What's On in Bristol

Gig guide & event listings

Events in Bristol

Made famous by the legendary Lakota, Bristol's warehouse events are the keystone to the city's clubbing culture. These no-frills venues are the place to see Bristol's house and techno at it's best. If you need addmission to forthcoming warehouse parties, you can buy Dare2 tickets here.

Bristol's local and trusted what's on guide.

Events in Bristol

Headfirst is Bristol's leading gig guide with a freshly launched online ticket shop. We work directly with the city's promoters to provide the most up-to-date guide what's on in Bristol you'll find. The events calendar includes all events happening in Bristol tonight and for the forthcoming weekend. If you're a musician, band member or club night organiser be sure to add your event to the Headfirst Bristol calendar.

Thu 24th July
BODEGA at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

BODEGA in Bristol Tickets

Thu 15th May
Wych Elm at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Wych Elm in Bristol Tickets

Fri 30th May
Taking over tour at Lost Horizon
Tue 2nd December
Porridge Radio at The Trinity Centre
Mon 8th September
ICHI at The Wardrobe Theatre
— The Wardrobe Theatre

ICHI in Bristol Tickets

Thu 6th November
Big Sleep at Strange Brew
Thu 25th September
The Wants at Rough Trade Bristol
— Rough Trade Bristol

The Wants in Bristol Tickets

Gig Tickets

Bristol has always had it's fair share of what's on resources. While paper-based listings magazines like Venue and forums like Hijack Bristol favoured certain musical niches, Headfirst was Bristol's first truly comprehensive what's on resource. Our listings not only go far into the future (click on a date in the calendar) but also provide some great last minute resources. If you're planning a night out at short notice please see our list of live music tonight and events listings for this weekend.

Venues like Bristol Beacon and Thekla usually get most of the attention when Bristol's gigs are discussed online. Headfirst aims to put the focus on Bristols smaller live music venues. Here, you can buy tickets for concerts at Bristol's Louisiana and Exchange or browse our entire Bristol gig list.

Fri 11th July
SEEKER - Hidden Music Festival at Secret Location Isle Of Purbeck
— Secret Location Isle Of Purbeck

SEEKER - Hidden Music Festival in Bristol Tickets

Fri 5th December
Orions Belte at Rough Trade Bristol
— Rough Trade Bristol

Orions Belte in Bristol Tickets

Thu 11th September
Flyte at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

Flyte in Bristol Tickets

Thu 14th August
Luke Haines & Peter Buck at Strange Brew
Thu 16th October
Somebody's Child at The Trinity Centre
Mon 28th April
Pictish Trail at Bristol Beacon

What's On: Featured Bristol Events

Tickets for our event recommendations

Sell out warning! You can’t talk about the last decade of rap without saying ‘Billy Woods’ or ‘Backwoodz’. And if you’re not shouting those names by the end of it, Lord help you. By our counts this’ll be the second time he’s ever taken the stage in Bristol (hands up the Armand Hammer 2019 crowd). Do whatever you need to do to be there. Untouchable FFO: Quelle Chris, Def Jux, Ka, Mike, JPEGMAFIA, Pink Siifu. Billy Woods at Strange Brew.

Genre-bending nu-jazz wonderment, melding conscious poetry with neo-soul stylings and astral funk-pop into a thrilling cocktail FFO: Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sons of Kemet, Moses Yoofee, Hiatus Kaiyote, Thundercat. Sera Kalo's eX.II at The Jam Jar.

Trans-Atlantic collab where American roots meets British folk at its finest. With every virtuoso pluck of the guitar and bow of the fiddle, Brooks Williams and Aaron Catlow (Sheelanagig) pay loving homage to the 20th century songbook of bluegrass, blues, ragtime, folk, jazz manouche and music hall. Essential FFO: Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy, Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli. Brooks Williams & Aaron Catlow at Bristol Folk House.

