32 festivals happening in May 2018

Your guide to the festivals happening in Bristol and further afield this month.

Local

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 1-31
Bristol Walk Fest
www.bristolwalkfest.com
Shanks’ pony girds itself for its hardest working month of the year, as the UK’s biggest programme of urban walking returns to the streets, parks and surrounds of Bristol. Walks take place daily, with a huge range of locations and themes, including history tours, nature walks, street art tours and more.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 2-7
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Price: varies from free up to £75
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz
There’s always been an element of “Are you sure this is jazz? Really?” when it comes to the attention-grabbing headliners, but 2018 actually broke our WTF-o-meter with the announcement of… Rick Astley. In fairness, he is playing with Ronnie Scott’s Big Band. And, in any case, if that’s what it takes to ensure the festival’s continued good health, all well and good, because this really is among the very best on the circuit. Witness a Jamie Cullum-curated bill including the beauteous partnership between Courtney Pine and Omar, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80’s irresistible afrobeat, soulster Zara McFarlane, Kamasi Washington’s promiscuous tenor sax (CV includes work with Kendrick, Chaka Khan, Snoop, Flying Lotus, all sorts), Bill Frisell’s endlessly imaginative guitaring, Mercury-nominated prog jazzers Dinosaur, and perpetual ray of jocular sunshine, Van Morrison. As ever, though, it’s the depth of the undercard that counts, with plenty of free stuff to draw in the jazz-curious in Montpellier Gardens, a dedicated family programme and more.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 11-27
Bath Festival
Price: £80 w/e
www.bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival
Celebrating its 70th anniversary year. Sort of. From 1948-2016 it was known as Bath International Music Festival. Then, last year, it merged with the city’s lit fest to create this rather more modern affair. Once the preserve of rather rarefied classical and jazz performers, one imagines a little nose-holding from the old guard as they welcome such popular music upstarts as Tears For Fears, Professor Green, Alison Moyet, Robert Plant, Imelda May and Midge Ure. Plenty of high brow remains, of course – Lars Vogt playing the Beethoven Piano Concertos, for instance, and a recital by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet – among a seriously fine looking programme of debates, fiction writers, science, history, politics and poetry. Highlights include a panel women crime writers (including local thrillersmith, Sarah Hilary), Lucy Mangan on childhood reading, poetry from Ben Okri, Suede’s Brett Anderson on his acclaimed memoir Coal Black Mornings, music journo David Hepworth, Margaret Drabble in conversation with Linda Grant, Robert Webb and Stephen Johnson on how Shostakovich’s music helped him deal with bipolar disorder.

May 11-13
Bristol Foodies Festival
The Downs
Price: £20 w/e
www.foodiesfestival.com/Bristol
Not quite sure they’ve thought this through, to be honest. How else to explain the introduction of a cream pie throwing contest in the same year as lining up the music stage with Dodgy, The Hoosiers and bleedin’ Toploader? Everything’s on rather sounder footing when it comes to the comestibles, including appearances from GBBO finalist Steven Carter-Bailey, MasterChef winner Ping Coombes, and local food heroes Josh Eggleton, Robert Potter, John Watson, etc. Plus loads of workshops, street food, and a kid zone comprising cookery classes, bouncy castles, face painting, craft area, giant garden games, and so forth.

May 25-June 10
Bath Fringe Festival
Price: various, many free
www.bathfringe.co.uk
“We’ve always liked to present and encourage new work and over the past few years have developed a programme to encourage and support new work/emerging artists,” say the organisers. They’re not wrong. The upstart snot-nosed younger brother of the Bath Festival, the Fringe largely eschews big names in favour of seriously talented performers you’ve most likely never heard of. There are exceptions to that, with a fair few ticketed events, but the festival’s heart is the wholly free street-based chaos that is Bedlam Fair (June 2-3).

May 25-26
Bristol Gin Festival
Price: £11 per session
www.ginfestival.com
Juniper juice is enjoying its highest profile since the days of Hogarth, so of course there’s a touring festival to cash in on celebrate its popularity. Expect all manner of gin to sample – cocktails, too – alongside live music, masterclasses and chances to chat to the distillers.

May 25-28
Chippenham Folk Festival
Price: £142
www.chippfolk.co.uk
The perennially underrated market town (Corbyn was born here, if it helps) stages the 47th running of its folk fest, comprising more than 200 individual events and workshops. The big stuff is held in the lovely riverside environs of Monkton Park, though there’s barely a pub in town that won’t see a wee bit of dancing or twig-passing at some point.

