The best of Bristol’s culture in 2023

This year saw the return of St Paul’s Carnival, bold productions like Drive Your Plough over the Bones of the Dead at Bristol Old Vic, ethereal visuals from Ofelia Rodriguez at Spike Island and every genre of music under the sun at Bristol’s music venues and festivals.

The Bristol24/7 team round up their favourites of 2023:

Betty Woolerton, Reporter

Beans on Toast, Fleece, March 23
“Beans on Toast – otherwise known as Jay McAllister – is a self-confessed “drunk folk singer”. This was my third time seeing him perform live and loved not only hearing his very heartfelt songs but also his meandering stories about his experiences in Bristol over the years.

St Paul’s Carnival, July 1
“I may be a born and bred Bristolian but this was my first ever Carnival. It was fantastically chaotic with no fences or barriers and great to see people from all over the city coming together. The only negative is that we’ll have to wait until 2025 for the next one.

Akram Khan’s Giselle, Bristol Hippodrome, Oct 26

Giselle is one of the greatest romantic ballets of all time photo Laurent Liotardo

“My most high-brow cultural activity of the year by far. Akram Khan’s Giselle was a haunting reimagining of the 19th-century tale of love, loss and redemption. My mum and I were engrossed by the incredible athleticism of the dancers and Bangladeshi-influenced choreography.”

Tony Benjamin, Jazz Editor

Fergus McCreadie Trio & Tiny Chapter, The Mount Without, February 25
The mood having been set by Tiny Chapter’s ethereal vocalising – and with a capacity audience surrounding his trio – Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie delivered a spell-bindingly intense sequence of instrumental music. The impact was undoubtedly heightened by The Mount Without’s capacious Gothic ambience.

Selene Awakes, Sophie Stockham & Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra, St George’s, November 18
This was a terrific piece of imaginative collaboration that really came off. Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra commissioned jazz saxophonist Sophie Stockham to compose for orchestra and solo saxophone. The suite Selene Awakes was Sophie’s first ever large scale work and its triumphant reception reflected her remarkable achievement.

Trip The Light Fantastic, Bristol Beacon, November 30

Trip the Light Fantastic was the first performance to showcase the £32m renovation of Bristol Beacon – photo: Chris Cooper/ ShotAway

OK – the whole razzamatazz of lights and electro-acoustic sound was an entertaining multi-media fireworks display but for many people the main point was to finally hear how the new hall would sound. After so long a wait (and such a big investment) it was a great relief to discover that it actually sounded good, which of course is a crucial indicator that Bristol now has an excellent 2,000 seat venue for the future.

Issy Packer, Music Editor

Ritual Union, various venues, March 25

Lime Garden playing at SWX as part of Ritual Union photo Issy Packer

“First launched last year, this second showing cemented the event as one of the best. Spread across several venues all within a short distance of each other, we managed to spend a lot of time watching live music rather than walking around the city.

Arctic Monkeys, Ashton Gate, May 29
“The Sheffield band kicked off their UK tour in Bristol and it was one hell of a show. An impressive performance with the band including an array of tracks from their back catalogue. For me, it was a better set than their headline gig later this summer at Glastonbury.

Douglas Stuart, The Station, April 18
“Douglas Stuart writes such beautiful novels, focusing on class and sexuality. It was a real treat to watch him discuss growing up in Glasgow in the 80s and also meet him at the book signing following the talk which had been organised by North Street bookshop Storysmith.”

Martin Booth, Editor

Prima Queen, Strange Brew, May 28

Prima Queen is made up of Bristolian Louise Macphail (left) and US-born Kristin McFadden photo Prima Queen

“They may have met and formed in London, but this was like a hometown show for Prima Queen, with Bristolian Louise Macphail’s 95-year-old grandmother sitting on a stool at the bar while her granddaughter and Chicago-born Kristin McFadden played their own distinct blend of both poignant and uplifting indie-folk.

