Love Bristol, Love Broadmead returns with May Bank Holiday takeover

Kicking off in May, Broadmead will come alive as Bristol BID launches the next chapter of its Love Bristol, Love Broadmead campaign.

Timed to the May Day Bank Holiday, the initiative invites visitors back into the city centre with a four-day celebration of free performances, creative takeovers and community activity. Under the banner Blossoming Broadmead, spaces from The Galleries to Sparks and Quakers Friars will be reimagined as hubs of culture, creativity and connection, with a programme spanning festivals, installations and grassroots-led events.

At the heart of the weekend is A Love Letter to Broadmead, a major creative project by Compass Presents, known for their immersive and interactive work. Building on a month of youth-led activity, it brings performances, workshops and live events to The Galleries and surrounding spaces.

Highlights include the Crazy About You Street Party on Friday 1 May, with live music, street performance and an evening celebration setting the tone for a weekend of creativity, collaboration and play.

Across the same weekend, UPFEST brings Bristol’s internationally renowned street art scene into the heart of the city centre with Quakers Art Lane at Quakers Friars. Running until Tuesday 5 May, the project, created in partnership with Cabot Circus, will see a line-up of globally recognised and Bristol-based artists including Inkie, Melo, Insane51, My Dog Sighs and HazardOne create a series of large-scale murals, transforming the space into a permanent outdoor gallery. Expanding UPFEST beyond Bedminster into Broadmead for the first time, this new destination celebrates the city’s creative identity while offering visitors the chance to experience world-class street art up close during the Bank Holiday weekend.

The weekend also coincides with the return of DIASPORA! Festival, bringing an international programme of music, dance and creative workshops into the city centre. Events taking place across Broadmead include the festival’s opening ceremony and exhibition launch at The Island on Friday 1 May, a series of dance workshops on Saturday 2 May, plus creative workshops and installations at The Galleries on Monday 4 May. The festival invites audiences to explore global cultures through movement, music and making.

Alongside this, Bristol Walk Fest offers new ways to experience the city, from an Urban Nature Walking Tour beginning in Broadmead on Saturday 2 May to a journey through medieval Bristol on Sunday 3 May, connecting visitors with the city’s history, green spaces and hidden stories, which will continue throughout May.

Further moments across the weekend include cultural dining experiences such as Harvey Nichols’ Dinner with the Artist on Saturday 2 May, alongside a wide range of pop-up performances, installations and creative activity taking place across the area as part of the wider programme.

Beyond the Bank Holiday weekend, activity continues throughout May, maintaining the sense of momentum and discovery across Broadmead. A highlight will be Sparks Bristol’s third anniversary celebrations on Saturday 9 May. The ‘department store with a difference,’ co-created by Artspace Lifespace and Global Goals Centre, will bring a full day of workshops, exhibitions, performances and community-led activities into the space, to celebrate its third birthday. As part of the anniversary, Bristol’s own Invisible Circus will be hosting a Jumble Sale, taking over the first floor with a mix of stalls packed with unique, strange, and exciting treasures, including Circus costumes, Festival clothing and all sorts of unexpected finds.

The May programme builds on earlier moments in the Love Bristol, Love Broadmead campaign, including the Big Broadmead Spring Clean and the Care & Repair Festival, which brought hands-on creativity, sustainability and community activity into the heart of the city centre. Together, these moments reflect a wider vision for Broadmead as a place shaped by community, creativity and shared experiences, where people are invited to spend time, connect and see the city centre in a new light.

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Anna Farthing, Interim Head of Place at Bristol BID, said

“Following the hugely successful Big Broadmead Spring Clean and Care & Repair Festival, the May Bank Holiday marks an exciting moment for Love Bristol, Love Broadmead as the area begins to come into its own. This programme is about showcasing the creativity, diversity and energy that already exists here, while giving people new reasons to spend time in the city centre. From live performances and festivals to workshops and shared experiences, there’s something for everyone to discover across the weekend and beyond.”

Love Bristol, Love Broadmead is a Bristol BID initiative designed to celebrate the city centre, support local businesses and create new opportunities for people to experience Broadmead. Through a programme of events, creative projects and community activity, the campaign aims to bring renewed energy to one of Bristol’s most well-used and important neighbourhoods. More information about the full programme and upcoming events can be found at: https://www.bristolbid.co.uk/projects/blossoming-broadmead/