Bristol has so much on offer both in and around the city, including a range of events which happen every year, providing a great way to mark the changing of the seasons. The list I’ve curated below is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it provides some inspiration for you. Let’s get stuck in!

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

January – the Bristol Comedy Festival, launched in 2025, runs for two weeks in venues around the city, filling the gap left by Belly Laughs which ran for several years previously. January is a great time to support your local independent restaurants as it’s usually a quieter month for them, have a browse of my Neighbourhood Restaurant Guide if you’d like a recommendation!

February – the Bristol Light Festival runs for 2 weeks, with international artists lighting up the dark nights with their creative and often interactive light installations around the city. My favourite installations this year included the colourfully lit up seventh floor of Cabot Circus car park, and the mechanical sculptures casting shadows of ballerinas in Royal Fort Gardens. You can find a map online to help navigate your way around.

Bristol Light Festival 2026

March – Spring is on its way but the weather might still be a little temperamental, so why not have a browse of the Bristol Film Festival listings and go watch a film in a unique Bristol location such as Avery’s historic wine cellars or the Planetarium at We The Curious.

April – Bluebell season arrives, and some of the best displays in the South West can be seen in Leigh Woods, Prior’s Wood and Ashton Court Estate. Head to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition for its last month on tour during its annual stint in Bristol.

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

May – every other year, Europe’s largest Street Art festival Upfest runs for over 2 weeks in South Bristol, with artists live painting huge wall murals on the buildings plus a multitude of creative events and workshops that anyone can get involved in. Dot to Dot Festival showcases emerging music talent at multiple venues across the city. It might also be warm enough to sit along the harbourside with some drinks, which truly marks the start of a Bristol summer!

June – the wonderful Bristol Comedy Garden sets up its Big Top tent in Queen Square and hosts an amazing array of comedians with 4 or 5 in each show. It’s worth joining the mailing list so that you get the best choice of tickets when they go on sale in late February. There’s always a great range of food stalls including Bristol independents. Bristol Sounds hosts a series of one-off, open-air music events at Canons Marsh Amphitheatre.

Bristol Comedy Garden

July – this year Feast On returns to the Clifton Downs for the third time, a fantastic food festival with heaps of independent Bristol restaurants running stalls, along with live music, talks and workshops. Last year we did a pasta making workshop and watched Jan Ostle (of Wilson’s restaurant) do a food demonstration, as well as sampling lots of delicious food. Bristol Harbour Festival takes place with seemingly endless entertainment options, it’s lovely to see all the boats decorated with bunting. Bristol Pride runs for 2 weeks, culminating in the Pride Day festival on the Downs which always has a really uplifting energy.

August – hopefully you don’t need reminding that the Bristol Balloon Fiesta brightens our skies each year in early August, running over 3 days with mass ascents scheduled twice a day, weather conditions permitting. Each year I usually aim to watch one ascent from the launch site and another from a viewpoint in the city such as Brandon Hill or near the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Old City Sounds occurs with lots of live music on the bank holiday weekend, and music on a much larger scale happens at Forwards festival on the Downs.

Bristol Balloon Fiesta

September – for me September means celebrating both mine and my partner’s birthdays (usually with a lot of good food!). The South Bristol Arts Trail and the BS5 Arts Trail both take place, with local artists exhibiting in homes, studios and cafes. More neighbourhood arts trails happen around the city during the rest of the year too. And if one balloon festival per year is not enough, you’ll be pleased to hear that Longleat Icons of the Sky balloon festival takes place this month. Entry is included with a standard Longleat day ticket.

October – with autumn fully underway, October is a great time to visit Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, and enjoy the beautiful colours of the leaves of 2500 different species of trees. Docks Heritage Weekend features events and activities at a range of sites throughout the harbour, such as watching demonstrations of historic maritime equipment, boarding heritage boats, and taking a trip on the electric cranes.

Bristol Harbour Festival

November – Bonfire night beckons, so head to the Clifton Suspension Bridge or Brandon Hill to watch fireworks lighting up the sky across the city, or get a ticket for a fireworks display such as Downend Round Table Fireworks or the Bristol Fireworks Fiesta in Canford Park.  

December – it’s Christmas Market season, and this year I’m keen to find some more local, independent markets, so let me know if you have any recommendations. Bristol Beacon hosts the Made in Bristol Gift Fair which is full of independent makers. Visit Tyntesfield to see their annual Christmas decorations.

Made in Bristol Gift Fair

There are a couple of great events that used to run in September but don’t appear to currently be on the cards. 2025 saw Cotham Hill Street Party reach its 14th and final year, as its increasing popularity (and tendency to turn into a rave in the evening) meant serious funding would be needed for crowd control if it were to continue. I hope it’ll be reincarnated in another form one day! And in previous years the Bristol Open Doors event ran, allowing access to unique and historic buildings that the public can’t normally visit, but no future dates are currently confirmed.

If you know of any other seasonal events that happen annually in and around Bristol I’d love to hear about them!

Alexa

P.S. If you enjoyed reading this post, you might enjoy taking a look at my 2025 Bristol Food Highlights and my Bristol Visitor’s Guide.

Header photo: Feast On Food Festival

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