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46°F / 8°C
(Passing Clouds. Cool.)
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Bristol has really come into its own over the last few years - this is now a city full of life and justly proud of its scene. Because it's quite a small city, it's managed to keep its own identity, which can be summed up in one word—mellow. Going out is generally a low-key affair in this city. That's not to say that there aren't clubs, bars and restaurants where you can glam it up with the best of them, but you definitely don't need to have your designer labels on before you dare venture out the door.
Music:
In the last few years Bristol has hit the headlines with home-grown talent, such as Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead, all part of the so-called "Bristol Sound" and the music scene here continues to go from strength to strength. All tastes are catered for. If you're into classical, try St George's, for orchestral performances of the classic composers plus opera and jazz and even lunch time concerts. Also check out the Victoria Rooms in Clifton—home of the University's Music department—and Colston Hall in the city centre.
Those looking for something less highbrow should visit the latter too, it caters for popular performers and big names also, such as The Supremes, Nanci Griffith, Paul Weller etc.
For rock, pop, hip-hop, bands etc., there's a few venues to choose from. For alternative and fairly well-known bands try the Fleece and Firkin (The) pub, which hosts bands almost every night of the week. The larger Anson Room (part of the University) plays host to student-friendly bands and a number of smaller venues, such as Fiddlers in Bedminster, the Louisiana and the Bierkeller host regular gigs.
World music, jazz, folk and blues fans can also take their pick of venues. The occasional big name will appear at Colston Hall (such as Doctor John), the New Vic Theatre, or St George's—look out for appearances from Bristol's own master-saxophonist Andy Sheppard—and smaller outfits regularly play at The Prom on Gloucester Road, the renowned Albert pub, south of the river and the Tantric Jazz Cafe in the city centre.
Clubs:
Then of course there's music to dance to! Bristol's club scene has undergone a renaissance in the last few years and there's a good choice of venues and club nights to satisfy most musical taste. For a glammed-up crowd and house and garage music, try either The Works or Oceana—both get packed with young things partying the night away. Well-known DJs regularly fill trendy Creation and Syndicate (The), both massive venues for you to get sweaty in. Even hipper, are the legendary Lakota and Thekla (the latter being a club-on-a-boat, moored on the floating harbour). For a more low-key night's clubbing, with all the vibe but less of the hassle, try the Tantric Jazz Cafe (as mentioned above), Cellar Cafe (a real find) and Dojo Lounge. And for a gay and lesbian scene, make your way to the Old Market area of the city and visit Castro's and Winn's.
Stage and Screen:
For those of us whose clubbing days are over, there's always the stage and screen to entertain, and there are enough art-house and mainstream cinemas and theatres to keep everybody happy. This is a city with an impressive theatrical heritage - Britain's oldest working theatre, the Theatre Royal, still stands in King Street and is the place to go for new productions that are on their way to the West End, by both well-known and up-and-coming playwrights, plus smaller, more alternative productions in their Studio and New Vic auditoria. For big-name shows, such as Dr Dolittle and The Phantom of the Opera it's a short walk from here to the Hippodrome, right in the city centre, where bus-loads of theatre-goers are a regular sight. For smaller and more experimental productions there's The Tobacco Factory, Bristol's newest theatre, situated in Bedminster and the Alma Tavern Theatre—a tiny space inside a pub.
Celluloid fans can get their fix at either of the two art-house cinemas, the Watershed and the Arnolfini, each of which show the latest arty releases, foreign language films and hold occasional special events and festivals—the Watershed has the comfier seats though! Even more eclectic and alternative is The Cube - a tiny cinema that looks and feels like someone's living room. For general release films and your average blockbusters there's The Odeon in the city centre, the ABC in Whiteladies Road and three massive multiplexes - Showcase, and the two branches of Warner Village Cinema on the outskirts of the city(for comfy seats and American-sized screens check out the Vue at Cribbs Causway). Not forgetting the state of the art IMAX cinema, part of the new At-Bristol development, the south west's newest and biggest tourist attraction.
Comedy:
Bristol is firmly on the map of the country's comedy circuit. In north Bristol you can choose to go to Jesters Comedy Club on Cheltenham Road, which always has an entertaining line-up, and various special nights (student night, meal-deal night etc.) or The Bristol Comedy Pub, on Stokes Croft, which tends to be a slightly more hit and miss affair with semi-professionals, although it sometimes features the same comedians from Jesters, who just have to cross the road to here if they need more laughs. If the comedian has really grown in stature he or she will perform anywhere large enough, so watch out for performances by comedians such as Al Murray and Mark Lamarr at The Colston Hall, the Old Vic and occasionally, the Watershed. In south Bristol, try MadHouse (The), a venue above a pub in Bedminster—which hosts comedy nights every fortnight and features both big-names and up-and-coming new faces.
Children:
Kids have more than enough to keep them happy in Bristol and it's a very children-friendly city. Apart from the fact that just walking around provides numerous opportunities for diversions—think walking up Cabot's Tower, watching the boats at the harbour, getting a ferry ride around the city, playing on the swings at Brandon Hill, visiting the City Museum, crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge and exploring the nearby Clifton Observatory and Caves. You could also take them to Windmill City Farm for a taste of the countryside, or to the ever-popular Bristol Zoo for some really wild life!
Festivals:
Bristol really comes alive in the summer and this is the time to visit if you fancy a festival experience. There's the urban madness of St Paul's Afrikan and Caribbean Carnival, a massive music and community event which draws a huge crowd and is getting bigger each year. The Harbour Regatta, two film and media events—Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters and the absolutely unmissable Bristol Balloon Festival. There's also the chilled-out, but buzzing vibe of the Bristol Community Festival at Ashton Court, which takes place in acres of green just over the suspension bridge, plus the granddaddy of all gatherings, the nearby Glastonbury Festival, just fifteen miles away.
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