Bristol’s best cultural events of 2022

2022 has been awash with culture in all its forms across Bristol, and audiences have been hugely responsive to the return of a jam-packed cultural calendar in our city.

For many, it was a year to discover new venues, or creative inspirations, though the summer in particular featured the return of numerous beloved festivals and events.

Bristol24/7 writers pick out some of their favourites from an undeniably busy year:

Women Who Gave No F*cks, Tobacco Factory Theatres (February)

WWGNF – photo: Story Jam

Exploring the stories of women who were sidelined or forgotten throughout history, Women Who Gave No F*cks was a no-holds-barred three-person show presenting the myths and legends of females outgunning adversity. The riotous performances spun from Irish pirate queen and Japanese Sun deity to a Sumerian sword-wielding nemesis and made me and my sisters ache with laughter.
Betty Woolerton

Drum & Bass on the Bike, through Bristol (March)

An excitable peloton cycled around Bristol in March as Dom Whiting became a drum’n’bass pied piper. There were incredible scenes as the musical melee made its way from College Green to the Lloyds Amphitheatre. This was Whiting’s second trip to Bristol and he promises to be back next year. See you there!
Martin Booth

Transactionland, Bricks Bristol (March)

Rachael Clerke, Transactionland – photo: Ruby Turner

This was my first proper introduction to Bricks Bristol and the wonderful St Anne’s House, as well as to the artist Rachael Clerke, whose playful and imaginative installation Transactionland ran a 10 day programme exploring alternative, more equitable systems in a fun and engaging way, with numerous contributing artists, guest shopkeepers and performers. Personal highlights included doughnut hour, JarSquad Assembly, and ‘shoplift-o-clock’ at 5pm daily – in which all goods were free if you didn’t get caught.
Sarski Anderson

Acerone in the Cumberland Piazza (throughout 2022)

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CasPFBugFYU/

This is a personal one for me as it’s a route that I take every day with my daughters on our way to school. Acerone has had a prolific year experimenting and developing a number of new styles of street art, and the walls of the Cumberland Piazza are like his own personal playground – often in collaboration with other artists including Sepr and Andy Council.
Martin Booth

What Remains of Us, Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic (March)

What Remains of Us (Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – 2022) poster – photo: Kirsten McTernan

A father and daughter meet across the Korean border for the first time in decades to tell the story of the borders and boundaries of belonging. Beautifully acted, it is a compelling and ultimately sad story of loss and resilience demonstrating that humanity can triumph when there are no frontiers to love.
Bryan J Mason

Worm Disco Club Ukrainian Benefit, Lost Horizon (March)

Worm Disco Club Ukrainian Fundraiser – poster: Worm Disco Club

After the sickening shock of the Russian invasion this hastily organised night raised over £5,000. Performers MADLY and Stanlaey joined members of Waldo’s Gift, Ishmael Ensemble, Snazzback and Run Logan Run in spontaneous combinations that each conjured an emotionally charged response to the unfolding events with, often, spellbinding results.
Tony Benjamin

Stand Up For Ukraine, Lost Horizon (March)

Jon Richardson – photo courtesy of Comedy Box

This night was in aid of Ukraine Red Cross following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and featured stellar comedians Jon Richardson and Olga Koch as well as local acts like Eva Bindeman, Firuz Ozari and more. It really was rip-roaringly funny – I still think about Mark Olver’s set featuring a shocking revelation about buttering bread today. Did you know most people butter both sides?
Betty Woolerton

Turbo Island 8th Birthday Party, Strange Brew (April)

Turbo Island 8th Birthday at Strange Brew – poster: Turbo Island

Turbo Island’s 8th Birthday on the Easter bank holiday weekend featured bowls of cheese puffs, lethal pineapple and mezcal cocktails and a music quiz. We came 2nd and I can confidently say ‘we were robbed’. As well as the action-packed interactive quiz, there was also an epic karaoke session – in fact, the best I’ve ever been to, with everything from Pulp’s Common People to Sunshine Anderson being positively murdered by chic-looking Bristolian music lovers.
Hayley Joyes

Angel Bat Dawid, Bristol New Music Festival, Arnolfini (May)

Angel Bat Dawid – photo: courtesy of BNM Festival

There were plenty of surprises at this year’s New Music Festival but nothing prepared me for the impact of seeing/hearing/being with Angel Bat David. Swaggering and hollering into the Arnolfini she embodied a complete personal and creative freedom like no other – Sun Ra, Nina Simone, Wild Man Fischer and then some.
Tony Benjamin

