125 things to do in Bristol in October 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 / Open Exhibition

167 Annual Open Exhibition

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

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

Vincent Patterson

Graphic artist using using screenprint and risography

: Tuesday, Sep 24 2019 - Sunday, Nov 17 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 / Art Trail

Art on the Hill

Windmill Hill and Victoria Park’s art trail returns

: Saturday, Oct 5 2019 11am & Sunday, Oct 6 2019 11am

Art / Perfume

Perfume as Practice AW19

Examining the artistic potential of perfumery

: Friday, Oct 4 2019 - Wednesday, Oct 9 2019

Art / Documentary Photography

Sugar Paper Theories

Photographer documents Iceland's most controversial murder investigation

: Saturday, Oct 12 2019 - Sunday, Dec 22 2019

Art / Centrespace

Centrespace Open

Workshops, demonstrations and more at the city-centre co-op

: Friday, Oct 11 2019 - Wednesday, Oct 16 2019

Art / Documentary Photography

The English Seen by Tony Ray-Jones

Images, some previously unseen, by influential photographer

: Wednesday, Oct 16 2019 - Saturday, Dec 21 2019

Art / Arts debate

Futur Ville

Exploring links between artists, creative communities and urban regeneration

: Friday, Oct 18 2019 12pm & Saturday, Oct 19 2019 10am

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Poets in the City: Black History Month

Great line up of Bristol poets celebrating Black History Month

Arnolfini: Friday, Oct 4 2019 6:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Memoir

Long Litt Woon

New memoir on grieving and foraging

Storysmith Books: Sunday, Oct 6 2019 6pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Tom Sastry Book Launch

Popular Bristol poet's new collection

SPACE at PRSC: Thursday, Oct 10 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / History

Bristol Radical History Festival 2019

Talks, walks, bookstalls, readings, films and displays

M Shed: Saturday, Oct 12 2019 10:30am

Books & Spoken Word / Essays

Nikesh Shukla & Chimene Suleyman: The Good Immigrant USA

Editors of landmark essay collection in conversation with Sharmaine Lovegrove

Storysmith Books: Sunday, Oct 13 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / African Diaspora

Lawrence Hoo

Launch event for new book CARGO

Waterstones Bristol Galleries: Monday, Oct 14 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / Festival

Festival of the Future City 2019

Great line up of writers, artists, politicians, scientists and more

: Wednesday, Oct 16 2019 - Friday, Oct 18 2019

Books & Spoken Word / Literature Festival

Bristol Festival of Literature 2019

10 days of events, performances and workshops

: Thursday, Oct 17 2019 - Sunday, Oct 27 2019

Books & Spoken Word / Biography

Nadiya Hussain

New book, Finding My Voice

St George’s: Friday, Oct 18 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Bristol History

Jane Duffus: The Women Who Built Bristol: Volume Two

Launch event for much-anticipated second volume

Bristol Old Vic: Coopers’ Loft: Monday, Oct 21 2019 7pm

Books & Spoken Word / Poetry

Olivia Gatwood

Celebrated poet

Hen and Chicken: Wednesday, Oct 23 2019 7:30pm

Books & Spoken Word / Science Fiction

Bristol-Con 2019

Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention

Hilton Double Tree Hotel: Saturday, Oct 26 2019 9am

Books & Spoken Word / Children's Literature Festival

Storytale Festival

New children's literature festival

: Saturday, Oct 26 2019 - Sunday, Nov 3 2019

Circus / Cabaret

Circus City Bristol: Hive City Legacy

An unapologetic satire on colour experience

: Friday, Oct 18 2019 7pm & Saturday, Oct 19 2019 7pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus Shorts

Emerging work by a range of artists working with the circus

Dance / Circomedia

Unwanted

The stories of women caught in genocide

: Friday, Oct 11 2019 7:30pm & Saturday, Oct 12 2019 7:30pm

Circus / Cabaret

Cirque Taboo – Naughty Bi Nature

Their second event for the LGBTQ+ community with circus and cabaret acts throughout the night