May 25-27
Lechlade Festival
Lechlade-on-Thames, Glos
Price: £79.95
www.lechladefestival.co.uk
Voted ‘Best Festival in the Cotswolds’, which must have put the Moreton-in-Marsh Agricultural & Horse Show’s nose out of joint. It’s really much more about the joining in than it is the music – see, for instance, kids’ yoga, belly dancing, paper aeroplane competition, learn the recorder – and which, given the music lineup – Scouting for Girls, From the Jam, Doctor and the Medics, Whole Lotta Led and the St Lawrence School Choir – is probably just as well.

May 25-27
Shindig Weekender
Bruton, Somerset,
Price: £99 w/e
www.shindig-events.co.uk
Dance-centric fest aimed at late night gurners of a certain age. Thus, a live lineup bringing forth the likes of Soul II Soul and Caron Wheeler, Stereo MC’s, Dub Pistols, Jungle Brothers, and platters spun by Mr Scruff, Norman Jay, Cut Chemist, Stanton Warriors, Crazy P Soundsystem and Altern-8. Plus comedians of a similar vintage, such as Phill Jupitus and Mark Thomas.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 25-27
Wells Comedy Festival
Price: various
www.wellscomfest.com
Terrific local fest punching way above its four-year old weight. Headliners announced so far – there are plenty more to come – include Rhod Gilbert, Alexei Sayle, Sara Pascoe, James Acaster, Limmy, Angela Barnes, Tim Key, Desiree Burch, Mark Watson, Nish Kumar, Hal Cruttenden, Paul Foot and Richard Herring.

May 27
Dot to Dot
Price: £12 early bird
www.dottodotfestival.co.uk
This three-legged event between Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham won the Best Multi-Venue Festival category at the Live UK awards. Appearing in the 2018 run-out of the indie-favouring event we find The Horrors heading up an awfully lengthy cast list, also including the likes of Marika Hackman, Pale Waves and Dermot Kennedy.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 26-27
Love Saves The Day
Eastville Park
Price: £75 w/e
www.lovesavestheday.org
Drawing on its promoters’ background in Bristol’s clubs scene, LSTD is the outdoor knees-up to beat. More than 300 acts will descend on Eastville Park throughout the weekend, with stages from The Blast, Crack, Futureboogie and Run among others. Saturday features Fatboy Slim, Bicep, George Fitzgerald, My Nu Leng, Jackmaster, Four Tet and Floating Points, while Sunday brings Sampha, Loyle Carner, David Rodigan, The Black Madonna, Shy FX and Ben UFO. Day and weekend tickets are both available, with 20,000 visitors expected through the gate each day.

May 26-27
Vegfest, Bristol
Price: £8 w/e
www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk
It looked for all the world that Europe’s biggest vegan fest wouldn’t be returning to Bristol after the council’s Parks Forum committee raised the rent of its traditional amphitheatre site by 200 per cent. That was organiser Tim Barford’s announcement from the stage at the end of the 2017 event. Instead, it’s set to hop across the New Cut to set up in Ashton Gate Stadium with a musical lineup including Baby D, Judge Jules and our own Dr Meaker, some TBA comedians, and vegan lifestyle-espousing talks from likes of champion boxer Omowale Adewale and the organiser of Brooklyn’s Black Vegfest, Nadia Muyeeb. Plus dance, kids’ area, loads of food stalls, cookery demos and more.

National

May 4-6
Liverpool Sound City
Price: £55
www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
A northern cousin of Brighton’s Great Escape, this is an industry-heavy bash comprising expert, panels, workshops, talks as well as bands. Music-wise you’re looking at 250+ hotly-tipped new bands and a healthy smattering of headline names including Baxter Dury, Peace and Picture This.

May 5-6
Arcadia London
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Price: £85 w/e
www.arcadialondon.co.uk
Tenth anniversary for the properly singular Glastonbury-schooled festival aces, whose outsize pyromaniac spider is set to welcome the likes of Norman Jay, Leftfield, Sven Väth, Groove Armada, Dusky and Eats Everything.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 5-27
Brighton Festival
Price: various, many free
www.brightonfestival.org
The Place Formerly Known As Brighthelmstone (dully, it was officially shortened in 1810) traditionally pulls together one of the most inspired and diverse programmes on the circuit. No exception this year, as Turner Prize-nominated – and Brighton-based – artist David Shrigley follows Kate Tempest and Laurie Anderson in the guest director role to bring forth interesting folk from the fields of music, theatre, dance, visual art, film and literature, plus debate from a wide range of national and international companies and artists. Thus, the likes of the blindingly-good-seen-live Ezra Furman, Malcolm Middleton, Deerhoof, a dream-like night in The Voice Project’s overnight choral sleepover experience, NoFit State circus, the three-day showcase of the best new theatre that is Caravan, Bristol-born purveyor of black trans poetics, Travis Alabanza, lots from the director himself, tons more.