Joesef, Trinity Bristol (May)

Joesef, Trinity Centre – photo: Rachel Sutherland

The soulful singer from Glasgow graced the Trinity Centre with his smooth vocals on a warm Sunday evening in May. Joesef and his band drew both mine and my best mate’s birthday weekend to an end and we had the pleasure of meeting the man himself and cheersing our beers together after the gig.
Rachel Sutherland

Reggae-Oke, The Star and Garter (throughout 2022)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlbrSkKj6x/?hl=en

Karaoke is one of my favourite things and the Star & Garter is hard to beat as one of Bristol’s best pubs. I spent many a Sunday night this summer with my dear friend and the event organiser Chloe Narey belting out songs over a rum and Coke. I hope Reggae-oke will be back next year!
Meg Houghton Gilmour

Von Hertzen Brothers, Thekla (May)

Von Hertzen Brothers at Thekla (May 2022) – photo: Mike Evans

Big cheeses back home in Finland, the Von Hertzen siblings have made slower progress elsewhere. But on the back of their career-best Red Alert in the Blue Forest album, they squeezed a stadium-sized show aboard the Thekla, with those gorgeous four-part vocal harmonies layered on top of two guitars and two sets of keyboards.
Robin Askew

Meshuggah/Zeal & Ardor, O2 Academy (May)

Meshuggah at O2 Academy (May 2022) – photo: Mike Evans

A blistering barrage of skilfully co-ordinated sound and light from the tech-metal Swedes, with a great supporting set of Satanic spirituals from Zeal and Ardor, who returned to the Trinity for their own sold-out show later in the year.
Robin Askew

No_one summer pt. 1, Dare To Club (June)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CebNNlJgxCh/

Kicking off the summer party schedule was rising promoters no_one – delivering a true who’s who of UK garage, breaks and more to the almighty Dare To courtyard. A slew of artists dropping out at the last minute due to Covid left the day hanging in the balance, but replacement sets from the likes of Disaffected, Binga and friends were enough to even the score. And that’s without even mentioning the chaotic five-man three hour B2B in the form of the 128kbps crew in the main room.
Miles Arnold

Love Saves the Day (Day 1), Ashton Court (June)

Andy C’s at Love Saves the Day 2022 – photo: Fred Dodgson

My very first time at Love Saves the Day was a magical Friday with my house and techno brothers and sisters in beautiful surroundings. Big highlights include throwing down to Anz under a stage built of giant lego, Om Unit on a hill in the round, and of course Bicep’s epic live show. A personal high was taking part in an impromptu handstand competition and achieving my PB of eight seconds upside down!
Hayley Joyes

Rachael Baker with ‘Boris Johnson’ at Love Saves The Day – photo: Meg Houghton Gilmour

Day two of Love Saves The Day told a very different story, but day one was magnificent. Having heard rumours of a secret ball pit stage, I eventually ended up at the door of 10 Downing Street. I was ushered through the cabinet rooms in record time (I even beat Liz Truss!) and there it was, hidden behind a filing cabinet. The greatest stage of the festival, possibly the world. Bravo Twisted Theatre, it was exactly my kind of utter madness.
Meg Houghton Gilmour

Busking on the Bus, stop-offs through Bristol (June)

Busking on the Bus – photo: Bristol Ensemble

Professional orchestra Bristol Ensemble marked the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by parading through the city on an open-top bus. They made stops across the city, where they performed mini classical music concerts. The Busking on the Bus project was a brilliant way to celebrate the late Queen’s 70th year on the throne.
Charlie Watts

Little Amal, city centre (June)

Another journey around our city but this time at a much more sedate pace. Little Amal – a giant puppet of a Syrian refugee child – first crossed the Clifton Suspension Bridge early in the morning back in June and was then joined later that day by hundreds of people as she slowly made her way from King Street to the Cascade Steps.
Martin Booth

Cheek2Cheek, Crofters Rights (June)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci0V54vrGiN/

June saw the inaugural party from my record label, Belters, at the famed Crofters Rights. Whilst there were nerves before the party kicked off about the potential lack of punters, opening the doors revealed a queue around the corner and up Nine Tree Hill of party people, all ready for it. Every DJ played B2B with a close friend, so the energy was upbeat, inclusive and above all else, a wicked laugh.
Miles Arnold

Dr Dubplate’s Birthday Bash, Trinity Centre (July)