Dare to Club: Friday, Oct 11 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / Aerial circus

Circus City Bristol: A Nos Fantômes

Cinematic, surreal piece of aerial theatre

: Friday, Oct 25 2019 7pm & Saturday, Oct 26 2019 7pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Ballantine Scale

World premiere from Finland

: Thursday, Oct 17 2019 - Saturday, Oct 19 2019

Circus / Barely Methodical Troupe

Circus City Bristol: Bromance

Audacious and internationally award-winning circus show

: Thursday, Oct 31 2019 - Saturday, Nov 2 2019

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Contra

A solo cabaret of contradictions

: Friday, Oct 18 2019 8:30pm & Saturday, Oct 19 2019 8:30pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: KooKoo the Birdgirl

UK Premiere

: Saturday, Oct 19 2019 6pm & Saturday, Oct 19 2019 9pm

Dance / Broken Box Collective

Circus City Bristol: Outside the Club

Juggling, sculpture and dance... a game of ever-changing rules

Trinity Centre: Friday, Nov 1 2019 7pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Plink and Boo

Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Plink and Boo

: Monday, Oct 28 2019 - Tuesday, Oct 29 2019

Theatre / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Reach

Two bouncy besties are seeking some top-notch cookie hunters and they need your help!

: Tuesday, Oct 29 2019 - Wednesday, Oct 30 2019

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Sanctuaire Sauvage

Live sound performance that uses the body to produce an acoustic universe

: Friday, Nov 1 2019 8:30pm & Saturday, Nov 2 2019 8:30pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: This Time by Ockham’s Razor

From the award-winning circus company

: Thursday, Oct 24 2019 7:30pm & Friday, Oct 25 2019 7:30pm

Circus / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: VOLT

Return of the circus scratch night

Circomedia: Thursday, Oct 31 2019 7:30pm

Clubs / Electronic

Morse: Leif

The other-worldly Pickle Factory resident plays Stokes Croft's most famous back room

The Crofters Rights: Tuesday, Oct 1 2019 11pm

Clubs / Drum and Bass

Intrigue x Asylum

A new DnB Thursday night in Bristol featuring Fabio? It all sounds very... intriguing

Asylum Nightclub: Thursday, Oct 3 2019 9:30pm

Clubs / Electronic

Dropout Disco: Multiverse

Calamitous dance carnage from Chaos In The CBD and other Move D-ers and Dan Shake-rs

Lakota: Saturday, Oct 5 2019 10pm

Clubs / Drum and Bass

Wide Eyes: Hybrid Minds

Slippery liquid goodness from the best in the business

Lakota: Friday, Oct 18 2019 10pm

Clubs / Techno

Simple Things Festival 2019 – Night

When night falls, the festival migrates to Lakota for non-stop cutting-edge electronica

Lakota: Saturday, Oct 19 2019 10pm

Clubs / Drum and Bass

Hospitality Bristol

Expect high energy, high grade DnB and High Contrast

Motion: Saturday, Oct 19 2019 10pm

Clubs / Techno

25 years of Bugged Out! with Four Tet

Magical electronica from across the spectrum

Motion: Friday, Oct 25 2019 9pm

Clubs / dance music

Wigflex x Restless Nights Take Over

Get sweaty with an alchemist cocktail of house, techno and UKG

Dare to Club: Friday, Oct 25 2019 10pm

Clubs / Jungle

HighRise Halloween

Mungo's HiFi, Sir Spyro, Chopstick Dubplate and more hit up this Halloween hootenanny

The Boxing Club: Saturday, Oct 26 2019 7pm

Clubs / Techno

Phonic Locker w/ Upsammy + Glances

Dive down into the cells and get locked in to techno-flavoured heat

The Island: Saturday, Oct 26 2019 9:30pm

Theatre / Physical comedy

Sleeping Trees: Silly Funny Boys

Brilliant physical comedy trio

: Tuesday, Oct 1 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

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 / Stand-Up

Stand Up for the Weekend: Stephen Bailey & co.

