Spring is in the air with some exciting and diverse openings and events in Bristol this year. From the permanent new display of Colston statue focusing on the theme of protest and activism, to a new festival from Diverse Artists Network highlighting underrepresented artists, to family-friendly Easter events and numerous food and drink festivals – Bristol is buzzing this spring!
Images - Brunel’s SS Great Britain Plants Crossing Continents and Bristol Zoo Project We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
New events and openings
Colston statue redisplay at M Shed Museum – NEW DISPLAY
From 15 March onwards
Since the Colston statue was toppled during the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020, and following a consultative display and survey, a permanent redisplay will be open from 15 March 2024, refreshing the theme of ‘protest’ in the People gallery at M Shed museum, on Bristol’s harbourside. This will include Colston’s statue in a glass box and behind a screen (so people who don’t wish to see it, don’t have to), and will allow space for dialogue and reflection on the city's past, with a focus on racial justice and activism. A selection of placards left at the empty plinth after the march in 2020 will be displayed around the statue, and a timeline will be featured along with an interactive screen, allowing visitors to contribute their own events on the themes of racism, the Colston statue, politics, and culture.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/m-shed-p24311
Full press release on the display can be found here: https://www.visitwest.co.uk/news/read/2024/03/protest-display-at-m-shed-to-feature-toppled-colston-statue-b4575
DIASPORA! - NEW EVENT
3-6 May 2024
Diverse Artists Network (DAN), champions of local arts and culture, are excited to present DIASPORA! - a new arts festival for Bristol and the South West, taking place from 3 - 6 May, Early May Bank Holiday weekend. This four-day festival is the first of its kind for Bristol and the regions and will be a vibrant celebration of music, film, poetry, dance, storytelling and community engagement projects including Flag Up Your Identity and a poetry competition.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/diaspora-p3426913
Raising Cary Grant: The Bristol footsteps of Archie Leach – NEW TOUR
Regular tours start from 29 March 2024 onwards
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
Lido Townhouse – NEW ACCOMMODATION
From now
Nestled in one of the elegant side streets in Clifton – Bristol’s affluent neighbourhood – is The Lido, a restored Victorian lido with outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, along with sumptuous spa treatments. Its restaurant serves a seasonal, Mediterranean inspired menu and is much-loved among locals and visitors alike. From March 2024, the team have opened Lido Townhouse, a five bedroom Georgian townhouse, carefully renovated with luxurious beds, fine linens, stylish furnishings and organic products so visitors can now stay overnight in this relaxing guesthouse, too.
https://www.lidobristol.com/lido-townhouse/
GOOD: stories in Food Happiest Hour tour – NEW TOUR
Regular tours start from 11 April 2024 onwards
After a successful first year hosting Hotspots and Hidden Treasures food tours in Bristol city centre and Farming, Feasting and Fermenting tours in Somerset – both with sustainable food outlets and practices at the core - local foodie expert Florence Pardoe from GOOD: Stories in Food is starting Happiest Hour tour in spring 2024. Stops include wine tastings at No 1 Harbourside, selected for their sustainable production credentials, locally-brewed beer at Small Bar (in the Beermuda Triangle, as locals know it) and finishing up with a gin cocktail at a spectacular riverside location, from local distillery 6 O’clock Gin at the Glassboat.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/good-stories-in-food-p3273033
We are Warriors – NEW EVENT
8 March – 2 June
In Between Time presents We are Warriors, a sound and light installation in Bristol’s Redcliffe Caves, with thousands of flickering lights and the voices of 130 women and girls from Bristol. The poignant and powerful combination will be tribute to anyone who has felt their voice or presence muffled, silenced or suppressed, and was originally commissioned by Bristol women’s Voice for their Deeds not Words programme, marking 100 years since the first women were given the right to vote in the UK.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/we-are-warriors-at-redcliffe-caves-p3470403
The Great Bristol Wine Fest – NEW EVENT
27 April
Join TV wine experts Oz Clarke and Tom Surgey as they introduce an incredible line up of international wine producers at the first Great Bristol Wine Fest, at Paintworks. There will be hundreds of wines to taste – all included in the £35 ticket price – from red, white, fortified, rose and sparkling, and many exhibitors and producers on hand to discuss all the stories behind the wine.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/the-great-bristol-wine-fest-at-paintworks-p3430963
Family-friendly Easter events
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt at Bristol Zoo Project
23 March – 1 September
See this much-loved children’s story in a whole new light with this larger-than-life trail where you can swish, splash and squelch your way through the magical scenes, to find a real-life bear at Bristol Zoo Project.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/were-going-on-a-bear-hunt-at-bristol-zoo-project-p3435043
Making Waves: Mary Anning and her astonishing Icthyosaur at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Now – 30 April
Inspirational early palaeontologist Mary Anning (1799-1847) discovered an incredible fossil skull when she was just 14-years-old, now conserved and on display at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, along with an artist’s model statue of Mary, made by Denise Dutton.
