Ways of Knowing, The Wardrobe Theatre
Award-winning Bristol-based artists Ben Kulvichit and Clara Potter-Sweet make experimental and multi-genre performance work under the name Emergency Chorus.
Tuesday-Friday: The Rest of Our Lives, The Mount Without
Jo Fong and George Orange (self-described as an “old dancer” and “old clown” respectively) are coming to Bristol to perform their cult dance-theatre hit.
View this post on Instagram
SPONSORED
Wednesday: The Joke Clinic – Live! The Gaffe Comedy Club
Charlie Bowers and Walter Jack are The Joke Clinic! Bringing the success of their critically-acclaimed YouTube series to the stage, the comedy clinicians host guest comedians and transform their tired and limp material into comedy gold!
The Joke Clinic – photo: The Gaffe Comedy Club
SPONSORED
Wednesday: London Symphony Orchestra & London Symphony Chorus, Bristol Beacon
The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, joins forces with the London Symphony Chorus for Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. A monumental choral masterpiece of spiritual depth and dramatic intensity, it journeys from anguish to transcendence in one of Elgar’s most powerful and emotionally charged works.
LSC – photo: Robert Garbolinski
Wednesday: Sonny Stores x Carte Blanche, Sonny Stores
A four-course collaboration dinner by the Southville restaurant and Carte Blanche Wines.
View this post on Instagram
SPONSORED
Wednesday-Sunday: Bristol New Music 2026, Bristol Beacon
Bristol New Music 2026 takes over the city with boundary-pushing performances across Bristol Beacon, Arnolfini, Spike Island and more. Featuring emptyset, KMRU, Saint Abdullah + Eomac + Rebecca Salvadori, Hatis Noit, Ex-Easter Island Head, Kelman Duran, and claire rousay, it’s a bold celebration of experimental sound.
Bristol New Music – photo: Bristol Beacon
SPONSORED
Thursday: Employment Rights Act CPD Seminar, Ashton Gate Stadium
The Employment Rights Act is putting Bristol employers at risk of costly fines. Employment Hero’s free, CPD-accredited breakfast seminar at Ashton Gate on 23 April brings you expert legal clarity, CPD points, and a confidential Q&A with an employment lawyer, hosted by Bristol City CEO Charlie Boss. Limited spaces.
CPD Seminar – photo: Employment Hero
SPONSORED
Thursday: Where’s Wa11y – Disability & Neurodiversity comedy night, Tobacco Factory, The Snug
Welcome to Where’s Wa11y? Bristol’s only fully accessible comedy night, dedicated to smashing barriers and spotlighting the city’s best up-and-coming disabled and neurodivergent talent.
Where’s Wa11y – photo: Tobacco Factory
SPONSORED
Thursday: Planetarium Nights – The Ever-Changing Sky 3D, We The Curious
Experience the feeling of Artemis II, inside the UK’s only 3D Planetarium. Thursday evenings are for trips to the stars. You’ll fly through space and time, witnessing distant constellations and the beauty of Earth from the surface of the moon. 18+
Planetarium Nights – photo: We The Curious
Thursday-Sunday: Forbidden Worlds, Bristol Megascreen
A film festival dedicated to screening repertory fantasy, action, science-fiction and horror films from around the world, and celebrating the people that made them.
View this post on Instagram
SPONSORED
Friday-April 30: Rose of Nevada, Watershed
Rose of Nevada is Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin’s hotly anticipated and critically acclaimed follow-up to his BAFTA-award-winning first feature Bait and Enys Men. Opens Fri 24 April.
Rose of Nevada – photo: Watershed | Steve Tanner
SPONSORED
Friday-April 30: Surviving Earth, Watershed
Based on a true story, Surviving Earth follows Vlad, a talented harmonica player and refugee who arrived in the UK in the 1990s after fleeing the conflict in Yugoslavia. Opens Fri 24 April.
Surviving Earth – photo: Watershed
Friday-May 3: People’s Art Fair, People’s Republic of Stokes Croft
A free ten-day showcase of local and international artistic talent based on the principle of that “art belongs to everyone”.
The event is described as “the UK’s largest collaborative art rair” – photo: PRSC
SPONSORED
Friday: Stand up comedy, The Gaffe Comedy Club
Start the weekend laughing with some of the sharpest, funniest comedians on the scene! Big names and local legends share the spotlight every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in a buzzing 150-seat venue in Bristol city centre.
Mark Watson at The Gaffe – photo: Alfred Taylor
Saturday: England vs Wales, Ashton Gate Stadium
World champions the Red Roses return to BS3 to play Wales at a match that could see a record crowd for a Women’s Six Nations gate away from Twickenham.
The Red Roses are coming to the West Country – photo: Gavin Marshall
Saturday: Bracken, Small Street Espresso
It’s the inaugural event for Bracken. Buy their untamed florals while enjoying a speciality coffee at Small Street Espresso.
View this post on Instagram
Saturday: Nasser Bouzida’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales Experience, The Louisiana
Combining short film screenings, live music, visual art and performance, the one-off night reimagines classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales through a 1960s psychedelic lens.
