104 things to do in Bristol this September 2019

Art / AI

Painting and Curating with Artificial Intelligence

Exploring art produced by Artificial Intelligence

: Tuesday, Sep 3 2019 - Sunday, Sep 8 2019

Art / Documentary Photography

By The Sea: Photographs from the North East, 1976-1980

Scenes from the north-east's windswept beaches

: Wednesday, Aug 21 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

Art / Photography

Bristol24/7 street photography workshop

An excellent opportunity to ask questions and will introduce new techniques for capturing urban life

Bedminster: Wednesday, Sep 4 2019 6pm

Art / Portraiture

Bristol Faces #2

An ongoing portrait project by Sophie Howard and Varosha

: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 11am & Sunday, Sep 8 2019 11am

Art / Collage

Lucy Austin: Analogue

Densely textured collage paintings

: Friday, Sep 6 2019 - Saturday, Sep 28 2019

Art / iD-artists

Crossing Boundaries

Group show exploring connections across media

: Friday, Sep 6 2019 - Wednesday, Sep 18 2019

Art / Ceramics

2D/3D iii

Paintings, drawings, engravings, ceramics, sculpture

: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

Art / Painting

Autumn Exhibition

Paintings soaked in colour and light

: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 - Saturday, Oct 12 2019

Art / Civil rights

Still I Rise: Feminisms, Gender, Resistance – Act 3

Celebrating Bristol’s history as a hotbed of radical feminist and queer resistance

: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 - Sunday, Dec 15 2019

Art / Art by ex-offenders

Transformation

Works produced by prisoners and ex-offenders from HMP Leyhill

: Tuesday, Sep 17 2019 - Saturday, Sep 28 2019

Art / Landscape Painting

American Landscapes: Revisiting the Wilderness

US landscapes by Vernon Hewitt

: Monday, Sep 23 2019 - Sunday, Oct 6 2019

Art / Ceramics

ALCHEMY 19

Group show from Maze Studios Bristol

: Saturday, Sep 21 2019 - Wednesday, Oct 2 2019

Art / Conceptual Art

Interventions/2: Films by Yoko Ono

Legendary artist/activist’s solo intervention at The Georgian House Museum

: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 - Tuesday, Dec 31 2019

Art / Conceptual Art

Meriç Algün: Day Craving Night

Exploring the precariousness of love in a world led by individualism and borders

: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 - Sunday, Dec 8 2019

Art / Open Exhibition

167 Annual Open Exhibition

RWA's huge and ever-impressive annual open-submissions show

: Sunday, Sep 29 2019 - Sunday, Dec 1 2019

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Bertel Martin, Karen Hoy, Alan Summers

An evening of Haiku

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery: Thursday, Sep 5 2019 6:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Fiction

George Alagiah

Popular award-winning broadcaster introduces his debut novel

St George’s: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 12pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Milk Poetry’s moving in party

New venue for popular Bristol poetry night

The Wardrobe Theatre: Monday, Sep 9 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments

Big open mic celebration of the much-anticipated sequel to The Handmaid's Tale

Waterstones Bristol Galleries: Tuesday, Sep 10 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Satellite of Love: Stephen Daniels & Isabel White

Popular poetry and spoken word night

The Greenbank: Wednesday, Sep 11 2019 8:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Fiction

Brian Bilston

'The unofficial poet laureate of Twitter'

Storysmith Books: Thursday, Sep 12 2019 6:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Economics

Grace Blakeley

Economics editor at the New Statesman

SPACE at PRSC: Monday, Sep 16 2019 6:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

That’s What She Said: Rebecca Tantony

Top drawer poetry and spoken word performed by women

The Loco Klub: Tuesday, Sep 17 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / Performance

Raise the Bar: Stage Invasion

Bristol launch of Pete 'The Temp' Bearder's new book

Arnolfini: Wednesday, Sep 18 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / Mental Health

Nathan Filer & Michelle Thomas

Spotlight on mental health

Foyles: Thursday, Sep 19 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Benjamin Zephaniah

Legendary poet performs and signs copies of his autobiography

St George’s: Friday, Sep 20 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Publishing

