As Bristol marks its 650th anniversary of becoming a city and county in 2023 with major celebrations in the pipeline, the year also sees the re-opening of Bristol Beacon and launch of new food hotspot destination BOXHALL, alongside the usual vibrant, world-renowned festivals and events.
.png){kind=tracking}
Major new openings
BOXHALL
Autumn 2023 TBC
From the creators of BOXPARK in London, BOXHALL is a new and hotly anticipated premium food and beverage-led concept with a modern food hall structure set to open on Bristol’s waterfront in Autumn 2023. With high-quality product ranges and carefully curated, authentic cuisine from local, independent street food traders and restaurant operators in Bristol, BOXHALL will be spearheaded by its Food Ambassador and renowned local chef, Josh Eggleton. More details to be announced.
More information can be found here
30 November 2023
Formerly known as Colston Hall, Bristol Beacon has undergone a complete refurbishment and redevelopment and is set to reopen in 30 November 2023. As Bristol’s largest concert hall, Bristol Beacon has undergone a £48.8m transformation, which will turn the venue into a modern, accessible, state-of-the-art facility with two international standard performance venues, a bright new restaurant and its cellars in use for the first time as education and performance spaces.
Ashton Gate stadium redevelopment
From Summer 2023 onwards
Works have started on a 3,626 seater Sports and Convention Centre next to Ashton Gate Stadium in south Bristol, with phase one opening in 2023. The Sporting Quarter will provide a new home for the Bristol Flyers basketball team, a hotel, conferencing facilities, a multi-storey car park, retail space alongside commercial and residential space. The first phase of the Sporting Quarter development will be the Sports and Convention Centre alongside the hotel, with hopes to be on site in late summer 2023.
2023 marks the 650th anniversary of Bristol becoming a city and county. There will be many festivals and events around this theme throughout the year, including Unicorn Fest (listed below) with more events yet to be announced. Visit Bristol will have a microsite dedicated to the ongoing events and celebrations to mark the big anniversary (a new microsite is due to launch at the end of January/early February 2023).
3 - 12 February 2023
Bristol’s award-winning winter festival is set to return 3-12 February 2023 with a stunning interactive and captivating light installation trail. The ten-day event will showcase a collection of local, national and internationally renowned light artists including the return of the much-loved ‘Swing Song’ installation (light-activated musical swings) and new artworks including a brand-new commission by Morag Myerscough (details to be announced) and a piece called ‘Opheila’ by Davy and Kristin McGuire (a life-size hologram of Shakespeare’s famous character with colour, images of bubbles and swimming fish, no less!).
15 - 16 July 2023
The Bristol Harbour Festival is the city’s prime, maritime event which attracts 250,000 visitors. The Festival will return in July 2023 with its popular mix of world-class circus and on-water activities, music, family entertainment, food stalls and of course, the many ships which sail into the harbour for the event.
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
10 - 13 August 2023
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe’s largest hot air balloon event and will once again stun visitors with its mass ascents when over 100 hot air balloons take off and fly over the city at dawn and dusk. The free-to-visit fiesta also has daytime aerial displays, fairground rides, entertainment, music and many food stalls, too.
Summer 2023
As part of Bristol 650 events, UnicornFest will be a public art trail of unicorn sculptures, painted by Bristol artists and on display at famous landmarks. The trail will bring local artists, schools, communities and businesses together as the colourful, fun unicorns will be located at several iconic Bristol and south west locations, from Clifton Suspension Bridge to Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier.
Other events and festivals in the diary for 2023 include the Slapstick Comedy Festival (taking place in place in January); Belly Laughs comedy gigs at various Bristol restaurants and pubs, also in January; Open Studios at Spike Island in April (explore behind-the-scenes at this contemporary art space); Foodies Festival returns to The Downs in May with celebrity chefs and chart-topping music; Bristol Craft Beer Festival in June (with world-class beer from local breweries, plus music, DJs and food) and it is expected that a number of city-wide celebrations and events will take place for the King’s Coronation in May – more details to follow.
