Love Saves The Day (LSTD)
Founded: 2012
Location: Ashton Court (previously Castle Park & Eastville Park)
Attendance: 60,000+ across 2 days
Genres: House, drum & bass, hip hop, garage, UK bass
Highlights: 10+ stages, cutting-edge stage design, day-to-night festival atmosphere
Notable Artists: Fatboy Slim, Andy C, Little Simz, Chase & Status, Peggy Gou, Shy FX, Slowthai
Interesting Fact: It has outgrown every site it’s used — moving three times in a decade.
Tokyo World
Founded: 2013
Location: Eastville Park
Attendance: 30,000+ across the weekend
Genres: Multi-genre — grime, hip-hop, drum & bass, jungle, house, R&B
Highlights: Festival season closer (Sept/Oct), late-night bass-heavy energy
Notable Artists: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ghetts, Rudimental, Giggs, Craig David, Kurupt FM, Mabel
Interesting Fact: Tokyo World is known for blending UK underground sounds with global superstars.
Forwards Festival
Founded: 2022
Location: Clifton Downs
Genres: Forward-thinking electronic, hip hop, and pop with talks & debates
Notable Artists: Erykah Badu, Aphex Twin, Little Simz, Primal Scream, Raye
Interesting Fact: Combines live music with “Forwards Thinking” talks on culture, social change, and sustainability.
Simple Things Festival
Founded: 2011
Location: Multi-venue (Motion, Colston Hall/St George’s, small clubs)
Genres: Electronic, experimental, alternative
Notable Artists: Jon Hopkins, Floating Points, Skepta, Caribou, The Horrors
Interesting Fact: One of the first Bristol festivals to bridge avant-garde experimental with bass-heavy club sounds.
Sequences Festival
Founded: 2016
Location: Motion / outdoor stages
Genres: Underground bass, drum & bass, techno, grime
Notable Artists: Mala, Calibre, Sherelle, Fabio & Grooverider, My Nu Leng
Interesting Fact: Run by Bristol promoters The Blast, known for some of the city’s heaviest club nights.
Bristol Sounds
Founded: 2016
Location: Harbourside Amphitheatre
Attendance: 20,000+ total (5 nights × 5,000 cap)
Genres: Wide mix — indie, electronic, soul, alternative
Highlights: Harbourside backdrop, summer evening shows
Notable Artists: Elbow, Bonobo, Paolo Nutini, Noel Gallagher, The War on Drugs, Bloc Party
Interesting Fact: Massive Attack used the Amphitheatre backdrop for promo shoots.
St Paul’s Carnival (Music Stages)
Founded: 1968
Location: St Paul’s, Bristol (street-wide)
Attendance: 100,000+ in one day
Genres: Reggae, dancehall, soca, hip hop, UK bass, world music
Highlights: Parade, 20+ sound systems, community food stalls, cultural events
Notable Artists: Aswad, UB40, Tanya Stephens, Laid Blak, DJ Storm, Tricky
Interesting Fact: Carnival was cancelled several times in the 1990s–2000s due to unrest, but returned as a major celebration of Caribbean heritage.
Bristol Pride Festival (Main Day + Pride After Dark)
Founded: 2010 (in current form)
Location: The Downs (previously Castle Park)
Attendance: 40,000+ for the parade & main stage
Genres: Pop, electronic, drag shows, live bands & DJs
Headliners: Carly Rae Jepsen, Melanie C, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sink the Pink DJs
Fact: Regularly named one of the UK’s biggest free Pride events, with music central to its celebration.
Bristol Harbour Festival
Founded: 1971
Location: Harbourside — Queen Square, Millennium Square, Castle Park
Attendance: Up to ~300,000 in peak years
Music Focus: Live music across multiple stages, from local bands to bigger acts alongside street performances
Outer Town Festival
Format: DIY, multi-venue festival in Old Market
Scale: 60+ bands across ~8 venues and 9 stages
Vibe: Independent; a true showcase of Bristol’s grassroots music scene, complete with a DIY market and vegan food
Valley Fest (Chew Valley)
Founded: 2014
Location: Chew Valley Lake
Genres: Folk, pop, indie, family-friendly
Notable Artists: Bastille, Travis, Clean Bandit, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Interesting Fact: Marketed as “the best-tasting music festival,” with a strong food & farm focus.
