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The spirit of Easton’s street parties
Decades ago, Bristol was dubbed the street party capital of the UK, with Easton being one of the neighbourhoods to lead this charge. Back in 2005, almost every street in the area organised a street party, with communities uniting to make memories, laughter and more.
Fast-forward 20 years, the numbers may be down, but the spirit of community lives on.
On a recent September afternoon, three Bristol streets logged a temporary event notice for a street party, with one of them being on Camelford Road in Greenbank, which falls within Easton.
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Historically, street parties have been held in response to a Royal Family celebration like a coronation or Jubilee, or another nationally significant occasion such as VE Day. An exhibition in Bristol in June 2022 showcased street party photographs from over the years. They depict what seems to be a bygone England, where Union Jack flag-waving and patriotism were not contentious.
In places like Easton, which are multicultural and left-leaning, the street party culture in 2025 does not seem to need such concepts like English nationalism to bring the community together.
The children were having a good time at the Camelford Road street party – photo: Kiran Dhami
At the Camelford Road street party, coloured bunting zig-zagged overhead, kids were running around, doors were left open, music was blaring from a red double bus, and people were happily milling around.
Speaking to a few of the residents, it appeared that they had a shared sense of being part of a tight-knit community that was present even before the pandemic. Before the actual street party started, the residents got together for a shared lunch and a bake-off, judged by an older resident and a group of kids.
But how does this happen? Many people admit that they rarely speak to their neighbours, so what is fostering this sense of togetherness in places like Easton?
Sean, one of the party organisers with his friend, Susy Joy – photo: Kiran Dhami
Sean, 54, is one of the main organisers of the street party and has lived on the road for 12 years. A street party has been held here for the last four years. Children regularly play on the street, there’s a WhatsApp group and some residents are no strangers to the festival and party scene. Sean wanted to organise an event celebrating community “diversity and difference”.
“That’s important”, he said when speaking to Bristol24/7. “We accept people, no matter who they are.”
Some might argue that putting together a street party would be easier when you have a fairly homogenous group of people living together, going through similar phases of life (many seemed to be young families), and crucially, a shared set of values.
Jazz and Danny, who were running a food truck at the street party, serving steaming Mexican chilli and refried beans, see Easton as a place that fosters a community spirit.
Jazz, who is also a chef at a deli in Clifton said: “There’s something about Easton. People care for one another. It’s about being human and being in the struggle.”
This feeling of being in a common struggle for a better world was a touching antidote to the increasing reports of racism across Bristol at the moment.
Jazz and Danny on the food truck served Mexican chilli and refried beans to the party attendees – photo: Kiran Dhami
However, despite flyering local streets and promoting the event by word-of-mouth, the event had a different demographic from the old street parties in Easton in the 80s and 90s. Then, there was a greater mix of cultures and ethnicities in attendance, which is not too surprising given that the area has undergone big changes in house prices and different groups have moved in and out.
Gentrification is often associated with loss of community, but Easton bucks that trend. Bristol City Council has also played an active part in encouraging street parties by making the process simple and free.
Among the crowd, was a sprightly Indian woman. Neema, who was in Bristol to visit her daughter, had joined the party spontaneously. But are street parties a thing in India?
She replied: “The main get-togethers you have are usually for religious festivals like Holi or Diwali.
“A kind of street party like this might only happen in a gated community, because rich and poor are so much more segregated. So parties like this, which bring people together regardless of religion and background, are a good thing.”
Neema from India joined the street party on Camelford Road in Greenbank joining the party – photo: Kiran Dhami
A relaxing and welcoming vibe engulfed Camelford Road. Many people seemed to know each other and the kids were enjoying the freedom of the car-free road, fresh air and minimal parental supervision.
As the night got darker, the music got louder and the street gave way to dancing – making it clear that the spirit of the street parties in Bristol lives on.
All photos: Kiran Dhami
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