Plants Crossing Continents at Brunel’s SS Great Britain
Now – 31 December
As green shoots appear and spring is in the air, why not discover Victorian floral crafts and create cyanotypes (an early photography technique) at Brunel’s SS Great Britain this spring, where a new living exhibits on the top deck is lunched featuring ferns, orchids and other specimens that were transported on board the ship.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/plants-crossing-continents-at-brunels-ss-great-britain-p3431973
Gruffalo Party Trail at Westonbirt Arboretum
Now – 14 September
The Gruffalo is celebrating his 25th Birthday and Westonbirt is putting on a brand-new, interactive forest adventure in their spectacular ‘deep, dark wood’. Expect party-themed activities and games, fun facts, tree rubbings and a trail to mark the occasion.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/gruffalo-party-trail-at-westonbirt-arboretum-p3467463
Little Rippers – new children’s surf session at The Wave
28 March onwards
Children as young as four-years-old can now learn to surf with their parents in these new coaching sessions at the Wave, inland surfing lake just north of Bristol. The 1.5 hour sessions include dryland coaching, followed by an hour in the water which will help children gain confidence with their parents/carers by their side in the water. Session cost £60 for the parent and child combo ticket. During Easter holidays, there will also be a Secret Surfers Easter Trail, where children are encouraged to follow a trail around The Wave site, find the hidden letters to spell out the code word and claim a prize.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/the-wave-p2691163
Pedal Planes at Aerospace Bristol
3-4 April
Discover Bristol’s aerospace and aviation legacies at Aerospace Bristol this Easter, where you can step aboard the last Concorde to fly (which was partly made in Bristol, too), and this Easter younger visitors will also have the chance to pilot their own pedal planes.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/pedal-planes-at-aerospace-bristol-p2665743
Easter adventures at Dyrham Park and Tyntesfield National Trust
23 March – 14 April
Follow the Easter Egg Hunt at Tyntesfield complete with bunny ears, trail sheet and edible prize for £3 (in addition to admission price). Or head to Dyrham Park and take part in games, challenges and face painting, as well as a £3 Easter Egg Hunt trail too (chocolate egg prizes are free from nuts, treenuts, milk, gluten and eggs, so everyone can enjoy the treats regardless of common allergies).
Tyntesfield: https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/easter-adventures-at-tyntesfield-p3470393
Dyrham Park: https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/easter-adventures-at-dyrham-park-p3474423
Woodland of Wonder – FREE community arts Festival
3-10 April and 10-13 April
Produced by Broadmead BID (Business Improvement District) in partnership with The Methodist Church, John Wesley’s New Room, and Sparks Bristol (a sustainability and innovation hub), Woodland of Wonder celebrates the natural world and invites all ages to enjoy exhibitions – for free - and allow creativity to flourish with nature-themed craft workshops and photography walks, plus performances from stilt-walking trees!
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/woodland-of-wonder-in-broadmead-p3470803
Prehistoric Sealife at Bristol Aquarium
23 March – 14 April
Learn about the wild and wonderful creatures that called our seas home 200 million years ago, with daily talks and feeds at Bristol Aquarium, as well as the chance to meet Dr Mark O’Dell on 24 March (11am-3:30pm), a fossil hunter with an extraordinary collection of fossilised fish and shark’s teeth, ammonites and more.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/prehistoric-sealife-at-bristol-aquarium-p3472383
Easter at Wookey Hole
23 March – 14 April
You’ve heard of the Easter bunny, but have you heard of the Easter witch? The Witch of Wookey Hole loves to celebrate Easter where there will be an Easter Egg Hunt with and treat at the end, live shows at the Wookey Hole Circus in the onsite theatre, a 4D cinema and of course, the wonderous caves.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/easter-at-wookey-hole-p3273503
The Giant’s Easter Hunt at Clifton Observatory
28 March – 14 April
The legendary giants of Avon Gorge have hidden eggs around the Giant’s Cave, Camera Obscura and museum at Clifton Observatory for children to find this Easter. Tickets cost just £3.50 for children aged 4-14 to join in the trail, which includes access to all parts of the Observatory and Cave.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/the-giants-easter-hunt-at-clifton-observatory-p3458833
Easter Sculpture Festival at University of Bristol Botanic Garden
29 March – 1 April
Celebrate and marvel at nature at University of Bristol Botanic Garden’s Easter Sculpture Festival with handcrafted sculptures, interactive workshops and family-friendly activities like willow-weaving, wood-turning, stone carving and pottery, all set against the backdrop of blossoming trees and vibrant flowers.