May 5-6
Handmade
Leicester
Price: £45 w/e
www.handmadefestival.co.uk
In which the city’s leftfield scenesters pull together to sew together a patchwork bill of the best in DIY music, comedy, art, film, performance and photography. Lots of music to be made, headed by the likes of Circa Waves, Drenge, and our very own Idles and Turbowolf.

May 11-13
Dart Music Festival
Dartmouth, Devon
Price: free
www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk
21st birthday for this coming of age freebie. Dodgy is the biggest name in the 100+ lineup serving all styles from rock to classical, bhangra to shanties, big band to choral, with the venues rather a fine draw in their own right: more than 20 pubs, churches, market square, Tudor fort, etc.

May 17-19
The Great Escape
Brighton
Price: £65 w/e
www.greatescapefestival.com
Industry-centric spin-off of the Brighton Festival that sees 450+ up and comingers plying their sonic wares in more than 30 venues. For many attendees – sorry, delegates – such frippery will take second place to the serious business of talks covering ‘The potential of the Chinese music market’ and such.

May 24-27
Bearded Theory
Catton Hall, Derbyshire
Price: £115 w/e
www.beardedtheory.co.uk
Cognitive dissonance ahoy! A Best Family Festival winner at the UK Festival Awards, happily proclaiming that this year’s theme is Fairy Folk & Forest Creatures: “So let’s fill the arena with fairies, pixies, elves & trolls, even your favourite fairy tale character… uncover your inner unicorn and let the bumblebee’s be free.” And then you cast your eyes to the music lineup and find, right near the top, the never knowingly inner unicorn-seeking Sleaford Mods! The decidedly un-fairy-friendly Jesus & Mary Chain! Although, yeah, Robert Plant will fit right in.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 24-June 3
Hay Festival
Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Price: various
www.hayfestival.com
Top neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow in conversation with the coolest post-war Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, on ‘What is Consciousness?’ Margaret Atwood discussing her never-more-relevant masterpiece, The Handmaid’s Tale. Professor Sarah Churchwell tracing the history of Trump’s America First stance back through Charles Lindbergh and the Ku Klux Klan. In short, if you’re looking for the electro-swing tent, you’ve come to the wrong place. Most of the programme remains TBA at press time, though we can also confirm comedy from Shazia Mirza, Dara Ó Briain and the ace Bridget Christie, and music from West African supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique and pioneering Scottish ensemble Trio HLK team up with percussionist extraordinaire, Dame Evelyn Glennie.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 25-28
HowTheLightGetsIn
Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Price: various
www.hay.htlgi.iai.tv
Returning from a fallow year in 2017, the younger sister of Hay Fest is generally a more discursive affair than its slightly more lecturey sibling. This year’s bill includes heroic Tory remainer, Anna Mary Soubry; the can’t-help-but-be-disappointing-in-the-flesh Lord Adonis; top Bristol philosopher Julian Baggini; diplomat-turned-anarchist Carne Ross; properly pioneering Diane Abbott; and the most likely recipient of a Corbyn-style ‘Seven Nation Army’ crowd chant-along, Noam Chomsky. Plus music, comedy, Spiegel Circus, long table banquets, masked ball, vintage rides, etc.

May 24-27
Knockengorroch World Ceilidh
Carsphairn, Dumfries & Galloway
Price: £99 w/e
www.knockengorroch.org.uk
Few are the festivals that can brighten your day simply by reciting its name. Bless you, Knockengorroch. Home to an awful lot of communal dancing, as the name suggests, though the music lineup is less trad folky than might be expected: Transglobal Underground, Cut Chemist, Les Amazones d’Afrique, Luke Vibert, etc.

May 25-27
Cursus Cider & Music Festival
Cranborne Chase, Dorset
Price: £55 w/e
www.cursusfestival.com
Simple pleasures – cider, music – washed down in the middle of the beautiful Dorset countryside. Sounds-wise you’re looking at the likes of Skinny Lister, The Rumjacks, Gaz Brookfield, The Eskies, Skimmity Hitcher, lots more.

May 25-26
The Biggest Weekend
Belfast, Coventry, Perth & Swansea
Price: various, approx £20
www.bbc.co.uk/events/efj3v2
If you think the NHS has become a postcard lottery, it’s as nothing to an event organised by another venerable old British institution. Thus, the BBC’s Biggest Weekend. Belfast gets to host the 6 Music-affiliated leg, and the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Courtney Barnett, Orbital, Public Service Broadcasting, The Breeders, Beck, Underworld and our own First Aid Kit. Acts sent to Coventry fall into the square peg/round hole twinning of Radios 2 and 3, and include Billy Ocean, Jamie Cullum, Paloma Faith, Mon 28th: Eliza Carthy and Nigel Kennedy. Perth gets the same stations, largely different acts: Danielle de Niese, Evelyn Glennis, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Amy McDonald and Simple Minds. Nearest to is Swansea, who’ve bagged a trendy curate’s egg of a Radio 1-curated bill, featuring the likes of Ed Sheeran, Craig David and – gosh! – Taylor Swift.

