17 festivals happening in September 2018

Festival season isn’t over just yet. Here’s your guide to all the best local, national and international festivals still to come this month:

Local

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 1
The Downs Festival
Price: £55.95
www.thedownsbristol.com
Third outing for a fest with its roots in 2016’s big hometown gig for Massive Attack, augmented by a formalised speakers’ corner known as the Information Stage, full of spoken word performers and panels waxing widely on the issues of the day. The name of the troupe backing Goldie – the Heritage Ensemble – serves as a pretty accurate collective noun for much of a bill including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paul Weller, Orbital, Bath aces The Heavy, Basement Jaxx, Laid Blak, Khruangbin, Nadine Shah and Dream Wife.

September 14-16
Bristol Craft Beer Festival
Lloyds Amphitheatre
Price: vairous
www.bristolcraftbeerfestival.co.uk
This year Bristol Craft Beer Festival is bringing a world class beer celebration right into the heart of Bristol’s food and drink scene by moving its location to the Harbourside. Expect three epic days of beer sourced from a mixture of breweries across the globe and live DJ sets from local artists such as Sip The Juice, DJ Die, Dads on Drugs, Fat Paul Presents, DJ Binge, Skitz and Rodney P, Futureboogie and Alfresco Disco.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 14-16
Bristol Doors Open Days 2018
Various venues
Price: free
www.bristoldoorsopenday.org.uk
By handing over the keys to the city, Bristol Open Doors Day has become one of the most eye-opening events of the year. An expected 101+ places are expected to be showing off their backstage workings at this years event, including Clifton Rocks Railway, Clifton Funicular Railway, Underfall Yard, Redcliffe Caves Complex, Brunel’s Swivel Bridge Swing, The Bristol Waste Company and The Bristol Old Vic, who are unveiling the multi-million-pound redevelopment of their foyer.

September 14-16
Priston Festival
Priston, North Somerset
Price: various, mainly free
www.priston.org.uk/festival
Early bookings for this properly well organised village affair include Rivers of England, Doreen Doreen and Dragonsfly. Expect 30+ bands to line up on the two free stages, the Big Sing Workshop is always a draw, then there’s an art project and kids’ stuff.

September 17-22
Cheltenham Comedy Festival
Price: various
www.cheltenhamcomedy.com
An enviable line up of top comedians and up and coming stars, including appearances from Phill Jupitus, Seann Walsh and Jeremy Hardy performing in various venues across Cheltenham.

September 21-23
Stroud Folk Weekend
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Price: various
www.stroudfolkfestival.co.uk
Old school. “We do not hire performers,” say organisers. “SFW is more about people getting together and making music, singing songs and dancing rather than on formal concerts.” Thus, a weekend “consisting mainly of pub sessions, singarounds of mainly traditional music and morris dancing in the streets”.

September 22-23
Tokyo World
Eastville Park, Bristol
Price: £49.50
www.tokyoworld.org
After adding another date to the diary as a weekend festival for the first time last year, it’s a welcome return to Bristol’s Eastville Park for Toyko World. This year the heavy-on-the-bass, eight-stage affair welcomed over 100 artists including American rapper Action Bronson, Groove Armada and even an appearance from 70’s Soul group Sister Sledge.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 25-30
Encounters Film Festival
Various venues
Price: various, some free
www.encounters-festival.org.uk
“This short film was my last one before my first feature film, so it feels amazing to win the prize before venturing into the feature film,” said Kei Chikaura, winner of the 2017 Brief Encounters Grand Prix Award in 2017, for his moving live action short, Signature, looking at a young Chinese immigrant seeking employment. expect loads of up and coming talent at the 24th Encounters, too, one of the shiniest gems in Bristol’s increasingly bejewelled festival crown, and also one of the most internationally recognised. The UK’s longest running competitive short film and animation festival – more than 200 entries are screened – is also an official gateway to the BAFTAs and a qualifying festival for the Oscars. Hence the quality. The film programme is augmented by any number of Q&As, interviews and workshops with the experts, live music and performance, exhibitions, outdoor events, pop-up cinemas and much more.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 28-30
Ross-on-Wye Walking Festival
Price: various
www.rosswalkingfestival.co.uk
Tenth outing for a happily pedestrian fest barely an hour’s drive from Bristol and boasting some of the most beauteously sweeping landscapes in the country for its stage. This year’s programme includes A Tasty Pub Walk, The Last Cream Tea of Summer and Tour de Ross by Buggy, an easy four-mile route suitable for wheelchairs, electric scooters, etc.

