Things To Do / Sponsored
24 things to do in Bristol this week, July 15-21 2024
Monday: Huey Morgan, Fleece
The original Fun Lovin’ Criminal comes to the Fleece with his brand new band. Expect Scooby Snacks, The Fun Lovin’ Criminal and more old favourites, as well as a sneak peek of some new material.
Monday & Tuesday: I Am Worthy, acta
An evening of visual art, theatre and spoken word – with both an exhibition and performance – exploring how attitudes towards self-injury have changed and what still needs to change to challenge the stigma.
An unexpected group of strangers come together one evening, to discuss the thing they all have in common – image: acta
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Monday-August 18: Longlegs, Watershed
After making the rounds in American movie theatres to loud and polarising acclaim, Longlegs arrives in the UK to disturb the living daylights out of you. Starring Nicolas Cage as the titular serial killer, Osgood Perkins’s new film is set to be one of the most memorable horrors in recent memory.
LONGLEGS – photo: MaikaMonroe CourtesyofNEON
Monday: Melissa Hemsley, Boston Tea Party (Gloucester Road)
Gloucester Road Books team up with BTP to host bestselling food writer, former chef to the stars and food charity campaigner, Melissa Hemsley, who will be introducing her latest book, Real Healthy, in conversation with Pauline Cox.
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is needed now More than ever
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Until August 11: Disney’s Aladdin, Bristol Hippodrome
From the producers that brought you The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Frozen, comes the spectacular Disney Broadway and West End musical Aladdin. Already seen by over 14 million people worldwide, this exuberant production, based on the 1992 animated film, is filled with unforgettable magic, comedy, breathtaking sets and dazzling costumes. It also features new music, alongside all the smash hit songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Friend Like Me, A Whole New World, One Jump Ahead, Prince Ali, and Arabian Nights.
Disney’s Aladdin – photo: Bristol Hippodrome
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Monday-August 18: Sleep, Watershed
Co-starring Parasite’s Lee Sun-kyun in his final role as Hyun-su, debut director Jason Yu brings audiences a clever, well-crafted and genre-bending thriller.
Sleep, 1st Press Stills – photo: Watershed
Monday-Sunday: Bristol Seafood Week, various venues
A new week-long series of events aiming to “highlight the natural bounty of sustainable and delicious British seafood we have on our neighbouring shores through a citywide celebration of dishes, talks and menus”.
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Tuesday: Salute, Rough Trade
An in-store DJ set and signing marking the release Salute’s new album, True Magic, via Ninja Tune.
Tuesday-Sunday: Antiverse, The Island
A group art exhibition exploring the concept of the ‘Antiverse’ through sound and vision, “offering ideas about alternate realities and allowing our collective imagination to be stretched”.
Antiverse is the hypothesis about a twin universe that is symmetrically opposite to our own, made up of antimatter and running backwards in time – image: Artspace Lifespace
Wednesday: Baja la Guitarra Roja, El Rincon
Baja la Guitarra Roja (Under the Red Guitar) is the monthly poetry evening in North Street tapas bar, El Rincon. Today’s special guest is Christopher Meredith, an award-winning author of five novels, a book of short stories and several poetry collections.
El Rincon – photo: Martin Booth
Wednesday: Peter Barley, Christ Church
An organ recital at Christ Church in the Old City from Peter Barley, the organist at Limerick Cathedral.
Peter Barley will play works by Bach, Mendelssohn and more – photo: Martin Booth
Thursday-September 1: Space Shanty, M Shed
A family-friendly show that strives to be a creative and futuristic exploration of how sailors used the night sky to voyage across the seas.
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Friday: Josh Thomas – Let’s Tidy Up, Redgrave Theatre
This is a show where Josh tidies up. Tidying up is not normally the stuff of gripping drama, it wouldn’t be a propulsive narrative for most people but for Josh it’s Everest, a fundamentally impossible task, like trying to defy the moon and control the tides. Josh’s brain has managed to make him the creator and star of hit TV shows (Please Like Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), in this show he tries to work out how to do the small stuff.
Josh – lets tidy up – photo: Redgrave Theatre
Friday & Saturday: Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, Wardrobe Theatre
Garry Starr is “hell-bent on saving books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic novel ever written. In an hour. Mostly naked (but with flippers).”
Friday-Sunday: Bristol Harbour Festival
This year’s lineup features emerging artists as well as established and international performers across all genres, with three days of back-to-back entertainment.
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Saturday: Supersonic Brick Day, Aerospace Bristol
The huge LEGO® brick event is back at Aerospace Bristol on Saturday 20th July 2024. As well as stepping aboard Concorde and enjoying everything else the museum has to offer, Supersonic Brick Day is your chance to get hands-on with interactive activities – from LEGO® underwater gardens and remote control car racing, to robot wars and great ball contraptions.