Novel Nights: Sharmaine Lovegrove

Ground-breaking publisher on the publishing industry

Square Club: Monday, Sep 23 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Fiction

Novel Writers: Michael Donkor

Brilliant debut novel

Storysmith Books: Thursday, Sep 26 2019 6:30pm

Circus / Circomedia

The Escape Act – A Holocaust Memoir

The tale of a a Jewish acrobat who hid from the Nazis at a circus

Circomedia: Thursday, Sep 26 2019 7:30pm

Circus / Circomedia

Quimera

A retiree who wants to change the world

Circomedia: Friday, Sep 20 2019 7:30pm

Circus / Circus

Continental Circus Berlin

Continental Circus Berlin will be visiting Bristol as part of their European tour

: Wednesday, Sep 25 2019 - Sunday, Oct 13 2019

Circus / Circomedia

Final projects – Masters degree

The latest MA cohort perform

: Thursday, Sep 5 2019 7:30pm & Friday, Sep 6 2019 7:30pm

Clubs / Disco

Lock Yard closing party with Jasper James

The renowned party starter will bring his signature strain of Disco, House and Techno

Motion: Friday, Sep 6 2019 5pm

Clubs / Rave

Freshers UV Neon Rave

Voted the UK's wildest freshers week event

Pryzm: Sunday, Sep 22 2019 10pm

Clubs / Disco

STFU: silent disco boat party

The phenomenon returns to Bristol's world famous club on a boat

Thekla: Wednesday, Sep 18 2019 10pm

Clubs / Drum and Bass

Skankandbass Bristol – Freshers D&B boat party

The best underground Drum and Bass music with a line up of some of the hottest artists on the scene

Thekla: Monday, Sep 16 2019 10pm

Clubs / Disco

ABBA disco wonderland

Experience the UK's greatest tribute night this September

SWX: Wednesday, Sep 18 2019 10pm

Clubs / Carnival

MotherFunkers Bristol: The freshers’ carnival

SWX are bringing the funk back to Bristol so dress up and get down and get groovy

SWX: Sunday, Sep 29 2019 11pm

Comedy / John Robins

John Robins: Hot Shame

Brilliant comic presents his self-lacerating new show

: Monday, Sep 2 2019 - Saturday, Sep 7 2019

Comedy / Observational comedy

Stand Up for the Weekend: Markus Birdman & co.

Quirky, surreal observational comic

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 8:30pm

Comedy / Confessional Comedy

Sindhu Vee: Sandhog (Tour Extension)

Anglo-Indian comic on family, duty and love

Tobacco Factory Theatres: Sunday, Sep 8 2019 8pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

SOLD OUT Rob Delaney Warms Up for his Special

Brilliantly sharp comic and 'Catastrophe' co-star

Tobacco Factory Theatres: Monday, Sep 9 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / How Lazy Is He

How Lazy Is He?

Top-notch Thursday night comedy at The Lazy Dog, BS7

The Lazy Dog: Thursday, Oct 3 2019 7:45pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Fern Brady: Power and Chaos

Incisive, fearless, take-no-prisoners Scots comic

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Thursday, Sep 12 2019 8pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Stand Up for the Weekend: Carey Marx & co.

Smart, high-octane comic whose gags come thick and fast

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 8:30pm

Comedy / Stand-Up

Liza Treyger

Chicago-based Russian expat

The Wardrobe Theatre: Sunday, Sep 15 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Stand Up for the Weekend: Ola & co.

Stand-up, writer, actor and chronicler of urban lifes

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Saturday, Sep 21 2019 8:30pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Richard Herring: RHLSTP

King of the podcast interview does his stuff live

Bristol Old Vic: Sunday, Sep 22 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / Mime

The Tape Face Show

Comic and mime artist

: Tuesday, Sep 24 2019 8pm & Wednesday, Sep 25 2019 8pm

Comedy / Chuckle Busters

Glenn Moore: Love Don’t Live Here Glenny Moore

Double set of beautifully crafted gags

The Wardrobe Theatre: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 8pm

Comedy / John Robins

John Robins: Hot Shame

Brilliant comic presents his self-lacerating new show

Redgrave Theatre: Monday, Sep 30 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Stand Up for the Weekend: Alfie Brown & co.