The height of summer saw the EC2A frontman partner up with S class national promoters Keep Hush for a day party crammed full of extreme talent under the cover of Trinity’s then new outdoor space. Reload heavy sets from Bakey, Bluetooth and the Dr himself backed up by a truly mind-bending adventure into bass from Neffa-T made this knees up a tough one to forget in a hurry.
Miles Arnold

Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Lloyds Amphitheatre (July)

Nile Rogers & CHIC – photo: Guilia Spadafora

A definite highlight for me this year was being able to watch Nile Rogers perform in my home city with my mum! I’ve seen him and CHIC twice before and he truly brought the magic to a summer evening. We sang, we danced and we longed for more.
Issy Packer

Shaggy, O2 Academy Bristol (July)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmCZfHXudId/?hl=en

In a surprise turn of events, I ended up in a packed and rather sweaty crowd chanting along to It wasn’t me at the 02 this summer. In an even more surprising turn of events, I then ended up on Shaggy’s tour bus and got the chance to say hi to the man himself (it was him).
Meg Houghton Gilmour

Earth: Digging Deep in British Art 1781-2022, RWA (July-September)

Earth Kid (boy) by Yinka Shonibare from the RWA exhibition ‘Earth: Digging Deep in British Art 1781-2022’ – photo: Valentina Hernández Gómez

Our relationship with the earth is both timely and ever-changing. This fantastic exhibition showcased British artists’ perspectives on that connection with the environment. Using different materials and elements, it felt like a journey through the mountains and the deep seas. My favourite piece was the sculpture Earth Kid (boy) made out of recycled fishnets and wires by the artist Yinka Shonibare. This exhibition united two of my passions: art and the environment. It was a reminder to reconnect with the planet we inhabit in all the ways we feel it’s possible while remaining open and sensible to our mark as a species.
Valentina Hernández Gómez

Madly, Shambala Festival (August)

MADLY – photo: Shambala Festival

It might be in a “secret location” but, teaming with Bristol artists and festivalgoers and born in Bristol, Shambala is a thoroughly Bristolian affair. One of the many highlights was seeing MĀDŁY perform with a four-piece band for some neo-soul with a smattering of hip-hop, wrapped up in some French lyricism.
Betty Woolerton

Forwards Festival, Downs (September)

The Chemical Brothers at Forwards – photo: Giulia Spadafora

An amazing collection of live performances happening just a stone’s throw from my flat felt like a real treat which helped drag out the last bit of summer. Little Simz, The Chemical Brothers and Róisín Murphy were some of the brightest stars of the festival for me.
Rachel Sutherland

Funny Pages, Watershed (September)

A dark coming of age movie about a teenage wannabe cartoonist. Destined to be a cult classic it has elements of Napoleon Dynamite albeit some of the characters are even more extreme. Written and directed by Owen Kline it stars Daniel Zolghadri as high school student Robert and is bitingly funny.
Bryan J Mason

Knowle West Fest, various venues in Knowle West (October)

I live and breathe Knowle West, and so I was super excited to announce that the community’s annual festival was to take place in person for the first time in three years. Knowle West Fest in October was a roaring success and it brought out the best of the area.
Charlie Watts

Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Spike Island (October-January)

Lawrence Abu Hamdan – Ways of Attaching – photo: Spike Island

Lawrence’s short film about migration and the power of borders, seen through the lens of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House on the border of Canada and the United States, resonated with me deeply at a time where our own borders are being increasingly restricted, causing untold and unjust suffering for those trying to enter our country for a better life. The film will cease showing on Sunday 29 January!
Mia Vines-Booth

‘Los muros no detendrán la primavera’ reads one of the pieces in the exhibition, which means borders won’t stop the spring. 45th Parallel focuses on migration, and as a migrant myself, it felt like an intimate and even cathartic experience to watch. There’s a legal loophole in a place between Canada and the United States, where the jurisdiction of both countries is none. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is a grey zone, where families and friends can meet without legally leaving their countries. What are borders but just a product of human imagination?
Valentina Hernández Gómez

Ritual Union, various city centre venues (October)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjN_6-QDAsM/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=807aa6f8-9e2f-4116-9fc9-e137d10524c0

After being delayed three times due to various reasons, we had to wait a couple of years for the Bristol edition of Ritual Union but it was certainly worth it. From post punk madness to queer dancehall hits, the one day festival had it all. Fingers crossed it returns next year!
Issy Packer

Buskers Banquet, Kitchen by KASK (October)