Live Music
All eyes will be on the UK as it hosts Eurovision in 2023 and with Bristol’s rich music legacy, the city has a stellar line up of live music festivals coming up, not to mention the development of the UK’s third largest arena – YTL Arena, which is due to open in 2025/2026.
27 - 28 May 2023
Championing local acts as well as attracting world-class artists, Love Saves the Day is back in May 2023 at Ashton Court Estate to kick off the live music season in Bristol. Acts are yet to be announced, but previous years have seen the likes of Chase and Status, Bicep and Kurupt FM take to its stages.
27 May 2023
Dot to Dot has been known to bring hottest new emerging artists to city centre venues and they have announced acts for 2023 will include Yard Act, ALVVAYS, Finn Foxell and many more.
8 - 11 June 2023
Jack Savoretti and Tom Grennan have been announced as the first two acts to play against the spectacular backdrop of Westonbirt Arboretum as part of Forest Live in 2023. More acts will be announced soon.
21 - 25 June 2023
Another iconic set of dates for Bristol live music, set on the Harbourside is Bristol Sounds in June. Jacob Collier, James, and The Levellers have been announced so far, with more hotly anticipated acts to be confirmed soon.
Date TBC
After its hugely successful inaugural event in 2022 on Clifton's Durdham Downs (with acts including Little Simz, Self Esteem, Chemical Brothers and Charli XCX), FORWARDS Festival will return in 2023 to bring together music, social action initiatives, discussion and debate to inspire positive change. Date and acts are to be announced.
Anniversaries
Along with Bristol celebrating its 650th anniversary in 2023, there are a few other notable anniversaries that will be marked during the year:
200 years of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Throughout 2023
2023 will mark 200th year of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and the bi-centenary of their forerunner, The Bristol Institution for the Advancement of Science, Literature and the Arts. BI200 will bring together amazing objects and stories from our collections through a series of themed seasons throughout the year. As well as displays and interventions, the programme will feature a number of high-profile events highlighting significant objects and milestones in the museum’s history.
60th anniversary of Bristol Bus Boycott
The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 is considered by many to have been influential in the passing of the Race Relations Act, 1965 and 1968. Before the boycott, Black and Asian people were banned from working as bus conductors and drivers in Bristol. Community worker Paul Stephenson led a campaign with the West Indian Development council, Roy Hackett, Prince Brown and Audley Evans and the city’s West Indian population stopped using the buses, joined shortly after by local white people including church groups and local Labour MP Tony Benn. The marches and demonstrations that followed drew national attention to racial discrimination in Britain and the bus company overturned the ban four months later, allowing Black and Asian people to work as conductors and drivers.
The St George’s concert hall is set to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2023. The Grade II listed building started its life as a church in 1823, but is now a creative space for music and ideas which attracts world-renowned artists to perform in its unique acoustics. Full programme to be announced.
Other anniversaries in 2023 include:
55 years of St Pauls Carnival, which takes place in July and celebrates African and Caribbean culture through music, art and dance.
Cabot Tower – named after Italian explorer John Cabot who sailed from Bristol in The Matthew ship in 1497 and ‘discovered’ Newfoundland – marks 125 years in 2023, and is where you can climb 105ft to see some of the best views of Bristol. It is also 525 years since Cabot’s famed voyage.
One of Bristol’s much-loved theatres, Tobacco Factory Theatres, turns 25 in 2023, with a jam-packed programme of diverse shows from classic and contemporary plays, to shows for families, comedy, dance and opera.
New trails and outdoors activities
Pier to Pier in North Somerset
2023, Date TBC
The Pier to Pier Way is a new 13-mile cycle route linking Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon in North Somerset, to the south-west of Bristol. It is aimed at tourists, leisure users and commuters. It will form the central section of the North Somerset coastal towns cycle route, featuring quiet roads and traffic-free sections.
Related
Comments
Comments are disabled for this post.