Friendly, gossipy comic who loves a conspiracy theory

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Saturday, Oct 5 2019 8:30pm

Comedy / Chuckle Busters

Sunday Club: Sean McLoughlin & Guests

Brilliantly articulate, intense and sometimes dark comic

The Wardrobe Theatre: Sunday, Oct 6 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / Comedy and music

Frisky & Mannish: Poplab

High-energy, high-camp pop dissecters

Redgrave Theatre: Tuesday, Oct 8 2019 8pm

Comedy / How Lazy Is He

How Lazy Is He?

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

The Lazy Dog: Thursday, Oct 10 2019 7:45pm

Comedy / Comedy and music

Scummy Mummies

Celebrating the less shiny side of parenting

: Wednesday, Oct 9 2019 8pm & Thursday, Oct 10 2019 8pm

Comedy / Comedy and music

Mitch Benn: Ten Songs to Save the World

About the best musical satirist in the business

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Thursday, Oct 10 2019 8pm

Comedy / Observational comedy

Mat Ewins: Actually Can I Have Eight Tickets Please?

Videos, japes, multimedia silliness and irreverent anarchy

Tobacco Factory Theatres: Spielman Theatre: Saturday, Oct 12 2019 8pm

Comedy / How Lazy Is He

How Lazy Is He?

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

The Lazy Dog: Thursday, Oct 17 2019 7:45pm

Comedy / Bristol festival of Ideas

Rory Bremner: A Life in Satire

Master satirist and impressionist in conversation

St George’s Bristol: Thursday, Oct 17 2019 8:30pm

Comedy / Surreal comedy

John Kearns: Double Take and Fade Away

Surreal, playful comic

The Wardrobe Theatre: Friday, Oct 18 2019 8am

Comedy / No Such Thing As a Fish

No Such Thing as a Fish

More surprising trivia from the QI Elves

St George’s Bristol: Tuesday, Oct 22 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 24 2019 7:45pm

Comedy / Comedy and music

Jonny & the Baptists: Love Bristol and Hate Bastards

More riotous, feelgood musical satire

The Comedy Box at the Hen & Chicken Studio: Thursday, Oct 24 2019 8pm

Comedy / Chuckle Busters

Sunday Club: Michael J Dolan & Guests

Winningly caustic and curmudgeonly comic

The Wardrobe Theatre: Sunday, Oct 27 2019 7:30pm

Comedy / Puns

Stewart Francis: Into the Punset

His final tour

Bristol Old Vic: Sunday, Oct 27 2019 8pm

Comedy / Chuckle Busters

Jordan Brookes: I’ve Got Nothing

"Stand-up’s answer to Waiting For Godot"

The Wardrobe Theatre: Wednesday, Oct 30 2019 8pm

Dance / The Lion King

Contemporary Dance Workshop – The Lion King

Celebrate The Circle of Life at a contemporary dance workshop

Motion Dance Studio: Saturday, Oct 12 2019 12pm

Dance / Dance

The Hobbs Show

A fashion, dance and music extravaganza

The Pennywell Project: Saturday, Oct 19 2019 7pm

Dance / African dance

Afrika Eye Presents: Kure Kure Workshop with Anna Mudeka

Journey through the ancestral mbira music of Zimbabwe

Trinity: Sunday, Oct 20 2019 2pm

Dance / Arakwara and Gins

Puzzle Creature

Enter the inflatable dome with Neon Dance

: Thursday, Oct 24 2019 - Friday, Oct 25 2019

Dance / Impermanence

Impermanence presents… Roadhouse

A night of improvised performance

Bristol Old Vic: Weston Studio: Monday, Oct 28 2019 8pm

Theatre / Circus City Bristol

Circus City Bristol: Reach

Two bouncy besties are seeking some top-notch cookie hunters and they need your help!

