Participating businesses hail Old City Sounds 2026 a success as the city turned up to celebrate Bristol’s historic centre

From street dancing and live music to a bustling Kids’ Zone and late-night DJs, the free Bank Holiday festival brought Bristol’s Old City to life once again

Old City Sounds has been hailed a success by participating venues after returning to Bristol’s Old City on Saturday 29th August for its fourth year, with crowds filling the streets for a day of live music, dancing, family entertainment and late-night parties.

Bristol venues demonstrated their famous resilience by adapting to the ever-changing British weather with a mix of indoor and outdoor performances, keeping the music going before the sun broke through, drawing crowds back onto the streets to dance deep into the night.

The free Bank Holiday festival brought together 11 venues across the Old City, with Bristol Old Vic, Mr Wolfs, The Old Duke, Mothers’ Ruin, The Crown, The Library, Seamus O’Donnell’s, St Nicholas Market, Franco Manca, The Glassboat and St Stephen’s Church, each creating their own unique programme of entertainment.

Running from midday until 4am, the festival moved from family activities and live performances during the day into DJ sets and late-night label takeovers, inviting visitors to explore the Old City and discover its independent venues, bars, hidden treasures and grassroots music scene.

One of the day’s many standout moments came at Bristol Old Vic, where its historic foyer was transformed into a 1920s ballroom as Lindy Hop dancers young and old took to the floor, accompanied by Bristol Community Big Band. The venue’s programme continued into the evening with local favourites The ZuZu Men, wowing the crowd with their extensive repertoire of covers.

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Ryan Garvey, Head of Hospitality & Events at Bristol Old Vic, said:

“It was so incredible to see our space filled to the brim with people looking to support and enjoy local artists. There was so much singing and dancing and pure joy throughout the entire day and to be able to offer that experience to our local community for free is something we feel is super important and something we are really proud of.”

Mr Wolfs assembled a bigger programme than ever before, bringing together established names such as Reef founder Jack Bessant and Chris Jagger & The Terraplanes, as well as emerging Bristol talent, including Bristol Northern Soul Club and Kima Moon, before DJ Jambo rounded off the evening.

Families turned out in force for the Kids’ Zone at St Stephen’s Church, which was abuzz throughout the day with bubbles, games, music, crafts and activities. African drumming with Afidance created the joyful soundtrack of the day, before a bubble-filled family rave and kids’ DJ lessons with DJ Elley brought the programme to a close.

The Old Duke incorporated their legendary Jazz Festival into the celebrations, diversifying their offering with a full day of blues, funk and soul, including The 45s, taking revellers on a trip down memory lane with rock and roll classics.

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Neil Horton-Hill. Programming & Events Coordinator at Mothers Ruin & The Crown, said:

“Old City Sounds is a brilliant celebration of everything that makes Bristol’s music scene so special. It brings artists, audiences and grassroots venues together, giving artists a unique opportunity to reach new audiences. The festival encourages people to step into venues they might not normally visit and experience a different side of Bristol’s music scene. Hearing music spill out onto the streets and seeing audiences moving between venues created an atmosphere that felt genuinely special - it was Bristol at its very best.”

Elsewhere, Sofar Sounds turned Franco Manca into an intimate gig space, The Glassboat hosted a floating silent disco, Seamus O’Donnell’s brought country, indie and folk to St Nicholas Street, and DJ Paradisco soundtracked the Saturday bustle of St Nicholas Market.

As night fell, Mothers’ Ruin moved from its daytime live bands into late-night DJs, including Get Weird: YGF Dex ft. The Loud Pack, while The Crown kept the festival going until the early hours with a Void Radio takeover showcasing the very best of Bristol’s underground electronic scene.

Old City Sounds is presented and organised by Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) and was created to showcase and support the independent venues, hospitality businesses and creative community that make the Old City one of Bristol’s leading cultural destinations.

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Sabrina Shutter, Senior Project Events Manager at Bristol BID, said:

“It was brilliant to see so much love for the Old City, from families filling the Kids’ Zone to crowds dancing in the streets when the sun came out. A moment that will stick with me is Mothers’ Ruin filled to the brim, with all ages - including a toddler - dancing to Trudgeon’s Trad Jazz Troubadours. Seeing different generations come together, feel the band's energy, and bounce off each other was so special. It brought me to tears and captured what Old City Sounds is all about. What I love about the festival is that it gives a reason to come into the Old City and experience it differently. They may come for one artist or activity and end up discovering their favourite venue, a new place to eat or drink, or simply spending time in a previously unexplored area of Bristol. Bringing people together and showcasing the venues that make the area so special is why we organise the festival and seeing that come to life is so rewarding.”