Supersonic Brick Day – photo: Aerospace Bristol
Saturday & Sunday: Factory Tapes: The Power of Love, Tobacco Factory Theatres
Performed by the Tobacco Factory’s resident community choir, the Factory Singers, this is the annual presentation of stories woven together with songs that have been chosen by the choir members themselves, with this year’s performance centred around the theme of the power of love.
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Sunday: Walking Brunel’s Bristol, SS Great Britain
Join Mr Brunel himself on a walking tour of Bristol. Discover the stories behind some of his greatest works and learn how Brunel’s Bristol projects changed not only the city, but the whole world!
Walking Brunel’s Bristol – photo: SS Great Britain
Sunday: Tucker & Dale vs Evil + The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Bristol Megascreen
Bristol’s video rental specialists 20th Century Flicks join forces with socio-political horror cinephiles Horror Without End for another epic double bill.
Sunday: The Listening Lounge with Some Voices Choir, Circomedia
The Listening Lounge is the new immersive vocal show from Some Voices Bristol choir, who promise “stripped back beats and big-name bangers… reinvented as intimate ballads”. Featuring songs by Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters, Billie Eilish, Underworld and more.
And coming soon…
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July 26 – August 16: Lumosphere, Quakers Friars
Lumosphere is an interactive walk-through experience where art and technology collide. Travel through four immersive spaces and explore six mind-bending themes including: perspective, beginnings, journey, connection, discovery, and exploration. Suitable for all ages. At Cabot Circus (The Friary Building) for three weeks only from 26 July to 16 August.
Lumosphere. Photo, Yuup.
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July 26: Jon Hopkins, Bristol Beacon
Jon Hopkins is a London based electronic artist, producer and classically trained composer, whose solo and collaborative works have received widespread acclaim, as well as Grammy, Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello nominations. Initially gaining exposure through his work with Brian Eno and Coldplay, Hopkins found his voice as a solo artist utilising intricately crafted beats with serene, meditative textures, having since forged a reputation for music that marries the dance floor to the devotional, and for live performances that are visceral, generous and charged with a rapt, sensuous beauty. Boasting an output that flows from rugged techno to transcendent choral music, solo acoustic piano and psychedelic ambient, the Mercury Prize-nominated Immunity (2013) and the Grammy-nominated Singularity (2018), were among the decade’s most lauded electronic albums. Support comes from LUXE and limited availability remains.
Jon Hopkins – photo: Bristol Beacon
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July 27: Conversations with Baldwin, Bristol Beacon
Conversations with Baldwin is a day’s programme with poetry, workshops and performance from incredible artists celebrating the life and work of James Baldwin. Experience an exceptional day of activities, a free book club session, and a writers workshop with T.S Eliot prize-winning poet Roger Robinson, followed by the evening event where five artists will respond to the theme of ‘the Artist as Witness’, drawing on James Baldwin’s legacy as one of the 20th century’s most revered writer-activists. ‘Conversations with Baldwin’ is presented in collaboration by Words of Colour and Raise the Bar, and is part of the wider Conversations with Baldwin festival taking place across the UK which celebrates the 100th birthday of iconic writer James Baldwin (1924 – 1987).
Conversations with Baldwin – photo: Bristol Beacon
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July 27-August 31: Tartan Titans at Avon Valley / Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park
Get ready for the ultimate summer challenge, Bristol! The UK’s longest inflatable assault course is returning to Avon Valley. With over 50 obstacles to tackle, the Tartan Titan is the perfect day out for adventurous friends and colleagues. Don’t miss out – book your tickets now for an unforgettable experience!
Charity fun – photo: Avon Valley adventure & wildlife park
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July 31: Cillian O’Connor – My Magic World, Redgrave Theatre
Cillian O’Connor is bringing his first ever live stage show on tour to the UK and Ireland in 2024! Cillian literally burst onto an unsuspecting world during Britain’s Got Talent in 2023 and immediately captivated the hearts of the entire nation, reaching the top three in the final. His performances online have now been the most watched of the entire series reaching over 500 million views in just a few weeks.
Cillian O’Connor – photo: Redgrave Theatre
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Throughout August: Mutt Strut, Bristol Animal Rescue Centre
Join Bristol Animal Rescue Centre’s Mutt Strut this August. From August 1 to August 31, walk 100km to support this amazing charity’s life-changing work. Participate virtually from anywhere. Register here, set a fundraising goal of at least £200, and track your progress with apps like Strava. Raise £50 to receive a doggie bandana, and the top fundraiser gets a VIP Rescue Centre tour. For more info, visit our website or email fundraising@bristolarc.org.uk.
Mutt Strut – Bristol Animal Rescue Centre
Main photo: Paul Box
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