22 things to do in Bristol this week, January 22-28 2024

Monday: Social chess nights, Replay board game bar
Enjoy the Cheltenham Road board gaming cafe/bar all to yourself for two hours, as it’s locked down strictly for lovers of chess. Get your practice in against new opponents and meet fellow fans of the game whilst enjoying the bar’s excellent selection of drinks.

Replay gaming bar, Cheltenham Road – photo: Replay gaming bar

SPONSORED
Monday-Thursday: The Holdovers, Watershed
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school in the 1970s.

Tuesday: Vegan and Vine tasting menu, Old Market Assembly
An expertly curated evening of vegan small plates, crafted by the Old Market Assembly’s head chef Moi and Dave Hazell of Paco Tapas fame. The tasting menu will be paired with equally well curated wines to match the variety of dishes, which are promised to include the likes of leek in a braised leek and thyme stock with romesco and cauliflower al la gallega.

Vegan and Vine tasting menu – photo: Old Market Assembly

SPONSORED
Wednesday: Steve Bates MBE – Wild Tracks, Redgrave Theatre
Paralympic gold medal-winning cyclist Steve Bate MBE shares the incredible journey of riding to ascend the iconic mountain of Kilimanjaro, with fellow Paralympic gold medalist Karen Darke MBE. With a diverse team, Wild Tracks explores themes of challenge, diversity and human potential. A rare opportunity to hear, first-hand, a story of resilience, transformation and human connection.

Steve Bates – Wild Tracks – photo: Redgrave Theatre

Wednesday: Digital High presents: Bon Voyage the tour, Art Club
The debut world tour for Boston-based rapper Swooli comes to Art Club on the Bristol leg. Combining sharp lyricism with atmospheric melodics, Swooli sits nicely within the realm of Frank Ocean et al. He’ll be supported by a host of fantastic rising Bristol talent, of course.

SPONSORED
Thursday: Pete Firman – TrikTok, Redgrave Theatre
Pete is an award-winning performer who is not to be missed live. Expect an evening of jaw-dropping magic and laugh-out-loud comedy. TrikTok takes Pete’s magic from the small screen to the stage and gives audiences a chance to see his critically acclaimed magical skills in the flesh.

Pete Firman – photo: Redgrave Theatre

SPONSORED
Thursday: Future Leap’s Wildlife Photography Gallery opening night, Future Leap G Road
Join us from January 25 for Future Leap and Niche Frames’ third Wildlife Photography Gallery, celebrating the UK’s biodiversity! The final exhibiting pieces will be judged by Niche Frames, where one winner will be chosen and announced on the Opening Night to receive a £100 voucher at Niche Frames.

Wildlife Photography Gallery 2024 – photo: Future Leap

SPONSORED
Thursday-February 10: Macbeth, Bristol Old Vic
English Touring Theatre’s Macbeth is a visceral, claustrophobic, and intoxicating show, which speaks to a world we find ourselves living in now. “Dagger-sharp… this is Succession meets Fleabag” (★★★★ The Times). Tickets are limited, with bench seating in the Pit recently released. Don’t miss it.

Macbeth – photo: Bristol Old Vic

Thursday: Papa Nugs B2B DJ ADHD, Crofters Rights
A surprisingly large booking for a Thursday night at Crofters, and one that’s no doubt on track to be quite the roadblock. The broken and (very) bouncy fresh take on UK techno that ADHD brings to the table goes to war with Papa Nugs’ fiesty reach for the lasers blend of euro trance and hard house.

SPONSORED
Thursday: The Anatomy of the Orchestra: Drone Refractions (Paraorchestra with Charles Hazelwood), Bristol Beacon
In The Anatomy of the Orchestra: Drone Refractions, Charles Hazlewood and Paraorchestra turn the orchestra inside-out, charting an immersive drone odyssey via some of Minimalism’s forebears and its greatest composers, including Pauline Oliveros and Arvo Part. This unique performance re-casts the orchestra as a living, breathing installation: thirty-four musicians are arrayed throughout the space as they play. The audience is invited to walk or sit amongst them, to get close to the performers and sink into a deep sonic realm as enveloping drones mix with heady lighting design to conjure a hazy, transcendental atmosphere.

Anatomy of the Orchestra – photo: Bristol Beacon

SPONSORED
Opens Friday: All Of Us Strangers, Watershed
Adam (Andrew Scott) is a screenwriter living in London. He strikes up an uneasy acquaintance with his mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), which edges towards something more intimate.

Friday: Screening: One Hand Don’t Clap, Easton Community Centre
A screening of the 1991 documentary peering into the vibrant calypso scene in and around London at the time. The film follows two separate performers, one of which is Lord Kitchener, one of the spearheaders of the scene’s gain in popularity in the 1940s.

