With stellar live music, cutting-edge cultural events, awesome attractions, fantastic festivals and foodie experiences, Bristol has lots in store for 2024. See Visit Bristol’s round-up of new openings and wide-range of events coming up.
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New openings in 2024
Bristol Beacon
Open now
Following a hugely successful re-opening party in November 2023, Bristol's largest concert hall Bristol Beacon is looking forward to welcoming audiences again to its huge range of shows from orchestral concerts, stand-up comedy, dance music events and band nights. After a five-year, £131million refurbishment, the venue has been transformed 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.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/bristol-beacon-p24681
We the Curious reopening
2 July 2024
With work under way, We the Curious (Bristol’s science centre, located on the bustling Harbourside) is reopening early 2024, date tbc. Brimming with exhibits to inspire your curiosity and home to the UK’s only 3D planetarium, We the Curious is the place to ask questions and get creative.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/we-the-curious-p24831
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BOXHALL
2024 date 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 2024, date tbc. 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.
Bristol Zoo Project
Ongoing from 2024
2024 marks an exciting year for Bristol Zoo Project, the visitor attraction and charity that runs conservation projects in nine countries across the world. Bristol Zoo Project, just off Junction 17 of the M5, expects to welcome red pandas in the spring, is planning a new conservation-inspired play area for the summer, and work is also due to start on the ambitious Central African Forest area, which when built will be home to Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/bristol-zoo-project-p1557573
Colston statue display at M Shed Museum
March 2024
The Colston statue was toppled during the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020, and following a consultative display and survey, a new exhibition is being developed which will open in M Shed Museum in March 2024, refreshing the theme of ‘protest’ in the People gallery. This will include Colston’s statue as part of an exhibit focusing on racial injustice.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/m-shed-p24311
Wake the Tiger Expansion plans
2 February 2024
The world’s first Amazement Park®, Wake The Tiger is expanding and opening a brand new level of the revolutionary art walk-through experience, complete with ten new rooms, installations and new areas in this symbolic new phase for Wake the Tiger and the alternative world of Meridia.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/wake-the-tiger-p3098333
Raising Cary Grant: The Bristol footsteps of Archie Leach – NEW TOUR
Spring 2024
Following the recent ITVX drama Archie about Bristol’s film star Cary Grant, Show of Strength are hosting their newest actor-led tour in spring 2024. Showing off the theatres, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and the harbour, the tour takes you to places that helped form and transform Archie into a Hollywood star and style icon. An extraordinary story that’s also threaded through with secrets and lies as enduring as Archie’s Bristol landscapes (2024 also marks Cary Grant’s 120th birthday).
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/show-of-strength-theatre-company-p2658433
Food and drinks tours and openings
Current and spring 2024
After a successful first year hosting Hotspots and Hidden Treasures food tours in Bristol city centre and Farming, Feasting and Fermenting tours in Somerset, GOOD: Stories in Food is starting Happiest Hour tour in spring 2024 with a focus on wine and cocktails. Another new food tour that’s recently launched is the Wapping Wharf Gourmet Food Tour via Yuup; a three-hour food tour of the Wapping Wharf foodie destination including 8 stop offs in the numerous eateries in the shipping containers on Bristol’s buzzing Harbourside. Another new restaurant is The Granary on Welshback part of Bristol’s waterfront with a focus on sustainable produce and also where a new 6 O’clock Gin at The Glassboat has opened on a moored boat nearby.
Events in and around Bristol in 2024
Bristol Light Festival
2-11 February 2024
Bristol’s award-winning winter festival is set to return February 2024 with a stunning interactive and captivating light installation trail. The winter event will include a world premiere of an interstellar astronaut installation called Ascendance by Davy and Kristin McGuire, and the stunning bubble light and sound installation Evanescent by Atelier Sisu (pictures of these are in image link above).
https://visitbristol.co.uk/bristollightfestival
Lyra: Bristol Poetry Festival
12-21 April
The sixth edition of Lyra Festival will be themed around 'Futures' and 'Technology' with readings, performances, writing workshops, slam competitions, children's activities, film screenings, audio events, a visual and sound exhibition, panel discussions, installations and more.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/lyra-bristol-poetry-festival-p2653783
DIASPORA! – NEW EVENT
3-6 May 2024
A new festival from Diverse Artists Network showcasing underrepresented artists from the different diasporas in the city. There will be dance, theatre, visual arts film, poetry, exhibitions, music as well as opening and closing ceremonies.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/diaspora-p3426913
Upfest returns
18 May – 2 June
After taking a year off in 2023 and becoming a bi-annual event, Upfest is set to return in 2024 as the largest free, live street art festival in Europe. The celebration of graffiti art returns to the streets of south Bristol with a new format this year, including pop up paint jams, workshops, panel discussions, tours, music and more across an extended period of 18 days.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/upfest-p2379983
Bristol Harbour Festival
July 2024 – date tbc
The Bristol Harbour Festival – the city’s prime, maritime event which attracts 250,000 visitors – is set to return in July 2024 with its popular mix of world-class circus and on-water activities, music, family entertainment, food stalls and of course, the many ships which come into the harbour for the event.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-harbour-festival-p2369253
Hand in Hand – NEW EVENT
16-18 August
The biennial UK & Ireland choir festival is coming to Bristol in August 2024, bringing 1500 singers from the two countries together to share their love of singing and pride of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. The festival will see the singers perform at the newly-renovated and re-opened Bristol Beacon concert hall among many other performance spaces across the city.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/hand-in-hand-festival-at-bristol-beacon-p3426923
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
9-11 August
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, as well as the popular Night Glows on Friday and Saturday nights. The free-to-visit 3-day fiesta also has daytime aerial displays, fairground rides, entertainment, music and many food stalls, too.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-international-balloon-fiesta-p1987343
Weston Wallz
Summer date tbc
Another leading street art event taking place in Bristol’s nearby seaside town is Weston Wallz in Weston-super-Mare, set to return in summer for more live street art painting.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/weston-wallz-p3109893
Live Music in Bristol 2024
Bristol has a reputation for its stellar music scene and the live music on offer in 2024 is second-to-none. For dance music and new acts, Love Saves the Day is back 25-26 May, with acts to be announced. Bristol Sounds will be on Harbourside again but over a longer period in 2024 to mark its 10 year anniversary (22-30 June) with acts such as Skindred, Gentleman’s Dub Club, The Skints and The Breeders. Bristol Pride will be back celebrating our LGBTQ+ community in July 2024 and Weston-super-Mare Pride will also be back in 2024. Valley Fest will take place 1-4 August with Sister Sledge, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Tinie Tempah announced so far. Legendary Bristol act Massive Attack are playing their first gig in the city for five years on The Downs on 25 August, promising the lowest carbon footprint for a concert of its size. Also on The Downs a week later is FORWARDS! Festival (31 August – 1 September) with its mix of headliners, social action talks and creative panels. Looking forward, YTL Arena will be UK’s 3rd largest arena, built on the northern outskirts of Bristol (2026 tbc).
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