The event is described by organisers as “part gig, part film screening, part art exhibition, part immersive happening” – image: The Louisiana
Saturday: Spring Fair, St Werburgh’s City Farm
A community celebration at Boiling Wells featuring live music, storytelling, and games will raise essential funds for the farm.
he area surrounding Watercress Road will come to life from midday-5pm for a one-day, family-friendly festival – image: St Werburgh’s City Farm
Saturday & Sunday: Radical History Festival, M Shed & Cube
This year’s event has four main themes: propaganda, utopias and dystopias, Welsh risings and the 1926 General Strike.
Expect a packed programme of talks, walks, exhibitions and stalls to celebrates the 100th anniversary of the General Strike – image: Historic England
Sunday: Drum & Bass on the Bike
Dom Whiting, the Pied Piper of drum’n’bass, returns to Bristol. This year’s ride starts at the Lloyds Amphitheatre at 2pm.
SPONSORED
Sunday: Folk in the Factory – Ten Pence Moon, Tobacco Factory Cafe Bar
‘Ten Pence Moon’ are brought together by their shared passion for blues and roots music from both sides of the pond. Dave Lyons and Leo Morshead draw from traditional and contemporary music; blending the sound of acoustic guitars, vocals, slide guitar, lap steel and dobro.
Ten Pence Moon – photo: Tobacco Factory
Sunday: Siblings: Dreamweavers, The Wardrobe Theatre
Award-winning character comedians and IRL sisters, Maddy and Marina Bye have completed their research. Glimpse into their incredibly innovative invented invention as they swoop into the surreal world of your sleeping minds, crack open your brains and backflip in. Gird your loins for a knock(ed) out hour of absurd, raucous and downright delirious comedy.
Siblings Dreamweavers – photo: Dylan Woodley
And coming soon…
SPONSORED
April 29 – May 2: Jack, Redgrave Theatre
Bristol Musical Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of Jack, a bold, fast-paced new musical inspired by the true story of the 18th-century gaol-breaker who outwitted the law and captured the public’s imagination. With a gritty original score and vibrant characters drawn from the Georgian underworld, it explores the line between criminality and celebrity, freedom and performance.
Jack – photo: Redgrave Theatre
SPONSORED
May 1-3: Open Studios 2026, Spike Island
Spike Island is delighted to present Open Studios 2026 (1–3 May). You are invited to discover, celebrate and support Bristol’s internationally renowned art scene across a weekend of exhibitions, events, activities, food and drink. 2026 is especially significant as it celebrates 50 years since Spike Island was founded.
Open studios – photo: Lisa Whiting photography
SPONSORED
May 2: Jam on the Horizon, St Jude’s
5 venues, 8 stages, 15 hours of music from across the globe. Featuring Quantic, Zero 7, Kanda Bongo Man, Joe Armon Jones, Raz & Afla, Pahua and many more. Day, night and combo tickets available on Headfirst.
Jam On The Horizon – photo: Sawmills
SPONSORED
May 5-9: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Redgrave Theatre
Following a sold-out run of Legally Blonde last year, BMCC is thrilled to present Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Redgrave Theatre. Written for a big band and with amazing tunes and dance routines, come and join us and see that the Impossible is Possible!
Cinderella – photo: Redgrave Theatre
SPONSORED
May 9: From Grace To Grandeur, Trinity Henleaze URC
Mozart Divertimento in D, Stamitz Concerto for Flute, Oboe and Strings in G major, Schubert Octet. This refined and radiant programme brings together three masters of the Classical and early Romantic eras, offering a journey from sparkling elegance to expansive lyricism. Pre-concert talk with Steve Clarke begins at 6.45pm. Ticket price includes the pre concert talk, a programme and interval drink.
From Grace to Grandeur – photo: Bristol Ensemble
SPONSORED
May 20: Red Ink: Bristol Ensemble Directed by Leon Bosch, St Georges Bristol
Leon Bosch is one of the few double bass players to conduct chamber and symphonic ensembles directly from the instrument. Red Ink serves as a musical memorial to the Soweto Uprising of 1976 in South Africa, an event that marked a turning point in the fight against apartheid but which came at a devastating human cost.
Leon Bosch – photo: Bristol Ensemble
SPONSORED
May 23: Free event – Let’s Talk Dementia, Bristol Beacon
Join dementia experts from 10.30am – 4.30pm for a one stop event on all things dementia. There will be exhibitors offering free advice, short talks on diagnosis, care and life with dementia; and dementia friendly activities.
Arrive at a time that suits you and stay for as long as you like.
BRACE Dementia Research – photo: BRACE
SPONSORED
September 7: Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Prospect Building
Kurt Vile & The Violators head to The Prospect Building, bringing their hazy blend of slacker rock and psychedelic Americana. Led by Kurt Vile himself, the band’s laid-back grooves and sprawling guitar work have earned them a devoted following, with live shows that drift effortlessly between introspection and loose-limbed jams.
Kurt Vile – photo: Crosstown Concerts
SPONSORED
October 27: Swervedriver, The Fleece
British shoegaze band Swervedriver performs at the Fleece on October 27th. The band’s mix of storming and swirling guitar, coupled with mystical lyrics, is not one to miss!
Swervedriver – photo: Crosstown Concerts
Main photo: Harry Pugsley
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