Superb, boundary-pushing, firebrand comic

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 8:30pm

Dance / Contemporary Dance

It Will Come Later

ICoDaCo's edgy international contemporary dance work

: Friday, Sep 27 2019 7:30pm & Saturday, Sep 28 2019 7:30pm

Dance / Dance

Ecstatic Dance Bristol and Pollen Tribe

A feel-good dance event

Elmgrove Community Centre: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 6:30pm

Dance / Folk

Bristol Ceilidh featuring The Antler Ceilidh Band

The first event of the 2019 season

The Folk House: Friday, Sep 20 2019 7:30pm

Film / Event Cinema

National Theatre Live: Fleabag – Encore Screenings

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's one-woman play that inspired the hit TV series returns to the stage

Film / Fantasy

Bristol Bad Film Club: Yeti – Giant of the 20th Century

“So Big! So Strong! But So Gentle! You Will Learn to Love Yeti!”

Film / Documentary

The Game Changers

Arnie and James Cameron-produced documentary exploding myths about meat and protein

Film / Event Cinema

Margaret Atwood: Live in Cinemas – Encore Screening

Live broadcast to plug her long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale

Film / Drama

Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold's outstanding British realist drama launches Encounters Retrospective season

Film / Drama

Her Smell

Ever wanted to see Elisabeth Moss as a self-destructive punk rocker? Here's your chance

Film / Drama

The Last Laugh

F.W. Murnau's silent classic launches major new season celebrating the films of the Weimar Republic

Film / Comedy

Bristol Film Festival: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Sing in the rain with fine wines to celebrate the comedy western's 50th anniversary

Film / Drama

Curzon & Portishead Open Air Pool: Bohemian Rhapsody – Singalong Screening

Give it your best scaramouche along with Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury at this open-air screening

Film / Action

Master of the Flying Guillotine

A one-armed man battles a blind assassin who's decapitating everyone with his hat

Film / Comedy

Encounters 2019: School of Rock

Rocktastic Jack Black comedy returns in Encounters' day of features by alumni

Film / Documentary

Hitsville: The Making of Motown + world premiere footage

The story of the Detroit hit factory, with contributions from all the key players

Film / Drama

Midnight Cowboy

4K restoration of the only X-rated movie ever to win the Best Picture Oscar

Film / Drama

Encounters 2019: Compass Presents Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

David Lynch's 1992 prequel to his cult TV series screened in Boiling Wells Amphitheatre

Film / Event Cinema

National Theatre Encore: One Man, Two Guvnors

Return of the hit comedy with a Tony Award winning performance by James Corden

Food & Drink / Coffee

The Coffee House Project

The coffee festival returns for its second year

: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 10am & Sunday, Sep 8 2019 10am

Food & Drink / Beer

Ale Celebration launch

A tasting event to kick off the Watershed's latest beery goings-on

Watershed Cafe/Bar: Wednesday, Sep 4 2019 7pm

Food & Drink / mushrooms

Mushroom growing at home for beginners

Get growing your own gourmet and medicinal fungi

: Thursday, Sep 5 2019 - Tuesday, Dec 10 2019

Food & Drink / Beer; cider

Apple Bros Burger and Cider Festival

Three Brothers Burgers and The Apple are joining for another weekend of cider, burgers and boats

The Apple: Thursday, Aug 22 2019 12pm

Food & Drink / Beer

BOX-E’s beer dinner with Lost and Grounded brewers

BOX-E and Lost and Grounded Brewers have combined their individual passions for this event

Box-E: Thursday, Sep 12 2019 6pm

Food & Drink / food

The Pony & Trap welcomes Psychopomp and Circumstance

A special collaboration

The Pony & Trap: Thursday, Sep 12 2019 7pm

Food & Drink / Prosecco

Burn.Flow.Brunch

Kick start the weekend with a bang, bring your friends for a great food and fitness event

The Knowle: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 10:30am

Food & Drink / Photography

NomNom SnapSnap

Bristol's first food and photography tour

Various venues: Saturday, Sep 21 2019 1pm

Food & Drink / cocktails

Cocktail Weekend Bristol

Explore the cocktails of Bristol in this weekend tour of 20 different Bristol cocktail bars

Various venues: Friday, Sep 27 2019 12am

Music / Alternative

Serge Lorenzo Pizzorno (The S.L.P.)

