News / Bristol festivals
Echo & the Bunnymen to open Harbour Festival
Echo & the Bunnymen will open the Harbour Festival this year at a stand-alone Friday night gig which will be ticketed for the first time in the event’s 45-year history.
The festival, which celebrates its 45th anniversary on July 15-17, is normally free of charge from Friday to Sunday.
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But due to the size and scale of the event of Friday’s special anniversary concert, punters are being asked to pay £21.50 for tickets to the opening show.
The gig is part of sweeping changes which will also see a new four-mile stretch of entertainment along the waterside.
Echo & the Bunnymen will be supported at Lloyds Amphitheatre by former Haircut 100 frontman Nick Heyward before the stage opens to the public for free for the rest of the weekend.
A full line-up of free events, including dozens more bands, is due to be released over the coming weeks.
So far, organisers have announced that there will be a variety of entertainment and activities stretching from Underfall Yard on Cumberland Road into the City Centre and up to Castle Park.
Following the Friday night concert, the Lloyd’s Amphitheatre will be the venue for the festival’s music stage.
The dance performance and participation stages move into the Queen Square, where the rules on alcohol will be tightened.
In a move which organisers Richmond Event Management hope will help reduce litter, punters will not be able to bring their own drinks into the square this year, although bars will still be serving.
Circus acts, daredevil stunts and family entertainment will return to Castle Park and a new route featuring music and markets will run along Redcliffe Quay and Merchants Quay to connect the festival areas.
A spokesperson for the organisers said of Friday night’s gig: “This special concert is a major development of this year’s Friday night programme to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the festival. Due to the size and scale the concert will be ticketed and programmed separately from the main festival.”
Councillor Estella Tincknell, deputy mayor and the city’s new culture boss, said: “The festival has become an important fixture in Bristol’s world class events programme and a popular showcase of the city’s talents, skills and imagination.”
Tickets for the Friday night concert are available now from the Colston Hall Box Office and cost £21.50 including booking fee. Call 0844 887 1500 or visit www.colstonhall.org.