Sell out warning! Come get schooled by THE dance music innovator who’s been floating above acid house, hardcore, dnb and jungle weaving a magical influence on all…..You only get one Gerald in this life, and this is it. A Guy Called Gerald + The Jungle Drummer at Strange Brew.

Live music and gigs recommended by our music team

Sell out warning! The most sensational figure in Scottish smallpipes since they were first forged! Brìghde revitalised a dying sound, moving it beyond the folk tradition and her native Isle of Skye towards the global stage. Now she’s collaborating with sax maestro Colin Stetson on towering, droning masterpieces of experimental mystical minimalism. Totally unmissable for trad and drone fans alike. Brighde Chaimbeul at The Mount Without.

Sell out warning! Like your favourite Madlib cuts come to life, Surprise Chef feel like you're trailing the most epic crate digging session ever. Marrying 70s funkxploitation grooves with instrumental stoner soul and dusky boombap kicks, they’re flooding the global consciousness with classic fills beamed from another era. Highly unmissable FFO: Khruangbin, 30/70, David Axelrod, Dilla, BadBadNotGood. Surprise Chef + Support at The Lantern.

Sell out warning! Folk gig of the year!? Reclusive baroque royalty graces the Cube for an incredibly rare and incredibly intimate airing of cult classic psych-tinged gems of the proto-freak-folk canon. Bridget St John is a bucolic icon and a national treasure FFO: Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake, Nico, Linda Perhacs, Sandy Denny. Bridget St John + Eva May + Henry Ayling at The Cube.

Looking for Glastonbury-esque feels at only 1,000 capacity + just a 30 minute drive from Bristol? Welcome to Inglefest. Expect an intimate farmhouse location with a firm musical focus on the South West including adorable emo-folk-punk trio Toodles & The Hectic Pity, Pocket Sun’s impossibly dreamy synth-pop, beloved Bristol boom-bap from The Scribes + oh so much more. Inglefest’s just bursting to the seams with Rnb, punk, jazz and folk loveliness. 15th - 17th August at Oxwick Farm.

Buy Bristol Gig Tickets

Headfirst is the most objective Bristol gig guide on the internet. With no editorial to write, bands to interview or advertisers to please, we can focus on creating the best music listings & ticket shop this side of the Avon. From Bristol University’s music graduates playing a concert at St Georges Hall to an intimate gig at The Louisiana - we believe these events are what make Bristol special.

Bristol Nightlife & Nightclubs

Electronic music produced in Bristol has a knack of rewriting the rules and penetrating the international club scene. From Tectonic to Apple Pips to Eats Everything & Arkist - Headfirst has seen Bristol’s music scene grow and evolve since our humble beginnings in 2008. Now Headfirst is working with Bristol’s best dance music promoters and providing a secure place to buy tickets for Bristol club nights. While Motion may catch most of the attention, Headfirst is the place to buy tickets for all Bristol's clubnights and maybe even the next Alfresco Disco party. Over the coming months we'll be adding buy tickets buttons to many of our what's on listings.

From Headfirst's Ticket Shop

Fri 16th May
Charlie Boon B2B Shuffa + Lu.Re at Lost Horizon
Sat 14th June
The Afters: Whiney + more at Lakota
Sun 18th May
Downbeat Melody Day Party at Lost Horizon
Thu 8th May
OKO Presents Eight Five Two at Lost Horizon
Thu 22nd May
MIRAGE at The Trinity Centre
— The Trinity Centre

MIRAGE Tickets

Sat 14th June
RnB & Wings at Lakota
Sat 17th May
Dismantle: Lost Horizon Yard Party at Lost Horizon
Sun 11th May
PASSAGE X TRINITY: The After Party at The Trinity Centre
Fri 6th June
Reggaeton Party at Thekla

Bristol Experimental Music

The Headfirst music guide originally emerged from Bristol's blossoming experimental scene and our humble beginnings were as a what's on guide for Bristol's weirdest and most unconventional events.