: Tuesday, Oct 29 2019 - Wednesday, Oct 30 2019

Film / Drama

The Irishman

A brief opportunity to see Scorsese's Netflix gangster epic on the big screen

Film / Documentary

Shextreme Festival 2019: Home + Q&A

Annual cinematic celebration of women in extreme sports kicks off with adventure doc premiere

Film / Documentary

Suzi Q + Suzi Quatro Q&A

Documentary about the trailblazing rocker + in-person Q&A by Ms. Quatro herself

Film / Event Cinema

Roger Waters: Us + Them

The former Pink Floyd fella's latest spectacular live show, recorded in Amsterdam

Film / Documentary

The Windrush Journey of Mental Health + panel discussion

New documentary about African Caribbean people living in Bristol and the mental health system

Film / Drama

Aelita: Queen of Mars + live soundtrack

Silent Soviet Commie classic fantasy from 1924, soundtracked by Mike Cooper

Film / Drama

Wise Children

Emma Rice's much-acclaimed Angela Carter adaptation, captured live at the York Theatre Royal

Film / Drama

Menschen am Sonntag

Fascinating early experiment in realism launches Weimar Sundays season

Film / Documentary

American Climate Rebels – Visionary Grassroots Struggle from North America

Shorts made by video activist collective Reel News + director Q&A

Film / Event Cinema

S&M²: Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

20th anniversary performance of the late Michael Kamen's arrangements for metal band & orchestra

Film / Comedy

Billy Connolly – The Sex Life of Bandages

The Big Yin's final stand-up tour, plus cinema-exclusive interview

Film / Drama

Rocks

An authentic portrait of female friendship from the director of Suffragette

Film / Documentary

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch + Q&A

Documentary exploring humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet

Film / Event Cinema

National Theatre Encore: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Gwendoline Christie stars in Nicholas Hytner's immersive staging of the Bard's romcom

Film / Horror

Freaks

Controversial 1932 freakshow classic returns to accompany Sarah Houbolt's KooKoo the Birdgirl

Film / Documentary

What Is Democracy? + debate

A philosophical journey through democracy, spanning millennia and continents

Film / Ballet

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet

Hugely acclaimed contemporary dance reworking places R&J in the sinister 'Verona Institute'

Film / Event Cinema

Der Golem + live musical accompaniment

4K restoration of this German expressionist masterpiece from 1920

Film / Documentary

Cables & Cameras

Celebrating the creativity of emerging BAME filmmakers for Black History Month

Film / Drama

The Man Who Laughs + live piano accompaniment

4K restoration of the 1928 silent film that inspired The Joker - on screen for Halloween

Food & Drink / cheese

Two Belly’s ultimate fondue night

A tasty, gooey and utterly delicious evening

Two Belly: Thursday, Oct 3 2019 7:30pm

Food & Drink / Pizza

Bertha’s Pizza Giro – October 2019

An endless carousel of delicious freshly baked pizza

Bertha’s Pizza: Wednesday, Oct 23 2019 6pm

Food & Drink / Beer

Brewers Lectures

Enjoy a day of brewing expertise and beer tasting

Watershed: Thursday, Oct 10 2019 12:30pm

Food & Drink / Europe

‘Remain’ – a celebration of European produce

Featuring a menu packed full with the Pony & Trap team's favourite produce from all over Europe

The Pony & Trap: Thursday, Oct 31 2019 7pm

Music / Folk

Jesca Hoop at Fiddlers

Influenced by Paul Simon and Joni Mitchel, Jesca performs at the folk club

Fiddlers Club: Wednesday, Oct 2 2019 8pm

Music / Indie

Tungz

Bristol's finest slice of indie

Exchange: Saturday, Oct 5 2019 7:30pm

Music / Roots

Hootie and The Blowfish

Iconic roots band land in the UK

O2 Academy: Sunday, Oct 6 2019 7pm

Music / Indie

Swim Deep

Supported by Phoebe Green

Exchange: Tuesday, Oct 8 2019 7pm

Music / Indie Rock

Miles Kane

A string of intimate live dates

SWX: Friday, Oct 11 2019 6:30pm

Music / Indie

Pip Blom

Amsterdam indie dreamers

Thekla: Monday, Oct 14 2019 7pm

Music / Rap

slowthai

Bet Ya A £5er Tour

O2 Academy: Thursday, Oct 17 2019 7pm

Music / Rap

Kate Tempest

Novelist, spoken word artist, rapper...