Kasabian's SLP celebrate his solo record

Rough Trade: Sunday, Sep 1 2019 6pm

Music / Hip-Hop

Che Lingo

The Risk Is Proof Tour

Louisiana: Thursday, Sep 5 2019 7:30pm

Music / Rock

Spear of Destiny

Celebrating 35 years on the scene

Fleece: Thursday, Sep 12 2019 7:30pm

Music / Pop

Will Joseph Cook

Millennial pop prodigy comes to the south west

Louisiana: Friday, Sep 13 2019 7:30pm

Music / Afrobeat

Femi Kuti

Superstar of afrobeats

O2 Academy: Saturday, Sep 14 2019 7pm

Music / Rock

Mallory Knox

The Autumn tour begins

Fleece: Tuesday, Sep 17 2019 7:30pm

Music / Hardcore Punk

Petrol Girls

A outspoken feminist punk-rock band from London

Exchange: Friday, Sep 20 2019 7pm

Music / Classical

Live Music Now Fundraiser with Craig Ogden

An evening of classical guitar for LMW (SW)

St George’s: Tuesday, Sep 24 2019 7:30pm

Music / Rap

Fetty Wap

Trap Queen star lands in Bristol

O2 Academy: Wednesday, Sep 25 2019 7pm

Music / Indie

The Night Cafe

Joined by Dreamers and On Video

SWX: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 6:30pm

Theatre / All In Theatre

Bon Ami

Sharp comedy about loneliness and friendship

: Tuesday, Sep 3 2019 7:30pm & Wednesday, Sep 4 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / Keith Douglas

Unicorns, Almost

Life story of the tragic war poet Keith Douglas

: Tuesday, Sep 3 2019 - Saturday, Sep 7 2019

Theatre / Musical

Disney’s The Lion King

Bristol is the musical's first stop after West End

: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 - Saturday, Nov 23 2019

Theatre / Blood of the Young

Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of)

Blood of the Young's unique all-female take

: Saturday, Sep 7 2019 - Saturday, Sep 28 2019

Theatre / Jack Dean

Jeremiah

Storyteller Jack Dean traces the Luddite Rebellion

: Wednesday, Sep 11 2019 7:30pm & Thursday, Sep 12 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / The Scullions Neoterics

In Limbo

Interactive tale of our secrets and desires

: Wednesday, Sep 11 2019 - Friday, Sep 13 2019

Theatre / Comedy

Wild Swimming

FullRogue explore 400 years of social change

: Tuesday, Sep 10 2019 - Saturday, Sep 21 2019

Theatre / Opera

The Barber of Seville

Opera Project return with Rossini's comic masterpiece

: Wednesday, Sep 18 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

Theatre / Degrees of Error

Murder, She Didn’t Write

classic murder mystery created on the spot

: Wednesday, Sep 18 2019 - Saturday, Sep 21 2019

Theatre / Bristol Burlesque Festival

Bristol Burlesque Festival 2019

Three nights of drag divas, boylesques and much more

: Thursday, Sep 19 2019 - Saturday, Sep 21 2019

Theatre / Comedy

Once Upon a Time…

Comic maestros Gonzo Moose delve into the essence of fairy tales

: Wednesday, Sep 25 2019 - Saturday, Sep 28 2019

Theatre / Comedy

Scotland!

Physical-comedy tribute to Caledonia

: Wednesday, Sep 25 2019 - Friday, Sep 27 2019

Theatre / Pinter

The Dumb Waiter

Alma residents Schoolhouse stage Pinter's short play.

: Tuesday, Sep 24 2019 - Saturday, Sep 28 2019

Theatre / Artspace Lifespace

The People’s Mansion

Free family day out at Ashton Court

Ashton Court Mansion: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 12am

Theatre / Audio-walk

Some People Climb Up

Audio-walk exploring our connectivity with the woods

: Saturday, Sep 28 2019 - Sunday, Oct 6 2019