Summer has officially arrived, and Bristol is bursting with things to see, do, and experience! From world-class exhibitions and family-friendly festivals to iconic landmarks, live music, and outdoor fun, the city’s cultural calendar is packed with unforgettable events this season.
Whether you’re planning a staycation, day trip, or simply looking for ways to make the most of the warmer months, Bristol’s vibrant venues have something for everyone. Here’s what’s on this summer…
One of England’s great Medieval Churches, Bristol Cathedral is beloved for its stunning architecture and rich history – but it also boasts a summer programme packed with activities and events!
Feeling creative? Crafty Cathedral is perfect for children aged 2-11, offering a fun and hands-on activity each Thursday throughout the summer. There are also regular tours of the Cathedral and, for those 18+, a spectacular Silent Disco with three epic DJs playing all your favourite 80s tunes (8 August).
With 800 years of history hidden within its stunning Gothic Architecture, St Mary Redcliffe is one of Bristol’s most iconic buildings.
Redcliffe’s Medieval Bosses exhibition is now open and free to visit. The exhibition features a selection of the church’s 1,200 roof bosses – intricate artworks that help support the rib-vaulted ceiling. The church is also running a free recital series throughout the summer.
Image: Emily Whitfield-Wicks
Explore the leaning tower and medieval walls of Temple Church, a fascinating site originally built by the Knights Templar. Now open to the public daily from 10am-4pm.
Round off your summer in Bristol with a free guided tour, taking place on Friday 12 and 19 September, to uncover the stories behind these historic ruins.
Located at the top of Park Street is the iconic Wills Memorial Building.
Experience all its splendour with a Tower Tour, taking place every Saturday at 11am and 1pm. The view from the top of the tower, some 68 metres above Park Street, is unparalleled, and guides give members of the public a unique insight into the building’s history. While you’re there, why not check out Park Street’s ‘P.S. With Love’ – street decoration inspired by Bristol stories.
Perfectly situated on Bristol’s bustling harbourside, Arnolfini is one of the city’s leading venues for contemporary art, performance and creative workshops.
This summer, Arnolfini have various exhibitions taking place this summer, including Como La Cigarra – Latinas in Bristol (until 10 August), Sahara Longe: The Other Side Of The Mountain (until 28 September) and Dana Awartani: Standing By The Ruins (until 28 September).
Summer performances, workshops and tours include Representasian: Storytelling Evening (7 August), Creative Health Taster Session with Workwell (until 30 October), and We Are Family: Palestinian Kitemaking (30 August).
Discover the wonders of the ocean at Bristol Aquarium, home to coral reefs, an immersive underwater tunnel and over 40 engaging displays perfect for families and ocean enthusiasts alike.
This summer, explore the world on our doorstep with World Tour! Embark on a globetrotting adventure into earth’s marine life with no snorkel needed. Each week, Bristol Aquarium will take you on a guided World Tour to dive deeper into a different biome and region of the world! – running until 21 August.
Explore the last billion years of Earth’s history at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, a treasure house of Egyptian mummies, art, dinosaurs and nature.
Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with two headline exhibitions: Bristol Pride x Martin Parr (until March 2026) sees legendary photographer Martin Parr showcase a retrospective of his photos of the city’s annual Pride festival while Gender Stories (until 12 October) investigates the connections between sex, gender, sexuality, and identity.
Also, every Wednesday throughout August, the museum will be opening the Story Box. These interactive story time sessions, led by museum staff and volunteers, include cuddly toys, puppets, costumes and beautifully illustrated story books.
Centrespace is a vibrant hub for artists, boasting an artist-run, not-for-profit, affordable semi-industrial gallery.
This summer, enjoy The Ink That Glows (until 12 August) from British artist and printmaker Ben Goodman, best known for his use of traditional wood engraving to create intricate and powerful portraits.
Also running, and entering its 5th year, is Faces/Spaces, a joint exhibition of Rose’s ceramics and Kelvin’s collages, including a few collaborations.
Step inside to discover what life was like in a Bristol sugar plantation and a slave owner’s home around 1790 with The Georgian House Museum.
On Tuesday 12 and Tuesday 26 August, families can join friendly volunteers for story time, develop a new skill by decorating a fan and learning the secret language of fans, dress up in historical costumes, explore the house with the Georgian Mouse Trail and visit the beautiful museum and garden.
M Shed is a museum all about Bristol. Explore the city through time: its places, its people and their stories.
Experience such summer family activities as Railway 200 (until 26 August) with M Shed’s own wooden train layout and M Shed Story Box (until 28 August) – themed stories perfect for young visitors.