May 25-27
Glastonbudget
Wymeswold, Leics
Price: £86 w/e
www.glastonbudget.org
Wall-to-wall tribbing here – seven stages, 100+ acts – including such near-names as Antarctic Monkeys, Coldplace, Four Fighters, Mused and The Fillers.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 25-28
Raw Power Weekender
London
Price: £60 w/e
www.babayagashut.com
As straightforward as the event name suggests, this one is all killer no chiller. Thus, a lineup including the altogether uncompromising likes of Godflesh, Circle, Cocaine Piss, Thee Hypnotics, Snapped Ankles, Acid Cannibals, Zombie Zombie, 11 Paranoias and, of course, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 26-27
Common People
Southampton & Oxford
Price: £57.50 w/e earlybird
www.commonpeople.net
Rob da Bank’s twin-town fest has scooped an altogether worth-the-entrance-fee-alone appearance from Prince’s long-serving backing band, the New Power Generation. What price them hooking up with fellow appearees, The Jacksons? While James, Ride, Maximo Park and The Sherlocks are there to keep the indie kids happy, there’s plenty more properly exciting stuff to be found elsewhere on the bill. Imagine, for instance, the fact that there’ll be some unknowing punter ambling across the site and suddenly stumbling into the glory that is a Sparks live show. Boney M and the London African Gospel Choir running through Paul Simon’s Graceland should be similarly watch-worthy.

May 26-27
LeeStock
Melford Hall, Suffolk
Price: £42 w/e
www.leestock.org
On the one hand it’s cheap, hosted in the grounds of a sumptuous 16th century pile and has a charming, pathos-laden back story: established by friends in memory of Lee Dunford (who died from Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2006) and raising money for The Willow Foundation, providing special days for terminally ill young adults aged between 16-40. On the other, the band booker has always given every impression of being on a quest to assemble the most objectionable lineup possible. And, in 2018, he’s surpassed himself: Reef, Pigeon Detectives, Feeder, Republica, Hurricane #1.

May 31-June 3
Colourfest
Wimborne, Dorset
£140 w/e
www.colourfest.co.uk
Are you a shallow person? *nods* Then move along, sunshine, there’s nothing for you here. This is strictly “created for those feeling to connect with life in a deeper way”. Like, reallydeep. Deeper than the last four hundred years of scientific advance, eg. the invitation to join “free form dance supported by the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether”. I mean, blimey, depth so deep it’s beyond the reach of meaning itself: “As a circle we will learn to use the unlimited heart to listen to and journey to the place that requires no journey”.  Amid “connection, ceremony, yoga, dance, music, art and theatre” you’ll meet a qi gong teacher with, at a guess, a habit of getting stuck in Swindon’s magic roundabout (“a long term participant in the circles of mystery”) and a pair of gong bath purveyors who may or may not deploy methamphetamine as they “use the energies of the crystal kingdom”. Truly, there is a teacher/shamen/shrewd-neo-hippie-with-an-eye-for-easy-money for every occasion. Even those beyond our understanding. We’re not deep enough to be certain of translating the programme correctly, but we think there’ll be a spiritual teacher on hand if you’ve lost your torch (“here to help you reconnect with your light”), someone leading an ‘I’m A Little Teapot’ workshop (“honouring your form as a sacred vessel”), even a kind soul to call on the goddess when you’re in the middle of putting your tent up: “offering incredible depth for those who are already engaged with inner unfolding”.

International

May 3-6
Lost and Found
Malta
Price: £119
www.lostandfoundfestival.com
A shift in the calendar from April to May this time around. “All the better for raving longer to the finest electronic music this world has to offer,” quoth festival honcho, Annie Mac. By which she means the likes of Diplo, Jamie xx, Four Tet, J Hus, Bicep, The Black Madonna.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
May 28-June 3
Primavera Sound
Barcelona, Spain
Price: 215€ w/e
www.primaverasound.es
As if Barcelona didn’t have enough going for it, there’s this, quite possibly the strongest festival lineup in all Europe. Here’s but a selection of its breadth and briliance: A$AP Rocky, Bjork, The Breeders, Sparks, Father John Misty, Ariel Pink, Starcrawler, Lorde, Ezra Furman, The National, Nick Cave, Oumou Sangaré, Arctic Monkeys, Idles, Belle & Sebastian, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shellac and – viva! – former Only Ones front man, Peter Perrett. All just a short hop from Bedminster International.