Bristol is a city of endless entertainment. You may have lost out on tickets to some of the biggest In:Motion nights, or Simple Things last weekend but never fear, there’s great events every night in Bristol if you know where to look. With everything from intimate album releases to underground dance events, Bristol always has something going on off the beaten student track. Here’s HerCampus’ rundown of some top alternative venues to take yourself down to.
Mr Wolf’s
Mr Wolf’s is a pub located around St. Nicolas’ near Cabot. Tucked away in the winding streets of cafés and bars, once inside it’s got a lot of character. Last year hosting Chainska Brassica’s debut album launch, it’s taken off since there. From open mic nights to events run by Jazz Funk and Soul Society, it’s definitely worth a visit.
The Full Moon and Attic Bar
Just down the road from Lakota, Attic bar is a kingpin in Stokes Croft. With a huge patio and outdoor bar it’s a great destination for summer drinks, but in winter the two indoor stages are great for all sorts of dub, reggae, funk and soul nights and more.
Crofters Rights
Crofters Rights is a key venue for up and coming bands in Bristol, seeing locally based artists play on a regular basis. In between gigs, they frequently throw club nights, including FOMO and Futureboogie events. To boot, they serve great pizza and craft beer.
The Art House
Just opposite Crofters Rights is a smaller, unobtrusive café. The Art House is a favourite for locals, its tiny basement room seeing weekly spoken word and slam poetry open mic nights, as well as jazz performances and art exhibitions on a much smaller scale.
Take 5 Café
Like the Art House, Take 5 café’s basement is a destination after dark. Often throwing events way beyond its capacity, its played host to the immensely popular Reggae for Refugees event last year, run by Bristol University’s Reggae Society. This year the events thrown have seen equal popularity.
The Black Swan
Situated way off the beaten track in Easton, the Black Swan is one of Bristol’s greatest hidden gems. Sometimes with a bonfire to keep away the chills, it hosts some amazing drum and bass, jungle, dub nights and many more. It’s well worth the train ride out of the city centre to get there.
The Island
You’ve probably walked past the island a thousand times without realising. Located in Cabot Circus, itsneighbour SWX usually takes the limelight. But venture inside and you’ll find the old prison cells, courtrooms and fire station converted into multi-purpose venues that have hosted a huge variety of events. Just a flight of stairs down from art studios on the top floor of the island, the prison cells and courtrooms regularly hosts quality underground events. The fire station, by day a vibrant canteen, has hosted the likes of huge names Courtesy and Nina Kraviz by night.