Also, celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, with a vibrant celebration showcasing the rich cultures of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.
Step aboard the SS Great Britain and journey back to the golden age of Victorian innovation, perfect for families, history lovers, and engineering enthusiasts alike.
Kids go free at SS Great Britain this Summer Holiday and, for the first time, they’re inviting families to bring their own picnic to enjoy on the weather deck with views across Bristol’s spectacular harbourside.
There’s also a Summer Family Festival to enjoy on 22 August. Expect a live DJ playing family favourites while bubbles float in the Dockyard Disco, classic giant lawn, fabulous face-painting and even a BBQ.
Now in its 25th year, discover more than 200 eye-opening things to do at Bristol’s most surprising science experience, We The Curious.
Visitors of all ages can build a time machine and explore the mysteries of the space-time continuum in a new science show, Blast to the Past. Head to the Greenhouse for Hanging Gardens. Plant some seeds with us and create a living, growing experiment to take home.
In Open City Lab, be transported to an imaginary desert island for Research Island Rescue . All these activities and more are drop-in this summer!
Dating back to 1824, this beautiful gallery, the Royal West of England Academy, have long brought world-class visual art from around the world to the South West.
Soft Power: lives told through textile art (until 10 August) is an exhibition curated by Alice Kettle and Lesley Millar, an exhibition celebrating the skills and craftsmanship of textile artists and the art of storytelling.
Other exhibitions include Skin Deep, using the female body as protagonist and cypher, six artists tell stories both personal and universal in very different ways.
With a city-wide programme of headline live music acts, creative learning opportunities and community engagement – there’s something for everyone at Bristol Beacon.
The BBC Proms take over Beacon once again this summer (22-24 August) with the world’s greatest classical music festival bringing concerts from the likes of Paraorchestra, The Breath and Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.
The Bristol Folk House is the city’s independent adult education and learning centre, offering a variety of workshops, courses, and events to get involved with.
Organised by the London Alternative Photography Collective, Symbiosis: Liquid (until 29 August) is an exhibition that examines the relationship between liquid and ecology, as well as alternative photography processes that often require liquid in their execution.
This August, Bristol Old Vic welcomes you to an exciting summer line-up featuring free live music in their foyer.
Highlights include DYSFUNKTIONAL on 15 August and the energetic rock ’n’ soul band The 45s on 22 August. Plus, don’t miss the Bristol Old Vic x Sofar Sounds series running on Saturdays from 9 to 30 August, offering intimate, secret gigs with surprise local artists. The gigs on Saturday 23 August are part of our Old City Sounds festival!
Image: Ben Robins
Set in a beautiful 200-year-old Georgian church, and is a truly special space where we welcome the finest performances from the world’s greatest artists.
St George’s will be celebrating the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in style, screening England vs USA (22 August) and running a Yarn Art Project inspired by the Red Roses’ love of crochet as a team-bonding activity taking place every Thursday (11am-1pm).
That’s not all you can expect from the venue’s diverse programme this summer; there’s also a visit from the Danish National Vocal Ensemble (23 August), a Lego stopframe animation workshop (27-28 August) and none other than John Cleese will be celebrating Fawlty Towers at 50 (27 August).
Image: Evan Dawson
A legendary venue and former sheep market (hence the name) that has been serving the needs of Bristol’s live music scene since 1982.
Over the summer, there will be live sets from psychedelic garage rock legends The Seeds (7 August), Chali 2NA of Jurassic 5 (17 August) and indie rock favourites Black Honey (18 August) as well as a range of genre-specific club nights.
No trip to Bristol is complete without a visit to the theatre, and Bristol Hippodrome has – as ever – an exciting line-up this summer.
Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular as the World Tour of Moulin Rouge continues at Bristol Hippodrome until 9 August. Other massive summer productions include the UK Amateur Premiere of Les Miserables (13-16 August) and the theatrical phenomenon that is 2:22 A Ghost Story – starring Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton.
Watershed is a creative and cultural hub located along Bristol’s harbourside. Centred around cinema and creative technology, Watershed always guaranteed a diverse programme of films, events, and more, with audiences and participation at its heart.
Catch Nature Calls (Saturday 16 August) on the big screen this summer, a special screening of nature-themed short films suitable for all ages, plus Summer In The Stars, a programme dedicated to space with screenings every Saturday (from 9 – 30 August). Other highlights include films as part of the Michael Haneke Season and the Oslo Stories Trilogy.
August also sees the launch of the highly anticipated Hothouse Laboratory (7 August – 1 September). This interactive installation features giant robotic inflatables, brought to life by Bristol favourites, Air Giants.