Arnolfini
Iconic gallery and venue on Bristol’s waterfront
Established 1961, Arnolfini is an internationally renowned contemporary arts centre on the city harbourside, offering a diverse programme of visual art, contemporary dance, film screenings and live music, as well as workshops, talks and lectures, and family events.
Its versatile facilities span multiple exhibition and performance spaces including five galleries and a 200-capacity auditorium, plus specialist bookshop, reading room, and cafe-bar. Part of the building is shared with The University of the West of England (UWE).
Alongside its own exhibitions and events, over the years Arnolfini has hosted events for many of Bristol’s key cultural institutions, including Mayfest, Bristol Palestine Film Festival, Bristol Artists Book Event, Lyrafest, and Encounters Film Festival alongside Watershed and the Bristol Beacon.
Level access into the building is available via Prince Street, with lift access to all floors. Accessible toilets are available throughout the building. Further access information can be found on the Arnolfini website: http://arnolfini.org.uk/plan-your-visit/accessibility
Its versatile facilities span multiple exhibition and performance spaces including five galleries and a 200-capacity auditorium, plus specialist bookshop, reading room, and cafe-bar. Part of the building is shared with The University of the West of England (UWE).
Alongside its own exhibitions and events, over the years Arnolfini has hosted events for many of Bristol’s key cultural institutions, including Mayfest, Bristol Palestine Film Festival, Bristol Artists Book Event, Lyrafest, and Encounters Film Festival alongside Watershed and the Bristol Beacon.
Level access into the building is available via Prince Street, with lift access to all floors. Accessible toilets are available throughout the building. Further access information can be found on the Arnolfini website: http://arnolfini.org.uk/plan-your-visit/accessibility
What's On At Arnolfini
— Arnolfini
lgbtq+
workshops & classes
poetry
festival
— Arnolfini
workshops & classes
poetry
spoken word
festival
— Arnolfini
noise
ambient
underground hip hop
electronic
film
— Arnolfini
experimental
contemporary classical
electronic
Get a feel for Arnolfini
Our recent recommendations for Arnolfini
Sell out warning! BNM have truly pulled it out the bag showcasing some of the most outré and forward-thinking music-makers around. Friday sees us diving deep into KMRU’s dissonant noise and heavy synth drones, Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori unleashing crunching illbient AV wonderment and Yunis weaving a cosmic ritual of Egyptian street-fire experimentation. Serious!
KMRU + Saint Abdullah, Eomac & Rebecca Salvadori + YUNIS at Arnolfini.
Lyrafest kicks off with a cabaret bang, and it’s a homecoming for Bristol’s own decorated writer/stage star/general polymath of queer creativity Travis Alabanza – we missed ya baby! They take the Fini stage alongside performance poet champion Keith Jarret, experimental theatre-maker cum party girl Raina Greifer, dance-pop goddess RED and bequiffed Brizzle Boyz king Fluxx Wyldly.
Queer Poetry Cabaret | Travis Alabanza + Guests at Arnolfini.
RepresentAsian’s dedication to amplifying South Asian culture in the club and beyond has been tireless. Now they’re hosting another informal sit-down with the local Desi diaspora (and curious outsiders) to listen to lyrical tales of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi experiences, struggles and triumphs.
RepresentAsian Storytelling Evening at Arnolfini.
PWYC! A vibrant festival warm-up and World Poetry Day celebration from Lyra Fest, as Bristol’s finest lyrical talent takes to the Arnolfini stage for this year’s Slam qualifiers. Only 10 verse-smiths can make it into the finals to be crowned Lyra Slam Champion, TBD by your enraptured ears and voting hands!
Join us at Arnolfini for the 2026 Lyra Poetry Slam qualifying heats on World Poetry Day, as 20+ poets compete for a place in the Grand Finals.
Local virtuosic experimentalist Nik Rawlings lends their sublime operatic vocals to a new series exploring DIY spatial sonics! They're joined by Duncan Speakman’s visceral fog of guitar-processed musique concréte and spectral dronewave from Natalia Mamcarczyk – immersive minimal soundscapes await at this essential one FFO: Éliane Radigue, Kali Malone, claire rousay, Blank Forms.
Punk/t Spatial is a new series of concerts by artists exploring spatial composition. Beyond the formality of academic research or the constraints of standardised spatial formats, it is a space for raw experimentation with a DIY ethos. This first event will feature performances from Bristol artists Nik Rawlings, Natalie Mamcarczyk and Duncan Speakman.