September 28-Oct 7
Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Price: various
www.bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature/
Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival returns for its 28th edition. Among the author readings, book signings, craft activities and quizzes, will be appearances from Lauren Child, David Walliams, Cressida Cowell, Dermot O’Leary and Tom Fletcher.

National

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 6-9
Festival No.6
Portmeirion, North Wales
Price: £205 w/e
www.festivalnumber6.com
Any festival taking the fantastically OTT village of Portmeirion as it canvas is going to be unlike anything else on the circuit, but credit the organisers for making the most of their environs. Thus, pop-up woodland raves, woodland trails and art installations, promenade along the estuary, etc. All of which still require filling with substance, of course. Among the comedy and spoken word guests we find the likes of Viv Albertine Will Self, Suggs, Reginald D Hunter, Jeremy Deller, Dorian Cope and John Harris, while musical attendees include The Charlatans, Anna Calvi, Ride, The Horrors, Gwenno, A Certain Ratio, Gaz Coombes, Django Django, Hurts, Baxter Dury and a special guest-starring tribute to Mark E Smith.

September 8-22
St Ives September Festival
Price: various, some free
www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk
Seth Lakeman, The Young ‘Uns, Hackney Colliery Band, the Christine Collister-starring Daphne’s Flight are among the folky acts coming to glorious St Ives this year. Far from being all about the music, you’ll also find a smartly programmed festival of art, guided walks, street theatre, films, etc.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
September 19-30
Raindance Film Festival
London
Price: various
www.raindance.org
The biggest indie film fest in the country also lays on a welter of popcorn-optional seminars, workshops and parties. Expect roughly 100 feature films and over 150 shorts.

September 21-23
Looe Music Festival
Looe, Cornwall
Price: £89 w/e
www.looemusic.co.uk
A splendid site finds the event spreading across the town and out over the beach. Steve ‘N’ Seagulls, The Stranglers, Himalayas, The Quire Boys, Jill Jackson and Rhys Lewis are just some of the artists who’ll be paddling through the breakers with you. Alongside the music they also have a variety of street entertainment, workshops and food stalls all for you to get involved with.

Bristol24/7 recommendation:
Sept 28-30
Porthcawl Elvis Festival
Porthcawl, Wales
Price: largely free
www.elvies.co.uk
Porthcawl’s town-wide expression of burning love for Elvis tribute artists, gathered in greater number than anywhere else in Europe. Option one: pay good money to see the world’s finest Elvis tributeers in formal theatres. Two: be smart and catch reams of almost-as-good tribbers in free, all-day, drink-fuelled, singalong pub performances. Think darts match atmosphere, but for music. For maximum immersiveness, stay in the nearby caravan park and be surrounded by Elvises (Elvi?) all weekend long.

International

Sept 5-9
Outlook
Pula, Croatia
Price: £130
www.outlookfestival.com
A 150 year old abandoned fort and 2000 year old amphitheatre welcome 10 stages, 54 boat parties and 300 artists, among them Bonobo, Wiley, David Rodgian, Andy C and Lady Leshurr.

Sept 8-9
Lollapalooza Berlin
Berlin, Germany
Price: 139€
www.lollapaloozade.com
Fourth outing in Berlin for the American franchise, with Kraftwerk 3D the obvious highlight of a none-too-shabby bill, also including The Weeknd, The National, Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher and Wolf Alice.