Music and Cultural events in Spring
After Hours at Wake the Tiger
8 March, 5 April, 19 April, 3 May
The multi-sensory alternative world of Meridia and the newly-opened OUTERverse at Wake the Tiger opens its doors after hours for adults only this spring. Expect speedy slides, 90s nostalgia, performers and of course the labyrinth of exploration in this interactive art experience, with 40 spaces to discover.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/after-hours-at-wake-the-tiger-p3177633
Bristol Jazz Festival
22-24 March
At a new home in Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol Jazz Festival weekend tickets give you access to the very best of British – and Bristol – jazz, from Clare Teal Quartet, Snazzback to Dennis Rollins (winner of Ronnie Scott’s ‘Best Trombone’) and many more.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-jazz-festival-2024-p3280623
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
Bristol Folk Festival
3-5 May
Returning again this year and bringing a stellar line-up for May Bank Holiday Weekend is Bristol Folk Festival, kicking off with The Breath at the majestic Bristol Cathedral, Spiers and Boden headlining the festival on Saturday at the highly acclaimed concert hall St George’s Bristol, and local legend Lady Nade bringing her distinctive sound to her hometown.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-folk-festival-p2641363
Bristol Walk Fest
1-31 May
This May sees the return of the annual Bristol Walk Fest, featuring inclusive walks showcasing the best of the city for people of all ages, abilities and interests. Most walks are free to attend as well.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-walk-fest-p2412853
Bristol Film Festival
Various dates
Watch legendary films in iconic – and complementary – locations in Bristol this spring. See Top Gun underneath the wings of the last Concorde to fly at Aerospace Bristol (you get to step on board before the film starts, too), or watch Rocky at Clifton Observatory, overlooking the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival at Bristol IMAX
16-19 May
Taking place in the former IMAX theatre in Bristol Aquarium (the biggest screen in the southwest), Forbidden Worlds Film Festival returns this May with its mix of classic and obscure genres from fantasy to action, sci-fi to horror. Cinephiles unite, this will be another great year for Forbidden Worlds.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/forbidden-worlds-film-festival-at-bristol-imax-p3406153
Food and drink news
Bristol Vegan Fayre
30 March
Now in its 21st year (having started before Veganism was a trend), Bristol Vegan Fayre is back for an inspiring one-day festival of comedy, music, activism talks and panels, workshops, a kids’ area, and – of course – some of the best vegan street food to be had!
https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-vegan-fayre-p1361673
Jekka’s Open Days and Masterclasses
Various dates from 22 March
Marvel at Jekka’s collection of over 400 culinary and medicinal herbs on the first open days of the year (5 and 6 April). Jekka's team will be on hand to answer all your herb related queries and help you select the herbs you wish to buy. Masterclasses are also held on 22 March, 12 and 26 April and 17 May so you can learn how to grow your own herbs.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/attend-a-masterclass-at-jekkas-p2801053
All About the Cooks
Following a successful launch in Bristol and the south west in 2023, talented home-cooks across the UK now have the opportunity to share their culinary creations with their local communities as the innovative online marketplace, All About The Cooks, extends its services nationwide.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/food-and-drink/all-about-the-cooks-p3346933
If you would like additional information or high res images, please email press@visitbristol.co.uk
Additional information:
Famed for its passionate character, maritime history, and for the acres of parkland and sustainable approach that earned it European Green Capital 2015 status, Bristol has created its own distinctive identity. Visitors are attracted to the city’s year-round festivals, award-winning cycle tracks, gastronomy in rejuvenated shipping containers and behind secret doorways, stunning cityscapes, inspiring street art and lively music scene.
About Visit West: The VisitEngland officially accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. Visit West supports the visitor economy of the region which is worth £2.33billion and supports 45,000 jobs. Visit West operates the Meet Bristol & Bath Convention Bureau and the Visit Bath and Visit Bristol consumer websites.
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