Ken Loach Q&A, Watershed, Sep 27
“The Old Oak is likely to be Ken Loach’s final film, so it was a privilege to be able to hear the director introduce a preview of it at the Watershed and then answer questions about the movie, and also his long and distinguished career, after this special screening.

Youth Circus Showcase, St Paul’s Church, May 9-14
“I have watched my two circus-loving daughters hang upside down from silks and balance on aerial hoops since they could barely walk. Each year, Circomedia’s brilliant Youth Circus team puts on shows over one week so that hundreds of children can showcase their skills. This year it was as inspiring and brilliant as ever.”

Mia Vines Booth, Reporter

St Paul’s Carnival, July 1

St Paul’s Carnival made a triumphant return this year photo Rob Browne

“It was such a joy to see St Paul’s Carnival back on the streets of Bristol this year. I was gutted when it stopped for three years, but getting to experience it as a local resident this time around made it even more worth the wait.

Forwards, the Downs, September 1&2
“Seeing Erykah Badu at Forwards was probably the highlight of my year, and potentially a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Forwards team managed to secure some amazing acts this year including Aphex Twin, Left Field, Jockstrap and Obonjayar

Ofelia Rodriguez’s Talking in Dreams, Spike Island, Sep 30-Jan 14 2024
“One of my 2023 exhibition highlights, the late Ofelia Rodriguez’s dreamy, humorous and symbolic works of Columbian pop art are a joy to watch. The exhibition is on until January 14 so catch it while you can.”

Milan Perera, Business Reporter

Troy Ellis, Anson Rooms Bar, October 7

Troy Ellis performing at the Anson Rooms Bar – photo: Milan Perera

“The panel event was organised by the Black Students’ Network and hosted by Madu Ellis from Ujima Radio who briefly discussed the origins of reggae as an empowering expression. The highlight was a performance by Troy Ellis, son of Alton Ellis who is widely revered as an early pioneer of the genre.

A Trio of Tennessee Williams, Redgrave Theatre, September 7
“The choice of subject for this production was both unusual and bold. It wasn’t a typical crowd-puller but I was pleasantly surprised how well the Fox & Hounds Theatre Company pulled this off, lesser-known plays Ivan’s Widow, Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and 27 Wagons Full of Cotton.

Down Stokes Festival, various venues, October 21
“The inaugural edition of Down Stokes festival showcased more than 20 artists at three venues on four stages. It was a fine platform for local indie and post-punk bands to get the recognition they deserve, and I’m now a true fan of Birdfeeder, Seneca, Sickrose and Sonotto.”

Miles Arnold, Clubs Editor

Aphex Twin at Forwards Festival, the Downs, September 2

Aphex Twin closed the Saturday night of the Forwards festival photo Forwards

“Words can’t even describe the mind-bending audio-visual sledgehammer to the face that Richard D James provided, closing out the weekend to a packed-out main stage, everything from chilled electro to pumping Dutch hardcore.

NYE at the Old England, December 31 2022-January 1 2023
“The perfect way to see in the new year, as Montpelier’s most notorious boozer was sold out and packed to the absolute rafters with sweaty ravers, and a lineup the likes of which you won’t see any more (at least not for the amount we paid for it all).

Touching Shoulders w/ Longeez B2B Mia Lily, Exchange, October 21
“A proper party, where the mood of the day was hands in the air hard house and the crowd were essentially climbing over one another to get to the front. I haven’t seen a crowd like that in Bristol for a hot minute.”

Robin Askew, Film Editor and resident rocker

ActTanGent Festival, Fernhill Farm, August 16-20
“Who’d have predicted that Bristol would get its own well-established, hugely popular outdoor summer festival of all things heavy and progressive? This year’s super-friendly ArcTangGent had brilliant headline sets from Canuck prog-metal polymath Devin Townsend and German-Norwegian-Danish experimental folk collective Heiling, who served up a mesmerising ritual performance.

