Features / Festivals
Bristol Best of 2016: festivals
1. Simple Things, various venues, October
The underground music blowout’s sixth outing felt like more of an ‘event’ than ever. The fringe concerts and panel discussions added substance, and the late night pairing of Death Grips and Charlotte Church at Colston Hall was inspired.
www.simplethingsfestival.co.uk
is needed now More than ever
2. BBC 6Music Festival, various venues, February
While the main festival lineup erred on the safe side, there was no avoiding the buzz around Bristol. That was in large part down to the efforts of local artists and promoters, whose Fringe programme – including Bristol24/7 programming stages at The Fleece and The Attic offering our own pick of the best of Bristol’s music and club scenes – was a show of strength we should seriously consider making an annual thing.
www.bbc.co.uk/events/eq6c8g
3. Brisfest, various venues, July
The volunteer-led community festival returned after a three year break with a new multi-venue format that bodes well for the future. Bristol24/7 curated the main stage, which was headlined by Bristol Sound pioneers Smith & Mighty and noise-rock troublemakers Spectres.
www.brisfest.co.uk
4. Mayfest, various venues, May
A typically eclectic and action-packed Mayfest this year, with highlights including Portraits in Motion, in which indefatigable traveller Volker Gerling used flipbook portraits and a video to bring his many travelling acquaintances to life; and Chekhov’s First Play (above) by the Irish company Dead Centre – a version of Platonov, the apparently ‘unstageable’ first play by Chekhov, reduced by Dead Centre from five hours to one and featuring a few surprises.
www.mayfestbristol.co.uk
5. Submerge Festival, various venues, November
November saw this launch of this brand new, hybrid arts and music festival bringing a mix of cutting-edge live performance, audiovisual art and electronic music to Bristol – and featuring local artists and musicians alongside international artists from all around the world in a range of unusual venues, from an 18th-century church to a former Coroner’s Court and Mortuary, via the unexplored vaults beneath the Colston Hall.
www.submergefestival.co.uk
Main photo: Abra on the Carhartt Work In Progress stage at Simple Things – photo by Rebecca Cleal
Read more: Amazing photos of Upfest in new book
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