Buskers Banquet – photo: Issy Packer

This was definitely a first for me – a fusion of music and food, two things Bristol does so well. Held at Kitchen by KASK which only opened in September this year, Dan Ashford created a delicious three course meal, paired with two live performances. The combination made for a very unique evening.
Issy Packer

The Rest of Our Lives, Circomedia (October)

In The Rest of Our Lives, clown George Orange and dancer Jo Fong have created a rare beast: a show so unequivocally joyful and life-affirming that it gets the entire audience dancing with abandon by the end. Immensely silly and yet profound, clever in its simplicity, and often funny, but poignant too – it is a beautiful exploration of middle life, the advancement of death, and what it all means. If this show returns, I urge you to take someone you love, or even someone you don’t, and see it.
Sarski Anderson

Fatboy Slim and Eats Everything, Lakota (October)

Crowd outside Lakota – photo: Martin Booth

A completely random and utterly chaotic moment when Fatboy Slim and Eats Everything performed a live DJ set from the back of their van in the Lakota smoking area back in October. It may have been shut down, but for a short while, Bristolians were able to experience a tiny taste of the free party scene in the 90s.
Mia Vines-Booth

L’Objectif, SWX (October)

The one and only concert I attended this year and it was entirely worth it. I was originally there to see Alfie Templeman, but my interest rapidly shifted. The opening act was ‘L’Objectif’, an indie rock band from Leeds. It was my first time hearing about them. I was pleasantly surprised and instantly became a fan. I can’t stop listening to their songs after that concert. My personal favourite? The Dance You Sell. I love listening to new music and discovering artists, especially in such unexpected and fresh ways.
Valentina Hernández Gómez

Old Market (Remixed), Wardrobe Theatre (November)

Tom Marshman in Old Market – photo: Vonalina Cake

Tom Marshman’s one man show was like watching a real life human archivist in action, guiding you on a trippy journey down the history of Bristol’s ‘Gay Village’. Marshman brings to life local legends and newcomers to reflect the diverse fabric that makes up this patchwork quilt of an area. It’s a deeply engaging performance from a man with an intimate knowledge of the eateries, quirks, and underground culture of Old Market.
Hayley Joyes

Mary Gauthier, Hen and Chicken (November)

Gauthier’s eleventh album, Dark Enough To See The Stars featured widely on her recent UK tour and is filled with pure Americana at its most fluent. Describing herself as a troubadour she expertly mixes heartache with hopefulness. Great tunes delivered by an artist with an authentic story to tell.
Bryan J Mason

Ozric Tentacles/Gong, Trinity (November)

Photo: Robin Askew

The no-original-members current incarnation of Gong are an object lesson in how to move forward while retaining the spirit of the original band. They played two great shows of driving psychedelia in Bristol this year, first at the Thekla and then at the Trinity on this co-headlining tour with revived free festival faves the Ozrics.
Robin Askew

Arcadia, St George’s (November)

Arcadia: Lisa Knapp (vocals), Drew Morgan (cello), Will Gregory (keyboards/vocals) – photo: Tony Benjamin

A live soundtrack event always has a certain magic to it, but the sheer implausibility of Will Gregory and Adrian Utley realising their eclectic score for Paul Wright’s film made this one special. Thanks to nine multi-talented musicians, an exceptional sound engineer and the sheer quality of the film and score something flawlessly riveting resulted, however.
Tony Benjamin

Shuffle, Arnolfini (November)

Shuffle, directed by Lea Anderson – photo: Esther Lewis Smith

Internationally lauded choreographer Lea Anderson, three incredible street dancers, a gleefully glitchy robot DJ and the ability to ‘rewind’ or ‘shuffle’ what you’ve just seen: this had all the ingredients of a perfect audience experience, and it 100 per cent delivered on all of them. The crowd was a united, jubilant chorus of raucous approval throughout, and I have been unashamedly trying to recreate it in my kitchen ever since.
Sarski Anderson

Chelsea Manning, Strange Brew (November)

Chelsea Manning – photo: Chelsea Manning Twitter

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when the ex-Iraq intelligence analyst who leaked thousands of US government files to WikiLeaks in 2010, performed a DJ set in Bristol in November for Trans Pride South West Network. It transpires the trans activist and intelligence analyst’s love of DJing came from visiting free parties in Bristol in the 90s.
Mia Vines-Booth

Main photo: Harry Pugsley

Read next:

• In photos: Bristol in 2022
• Bristol’s best new food & drink openings of 2022
• Bristol24/7 Person of 2022: Jayde Adams

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: