Roll up, roll up! Bristol’s biggest free festival, which celebrates the city’s maritime connection, returns in July – and this year, there’s a brand new performance area at Bristol Harbour Festival. This three-day family festival (July 19 to 21) will host local musicians, circus acts, on-the-water activities – such as cardboard boat races and jetpack stunts – and more at one of the UK’s biggest free-to-attend events.
Bristol favourites BLOCO B, Laid Blak, and Gabriel Templar, among many more, will perform at the Amphitheatre. But, attracting around 250,000 people, and over one mile of entertainment, these main stage acts are only a drop in the ocean compared to the boat-load of fun in store. The brand new Expression Stage at Millenium Square will host a series of talks, panels, discussions, poetry, spoken word and even a silent disco as a new addition to the festival programme.
Bristol Harbour Festival has also announced the return of the Family Playground at College Green where the iconic Cirque Bijou will be bringing friends from the likes of Circomedia and Levantes Dance Theatre, to perform mind-boggling aerial stunts and street-style theatre. You can also explore Bristol’s seven twin cities, pirate-themed drama workshops, and Go With The Flow Yoga for some nautical-themed yoga.
“Bristol has always been a powerhouse for arts and culture, and the Harbour Festival is the perfect way to showcase our city’s wonderful creatives,” said Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council. “We’re really thrilled with the introduction of the Expression Stage and putting on talks from industry leaders.
“As a city, we’re passionate about supporting home-grown talents, and these discussion panels will give them further insights and inspiration. This year’s lineup truly captures Bristol’s commitment to breaking moulds and amplifying diverse voices, highlighting Bristol’s vibrant heritage and creative landscape.”
Bristol Harbour Festival is delivered by Bristol City Council, Bristol City Centre BID and Redcliffe & Temple BID. This year’s long weekend is curated by international events production agency, Proud Events, with immersive theatre and events company, Swans Events.
An on-the-ground ‘steering group’ will ensure the festival represents both local ethos and international practices. Local organisations include Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, Bristol Pride, ACH Refugee Integration Services Provider, Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd. and more.
“It’s been a fantastic experience putting together this brilliant programme for the 2024 Bristol Harbour Festival,” said Noemi Antonelli, Managing Director Swans Events. “There’s undoubtedly so much talent in this city… we can’t wait for everyone to come together and have an incredible time at the Amphitheatre. Together with the local steering group, and putting local talent at the forefront of this iconic event, the Bristol Harbour Festival is definitely (ship) shaping up to be the ultimate showcase of what Bristol is all about.”
Are there VIP tickets?
Bristol Harbour Festival is free, but for the first time, there’ll be a limited number of VIP tickets. These will give ticket holders exclusive access to the Amphitheatre’s viewing platform, plus an exclusive bar, drinks tokens upon arrival, separate loos, and views of the Harbour View and On The Water programme. VIP tickets cost £15 and can be purchased here.
What is happening at this year’s Bristol Harbour Festival?
Bristol Harbour Festival’s Harbour View main stage will feature three nights of back-to-back music from Bristol’s best-emerging artists. Greenpeace and Global Local – an initiative providing professional performance opportunities to talented emerging artists in a celebration of cultural diversity – have programmed the music lineup, along with a ‘Made In Bristol’ Sunday curated by the festival’s creative producers (Swans Events and Proud Events). This year, over 50% of this year’s artists are female, non-binary or from other underrepresented groups.
Friday, July 19
Amphitheatre:
Between 6pm and 10pm, Global Local kick off the festivities with Bristol’s first Tropical Bass live act with live electronics, Xaman X; She’s Got Brass, a 10-piece female-fronted brass band; and BLOCO B, a Bristol-based Brazilian performance group with traditional carnival sambas, drummers and dancers. Finally, The Bhangra All Stars will close the day with a high-energy performance of dancing, Dhol Drummers and Punjabi Bhangra music.
Expression Stage:
Disco Neurotico will kick start the festival with a (not-so-loud) bang and a boogie with their unmissable silent disco. Festival-goers will be able to switch between three channels; house, garage and drum and bass, the second with funk, soul and disco, and a third channel with ambient noise for those with neurodivergent sensitivities.
Saturday, July 20
Amphitheatre:
Greenpeace will take over Saturday with an all-day family-friendly party from 11am – 10pm. It will include Grove and their experimental dancehall beats; a festival-favourite take on the ‘Fab Four’, The Beatles Dub Club; dream-pop-sensation, Emily Magpie; and the ultimate shanty-party from the Old Time Sailors. A full line-up will be announced in May.
Expression Stage:
During the day, experts from Bristol Beacon, Saffron Records, and Ujima Radio will each lead discussions on the music industry. As the sun sets, Bristol can enjoy a soulful evening of jazz and blues music hosted by Jelli Records with performances from Aviator Brass, The Original Barn Finds and many more.
Sunday, July 21
Amphitheatre:
A ‘Made In Bristol’ line-up, between 11am – 6pm, sees Hélélé bring the rhythms and music of Cameroon balafonist, Alphonse Daudet, to Harbourside; Laid Blak will offer a unique fusion of jungle and rave; and Bass Choir’s harmonic instrumentation and bass-led rhythms will entertain all ages with D&B and UK garage.Also playing is TikTok sensation Gabriel Templar, along with his backing band, while closing the festival is none other than folk-punk-shanty-rock band, Imprints.
Expression Stage:
Hear inspiring stories about the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers, as well as celebrate 200 years of service with the official festival charity partners. The weekend at the Expression Stage will culminate in a three-hour poetry extravaganza hosted by three-time published poet Rebecca Tantony – from comedic limericks to slam poetry and spoken rap.
To learn more about Bristol Harbour Festival head here.