O2 Academy: Sunday, Oct 20 2019 7pm

Music / Rap

Little Simz

London's unfaltering hip-hop queen

Thekla: Monday, Oct 28 2019 7pm

Music / Electronic

Beardyman

You've never seen a loop pedal used like this before

Thekla: Thursday, Oct 31 2019 7pm

Theatre / Depression

Reasons to Stay Alive

Adaptation of bestselling memoir about working through depression

: Tuesday, Oct 1 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

Theatre / Hugh Hughes

Me & Robin Hood

Tale about inequality, myths and taking control of your own story

: Wednesday, Oct 2 2019 - Saturday, Oct 5 2019

Theatre / Broadmead

Rumpelstiltskin

Site-specific masters Insane Root return

: Friday, Oct 4 2019 - Friday, Nov 1 2019

Theatre / D/deaf

Extraordinary Wall [Of Silence]

Ad Infinitum explore a pivotal moment in our treatment of D/deaf people

: Saturday, Oct 5 2019 - Saturday, Oct 19 2019

Theatre / AI

I Am Echoborg

Collaboration between an audience and an artificial intelligence

The Wardrobe Theatre: Wednesday, Oct 9 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / Comedy

Austentatious

Return of the improv comedy unearthing a 'lost' Austen novel each night

: Wednesday, Oct 9 2019 - Friday, Oct 11 2019

Theatre / Activism

In Between Time Summit

How do we build a better future? Three days of art, activism and conversation

: Friday, Oct 11 2019 - Sunday, Oct 13 2019

Theatre / Latin America

Papaya Fest

Festival of British and Latin-American theatre and music

: Thursday, Oct 10 2019 - Saturday, Oct 12 2019

Theatre / 1532 Performing Arts Centre

Spontaneous Potter

Improvised Potter joy

1532 Performing Arts Centre: Friday, Oct 11 2019 8pm

Theatre / Chris Thorpe

Status

Chris Thorpe examines national identity

: Friday, Oct 11 2019 7:30pm & Saturday, Oct 12 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / Bristol Old Vic

Cyrano

Tristan Sturrock stars, Tom Morris directs new verse adaptation

: Saturday, Oct 12 2019 - Saturday, Nov 16 2019

Theatre / Theatre West

Everyone is Dead

The brilliant Theatre West return

: Wednesday, Oct 16 2019 - Saturday, Oct 19 2019

Theatre / Sexuality

Louise Orwin: Oh Yes Oh No

Surreal joyride through femme sexuality and violence

The Wardrobe Theatre: Wednesday, Oct 16 2019 7:30pm

Theatre / Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory celebrate 20 years in BS3

: Wednesday, Oct 16 2019 - Saturday, Nov 9 2019

Theatre / 1532 Performing Arts Centre

I Wish I Was a Mountain

Travelling Light / the egg co-pro for ages 7+

1532 Performing Arts Centre: Wednesday, Oct 23 2019 7pm

Theatre / Improbable

Still No Idea

Turns out getting the public to write your story is quite an adventure

: Thursday, Oct 24 2019 - Saturday, Oct 26 2019

Theatre / Children's Theatre

Woodland Tales with Granddad

Pickled Image return with more magical Granddad tales

: Sunday, Oct 27 2019 - Saturday, Nov 2 2019

Theatre / Children's Theatre

The Deep Sea Seekers

Alph, Betty and Gammo are back...

: Wednesday, Oct 30 2019 - Saturday, Nov 2 2019