Things To Do / Sponsored
26 things to do in Bristol this week, February 17-23 2025
Monday: Grindhouse Cinema Club Presents: The Elephant Man, Sidney & Eden
Every Monday at the Sidney & Eden, Grindhouse Cinema Club will be playing indie, exploitation and low budget movies on a 10ft tall project screen. This week they’re showing the 1980 Oscar-nominated classic, The Elephant Man.
The Elephant Man – photo: Headfirst
SPONSORED
Monday: Talk Club Open Night, Tobacco Factory
Tobacco Factory are teaming up with male mental health charity, Talk Club, for another Open Mic! Enjoy their amazing local musicians – or join in – on an inclusive and relaxed Open Mic.
Open mic – Photo: Alastair Brookes
SPONSORED
Monday-Thursday: Memoir of a Snail, Watershed
Memoir of a Snail is the bittersweet remembrance of a lonely woman called Grace Pudel, who retells her life story to a humble garden snail named Sylvia.
Memoir of a Snail – photo: Watershed
SPONSORED
Monday-March 8: A Good House, Bristol Old Vic
Nancy Medina’s world premiere production of Amy Jephta’s “superb social satire” (★★★★ The Guardian) A Good House is “mischievous and unpredictable” (★★★★ The Times), “excruciatingly funny” (★★★★ Financial Times), and “an utter joy to watch” (★★★★★ The Telegraph).
A Good House – photo: Bristol Old Vic
Tuesday: Dizraeli, Bristol Beacon
Dizraeli is a songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist whose upcoming album, lullabies // volume 1, will draw from his experiences as a parent and mindfulness trainer. Lullabies Live will draw from the upcoming album, and will include the vocal stylings from Nina Santes alongside Ronan Perrett on synthesizers, saxophone and piano.
Dizraeli – photo: Bristol Beacon
SPONSORED
Wednesday: Mastery Quantum Sound w/ Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini, The Prospect Building
Mastery brings Quantum Sound to Bristol, transforming The Prospect Building into a concert venue for one night on Wednesday February 19th 2025. Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini co-headine this curation, each with a debut audio visual live show. Quantum Sound plays with the boundaries of sound as meditation and live electronic music, creating deep listening events, in rave spaces, for the music heads. We lean in to the idea of sound and frequencies to alter states of consciousness and physiology, curating a unique and all encompassing audio visual experience.
Mastery Earth – photo: The Prospect Building
Wednesday: Sophie Duker: But Daddy I Love Her, Wardrobe Theatre
Taskmaster favourite Sophie Duker is back in Bristol to share But Daddy I Love Her, a new show arguing we should ‘all choose silliness over common sense and hot wet fantasies over cold, bleak reality’.
SPONSORED
Wednesday: Black Foxxes, Strange Brew
Grunge alt rockers Black Foxxes (and very special guests Lila Tristram and Runners Up) will be playing Strange Brew on February 19th. Tickets are going quickly, book today!
Black Foxxes – photo: Crosstown Concerts
SPONSORED
Wednesday-Sunday: The Mystery of Bristol Old Vic
Calling all trainee detectives! Join us for a brand new, board-game style theatre show where your skills are needed to solve this thrilling murder mystery. With “lots of juicy intrigue” (The Guardian), it’s the perfect Half Term adventure for ages 6+.
The Mystery of Bristol Old Vic – photo: Bristol Old Vic
SPONSORED
Thursday: I Am Martin Parr, Watershed
Discover the maverick behind some of the most iconic images of the past century on an intimate and exclusive road trip across England with the uncompromising Martin Parr, whose subjects, frames and colours have revolutionised contemporary photography.
I am Martin Parr – photo: Watershed
Thursday: Louis Dunford, The Fleece
To celebrate his latest album, Be Lucky, indie darling Louis Dunford will be performing at The Fleece.
Thursday: Dream and Make workshop, Spike Island
From February 8 to May 11, Spike Island is showing Danielle Dean’s ‘This could all be yours’ exhibition, which interrogates ‘how individuals are shaped by commercial narratives and explores historical and contemporary representations of labour, racialised identity and popular culture’. To complement the exhibition, Spike Island will host a workshop for children between the ages of 5 to 11 to create their own 3D artwork.
SPONSORED
Thursday: Turns, Loops & Glances, Bristol Ensemble
Experience three captivating works for string quartet performed by the Bristol Ensemble at Bristol’s Arnolfini. Featuring Hannah Kendall’s evocative’*Glances/I Don’t Belong Here’, Errollyn Wallen’s powerful ‘Romeo Turn’, and John Adams’ mesmerising ‘Shaker Loops’, this 60-minute performance explores themes of identity, place, and connection through vibrant, contemporary compositions.
Turns, Loops & Glances – photo: Bristol Ensemble
Friday: Candlelight tribute to Coldplay, St Mary Redcliffe Church
The Bristol Ensemble Quartet will be performing an array of Coldplay classics at St Mary Redcliffe including Fix You, Speed of Sound and Paradise.
is needed now More than ever
SPONSORED
Friday-Sunday: Pirates Love Underpants , Redgrave Theatre
Join our swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain’s Treasure chest! Filled with music, puppetry and glittering pants of gold, arrr you ready to setsail for a family adventure Based on the beloved book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort These pirates SO love underpants!
Pirates love underpants – photo: Redgrave Theatre
Friday: Bishop Sutton beer festival, Bishop Sutton Village Hall
The Bishop Sutton beer festival is back, offering great food and drink from Bristol, Bath and the wider UK.
Saturday: LGBTQ+ History Month Festival, M Shed
OutStories Bristol, a volunteer community history group, will present a day of talks on the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Bristol and the South West over the past century. Scheduled talks include ‘Charley Wilson: Victorian gender rebel and the changing face of media’ and ‘What is she wearing? 20th century lesbian dress in the press’.
LGBTQ+ History Month Festival – photo: Matt Whiteley
SPONSORED
Sunday: Tobacco Factory Sunday Market
Tobacco Factory’s bustling Sunday Markey is the perfect spot to meet with friends, relax with family and discover exceptional food, crafts and produce made and grown locally. Take a stroll through the market to explore around 60 stalls, each featuring beautifully designed, sustainable and locally made produce – from clothes and jewellery to patisserie and freshly baked bread.
Tobacco Factory Sunday Market
Sunday: Joel Dommet: Happy Idiot, Bristol Old Vic
Joel Dommet, the presenter of popular ITV Saturday night favourite The Masked Singer, is coming to the Old Vic for a new show about life in telly and fatherhood.
And coming soon…
SPONSORED
February 27: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with Mark Wigglesworth
From our Orchestra in residence, this programme opens and closes with Brahms’ Third Symphony, reflecting on his life and love. While Stephen Hough’s Piano Concerto evokes a nostalgic pre-WWI Vienna. Elgar’s Enigma Variations are enhanced by excerpts from his writings, performed by actor Walter van Dyk.
Orchestral Season Digital – photo: Bristol Beacon
SPONSORED
March 1: The Prospect Building presents Junction 2: Adam Beyer
On 1st March 2025, The Prospect Building comes alive with an electrifying lineup, brought to you in collaboration with the renowned Junction 2 festival. Headlined by Swedish techno legend and Drumcode founder Adam Beyer, this one promises an unforgettable journey through hypnotic, high-energy rhythms.
Junction 2 – photo: The Prospect Building
SPONSORED
March 7: Arthur Jeffes, Bristol Beacon
Arthur Jeffes founded Penguin Café in 2009 to honour his late father, Simon Jeffes’ world-renowned Penguin Café Orchestra. Outside the band, he composed the acclaimed soundtrack for Greenpeace’s Turtle Journey. Expect solo piano versions of Penguin Cafe music as well as original compositions.
Arthur Jeffes – photo: Bristol Beacon
SPONSORED
March 8: Beethoven, Trinity Henleaze
Join renowned British pianist Viv McLean and the Bristol Ensemble for a compelling performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4, two of his most frequently performed and admired works. Pre-concert talk begins at 6.45pm.
Beethoven – photo: Bristol Ensemble
SPONSORED
March 10: Hari Budha Magar: No Legs, No Limits, Redgrave Theatre
From injured veteran to the world’s first double above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest, Hari is an extraordinary pioneer, pushing both physical, psychological and perceptual boundaries of human ability and spirit. His story is one of resilience and innovation, proving that having a disability is not life limiting.
Hari Mera Peak – photo: Abiral Rai
SPONSORED
March 22: RY X, Bristol Beacon
Get ready, Bristol! The soulful RY X, and very special guest Laura Misch, are coming to you this March for an unforgettable evening of live music. Renowned for his haunting melodies and intimate performances, RY X will bring his captivating sound to the Bristol Beacon on March 22nd. Don’t miss this chance to experience his amazing artistry – tickets are available now. See above for access.
SPONSORED
Until April 27: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
100 stunning images of animals and the natural world – a great half term holiday activity. Tickets £6.60 Tues to Fri and £8 on Sat and Sun. Children go free!
Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: Jason Gulley
Main photo: Dream and Make workshop, Spike Island
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