Avatar, SWX, February 23
“Each time these ambitious Swedes play Bristol, the show gets bigger and more theatrical. They couldn’t fit their full production into SWX this time, but still made use of the entire venue to augment their state-of-the-art horror metal with banners, streamer cannons, balloon animals and even a trombone solo played from the balcony. Stunning.

Katatonia/Sólstafir, Motion, February 12
“Do we look like the kind of band that plays requests?” quipped Aðalbjörn ‘Addi’ Tryggvason in response to what can only be described as a request. Actually, Iceland’s magnificent Sólstafir looks like a bunch of scary extras from the set of Vikings. Teaming up with melancholic Swedes Katatonia proved an inspired move, as this tour sold out across Europe, introducing both great bands to new audiences.”

Sarski Anderson, Culture Editor

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Bristol Old Vic, January 19-February 11

Bristol24/7’s review called ‘Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead’ nothing short of sensational photo Marc Brenner

“Distilling this extraordinary, three-hour Complicité production of the ecological whodunnit by Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Tokarczuk is impossible in one paragraph. But the explosive story, masterful staging and Kathryn Hunter’s utterly mesmeric, gravelly-voiced presence as Janina Duszejko lingers with me still.

The Talent, Wardrobe Theatre, March 21-25
“Bristol performance duo Action Hero – namely Gemma Paintin and James Stenhouse – are rightly celebrated for their bold, experimental and largely site-specific work. In The Talent, their first theatre show since 2017, they collaborated with sound designer Yaseen Clarke and live artist Deborah Pearson, who performed an electrifying hour-long masterclass in the human voice. Funny, surprising, poignant and veering into the uncanny at times, it was revelatory.

Elias Sime: Eregata, Arnolfini, Oct 2023-Feb 2024
“Elias Sime is one of Ethiopia’s foremost contemporary artists, focused on breathing new, abstract life into technological ephemera: wires, keyboards, circuit boards, and clocks. Arnofini’s winter exhibition of his work features pieces made over the last six years, and it is at once thoughtful, beautiful, and breathtaking in its craftsmanship.”

Ursula Billingdon, Climate Editor

Bristol Refugee Festival, June

Bristol Refugee Festival celebrates Bristol’s diverse cultures through music, dance and food – photo: Bristol Refugee Festival

It was a special year for the community festival as the mothership Queen Square Celebrating Sanctuary event returned for the first time since 2019. Hundreds gathered for food, crafts, music and dance in celebration of Bristol’s diverse cultures.

The festival fortnight had something for everyone at its more intimate community gatherings across the city, with a graphic novel launch, Arabic language cafe, football tournament, Tibetan dance, theatre workshops and plenty of delicious feasting.

KermesZ á l’Est, October
World class musicianship on a Sunday night in the tiny dingy backroom of Whitehall Road’s punk-and-gabba haunt the Lion. The nine-strong anarchic Belgian-Balkan folk explosion featured breakneck klezmer, heavy brass, math rock and metal. They also threw in some rave horns, an appearance from ‘Saint Nicotine,’ the fag-smoking priest, and the haunting call of a stag. I’ve seen nothing else to match their wild onstage antics and breathtaking skills.

Invisible Circus, Welcome to the Future, October
Welcome to the Future was magical in itself, but as the last hurrah for the circus at their Unit 15 home it felt all the more meaningful. The cast put on a dazzling performance of impeccable acrobatics, trapeze, music and clowning. Ultimately it was uplifting to join in imagining a future as yet uncreated. And it was a great party. Noone can do immersive post-apocalyptic circus-rave freakshow like the Invisibles.

Main photo: Joe Singh

Read next:

• St Paul’s Carnival makes triumphant return after four years away
• Review: Forwards 2023, the Downs: Friday – ‘The Party of the Year’
• 24 things to look forward to in Bristol in 2024

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