Saturday: Bake-A-Licious grand opening, Bake-A-Licious
A new traditional Greek bakery opens its doors to the public this weekend, with the promise of free coffee (yes, you read that right) all day, alongside a traditional Greek singer setting the soundtrack to bring in the latest addition to Clifton’s many bakeries and cafes.

Bake-A-Licious – photo: Martin Booth

Saturday: Bristol Bears vs Bath Rugby, Ashton Gate Stadium
Its a clash of two rivals, as the close neighbours butt heads at the sports stadium just off North Street. Whilst Bath have had a better run so far this season than the Bears, of course you know who we’re crossing our fingers for.

Bristol Bears – photo: JMP

SPONSORED
Sunday: Odyssey by Jonathan Dove, Bristol Beacon
Drawing on first-hand accounts, this dramatically engaging story in song from composer Jonathan Dove allows the audience to see through the eyes of one refugee on a perilous journey to seek safety in another country. As vivid snapshots of a peaceful home life turn to visceral images of unrest, together we travel through strange landscapes and across borders, and discover the courage it takes to leave loved ones and take desperate risks in order to survive. This powerful new music-drama will be performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Bristol Choir, Bristol Youth Choir + Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir, and is part of a day of creativity co-curated with members of the refugee community in Bristol.

Odyssey by Jonathan Dove – photo: Bristol Beacon

Sunday: Liquid Library presents The Bohman Brothers & more, The Cube
A cathartic Sunday evening of some of the weirdest and most wonderful experimental noise acts from across the city. Presented by Liquid Library, the event aims to present “four faces of non-music” to present noise as “absurdity, pain, catharsis & joy”.

Liquid Library – photo: The Cube

And coming soon…

SPONSORED
February 10: Sustainable Pop-Up Market February, Future Leap G Road
Join us for our Valentines pop-up market on February 10th, featuring a diverse range of talented sellers and their incredible products! Every market hosts a different selection of stallholders, and you can expect to find photography and art prints, eco-friendly beauty products, greener household alternatives, handsewn homewares and much more.

Valentines Market at Future Leap G Road – photo: Future Leap

SPONSORED
February 12-17: Black is the colour of my voice, Bristol Old Vic
Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live, Black is the Color of my Voice is “nothing short of sensational” (★★★★★ Broadway Baby). The show has toured the UK to standing ovations and played sell-out seasons worldwide.

Black is the colour of my voice – photo: Bristol Old Vic

SPONSORED
February 14: The Beatles: Love Songs, St George’s
The Bristol Ensemble celebrate Valentine’s Day with the ultimate Beatles special, featuring their best love songs in an hour-long concert that will give you a Valentines Night to remember! Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of St. George’s Bristol, bathed in the romantic glow of candlelight. It doesn’t get more romantic than this!

The Beatles by Candlelight – photo: Bristol Ensemble

SPONSORED
February 27: The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Film and Live Orchestra, St. George’s
An epic experience that combines live orchestra with film! Watch the original Hunchback of Notre Dame film with live symphonic score from the Bristol Ensemble at St George’s Bristol.

Celebrating 100 years since the film was first released in September 1923. Flicker Alley restored and mastered this edition from a multi-tinted 16mm print struck in 1926 from the original camera negative.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – photo: Bristol Ensemble

SPONSORED
March 9: Einaudi meets Richter by Candlelight, Trinity Henleaze URC
This will be a hypnotic evening of music performed by the Bristol Ensemble, featuring mesmerising works by Ludovico Einaudi, and Max Richter’s engagingly refreshing reimagining of Vivaldi’s ever-popular Four

• Seasons:Einaudi Divenire; Primavera; Petricor; I Giorni; Full Moon
• Max Richter: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Reimagined

Einaudi meets Richter by candlelight – photo: Henleaze Concert Society

SPONSORED
May 11: Blown Away, Trinity Henleaze URC
A great programme of music for wind instruments performed by players from the Bristol Ensemble:

• Mozart Serenade for Wind in C minor K.388
• Dvořák Serenade for Winds in D minor Op.44

We’ll hear the powerful and characterful C minor serenade by Mozart, a four movement work full of ingenuity, twists and turns. And also, Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds in D minor, unmistakably Czech, an homage to music-making in Czech palaces and stately homes.

Blown Away – photo: Henleaze Concert Society

Main photo: JMP

Read next:

• Real Photography Company to host fully funded Winter Warmer workshop series
• Circular Artspace transforms bus into an affordable exhibition space
• Three-day concert series set to take place in Queen Square in summer

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