43 things to do in Bristol in April 2022

April 1: Finzels Reach Market (Every Friday), Finzels Reach
The weekly Finzels Reach Market opens for business on April 1, bringing fresh produce and artisan goods from independent vendors every Friday.

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Throughout April: Contemporary Art Exhibitions, Spike Island:
Visit ‘Pigs and Poison’, a major new commission by LA-based artist Candice Lin which includes paintings, sculpture, VR sets and a monumental medieval catapult. Running concurrently, ‘Nosferasta’ is a Rastafarian vampire film by Adam Khalil and Bayley Sweitzer, starring and co-written by Trinidadian artist and musician, Oba.

April 2: Maita Robinson – A recital of art song by black British & American composers, St. Stephen’s Church
Maita Robinson, alongside pianist Steven Kings, will be reciting little heard art songs from black British and American Composers.

April 3: Rebel Walk: The St. Paul’s Riot, Trinity Centre
A guided walk around St. Pauls, visiting the key locations and events of the 1980 St Pauls riots.

April 4: Monday Club, Caper & Cure
A hot off the press comedy night from restaurant Caper & Cure. Expect “national headliners and hilarious local acts.”

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April 5-9: BAOS Present: 9 to 5, Redgrave Theatre
BAOS are back! And are excited to take you back to the 1970’s with 9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. Based on the seminal 1980 hit movie, this hilarious story of friendship and revenge is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic.

April 5: Jaffro-zz, Crofters Rights
Combining infectious African rhythms with classic jazz and blues sounds, Jaffro-zz aims to take you on a cultural journey through sound.

April 6: Comedy Loft Roast Battles, Heat 1, The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer
Who doesn’t love a good roast battle? Bring your thick skin for this one.

April 7: Hiro Kone / Loula Yorke / F*CK Authority, Strange Brew
Experimental synthesiser music from top DIY electronic musicians, combining field recordings, noise and synthesis.

April 7-24: Revel Puck Circus, St. Pauls
The Revel Puck Circus comes to St Pauls for the Easter holidays, bringing a host of entertainment throughout the two weeks.

April 8: Brizzle Boyz – Big Tops!, Big Top Tent St. Paul’s
In collaboration with the aforementioned Revel Puck Circus, the Brizzle Boys are coming to town, bringing a bodacious display of music, dancing and all round queen-ness.

April 9: Exstatic: Pete Cannon, Dwarde & more, The Island
A stacked lineup, as is becoming the norm from The Island. Expect only the finest jungle and hardcore, of both the classic and modern varieties.

April 10: Outer Town Festival, multiple venues
A celebration of all things DIY/Post-Punk/Underground in Bristol (of which there happens to be quite a lot) across multiple different venues.

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April 10: Clive Anderson – Me, Macbeth & I, Redgrave Theatre
The host of Whose Line Is It Anyway, Loose Ends and Talks Back takes to the road with his much-anticipated first ever solo tour, in a one-man show guaranteed to be funnier than Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.

April 11: Mr Wolf’s Open Mic, Mr Wolfs
The once popular open mic night returns to top Bristol late night haunt every monday for 3 hours of all sorts of Bristol talent.

April 12: Lo-Fi Music Workshop, PRSC
Ever wanted to try your hand at producing, but don’t have the resources for lots of fancy equipment? Kat Martian’s been doing just that for years, and she’ll show you how.

April 13: My Soulmate’s Husband’s Soulmate, Alma Tavern & Theatre
A classic black comedy from Mudlarks Theatre, exploring the idea of “fate” and what happens when life throws you a curveball.

April 14-15: Hopyard, Propyard
The latest addition to Bristol’s ever-growing list of venues celebrates it’s opening with style, hosting 12 breweries, street food and DJs supplying the vibes over two days.

April 14: Bill Laurance, St. George’s
The renowned concert hall hosts grammy award-winning composer Bill Laurance, no doubt bringing his powerful elegance to the stage.

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Screening from April 15: The Northman, Watershed
The hotly anticipated latest from Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) is an action-thrilled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder.

April 15: Emergency Room w/ Pangaea, CCL, Lily Huu, Zaltsman, Secret location
Who doesn’t love a good secret location party? And if the intel is anything to go on, this’ll be a top one in an awesome secret basement.

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Screening from April 15: Benedetta, Watershed
Seasoned provocateur Paul Verhoeven (Elle, Showgirls, Basic Instinct) returns with this extremely fun and deliciously provocative psychosexual melodrama about a lesbian nun in Renaissance Italy.

April 16: Alternate10 – Industrial Park Day Party, Netham View Industrial Park
If the weather keeps up its good behaviour, this day party won’t be one to miss. Fabio & Grooverider headlining and a host of other serious talent backing them up.

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April 16: Bristol Encontro Presents Tambor, Trinity Centre
Celebrate Afro-Brazilian culture through drumming, movement, and song. Described as an Encontro, or meeting, Tambor will provide a feast of live performances and workshops, including samba, maracatu, Afoxé, reggae-samba, capoeira music, and much more.

April 17: Turbo Island 8th Birthday Party, Strange Brew
The decorated Bristol designer/illustrator turns 8 this April, and the guys at Strange Brew are holding a big party to celebrate, no doubt with lots of classic tunes and various famous names used as puns.

April 18: Electric Moon + Codex Serafini, The Lanes
Psychedelic Rock powerhouses Electric Moon travel to The Lanes for an acid-drenched set that’ll surely create a unified state of mind from any audience.

April 19: West Collective Presents: Breaka, Crofters Rights
Fresh on the scene promoters West Collective invite Breaka down to the Crofters rights, for a night of undoubtedly well-crafted, multi genre blends.

April 20: The 1970s Counterculture in the West Country, PRSC
A talk at the Stokes Croft community hub on the counterculture of the 1960s/70s, primarily focussing on the creation of the Bath Arts Workshop.

April 21: Spirit of the Beehive, Strange Brew
The arts space hosts newly signed US indie group Spirit of the Beehive for their Bristol debut performance.

April 22: The Bottle x Eminent Present: Lone (Live), Thekla
Everyone’s favourite party boat backs a live set from Lone, followed by a range of top Bristol selectors.

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April 22: Booty Bass + Shade Cartel, Trinity Centre
Booty Bass are a collective of female/nb DJ’s creating space that celebrates different cultures from across the world, mixed with much loved UK sounds. Afrobeats, Latin, Bashment, UK Funky, 90s, garage, grime, baile funk, trap, tribal, global, BASS music.

April 23: Blood, Glorious Blood, Alma Tavern & Theatre
A comedic performance about the trials, tribulations and history of menstruation, all the way back from the Ancient Greeks.

April 24: Mobius Loop, The Jam Jar
Hard to pin down Mobius Loop bring their unique blend of world music, conscious rap, dance and just about everything else to the Jam Jar.

April 25-May 1: Mythos Collective Exhibition, D-Unit
Mythos collective hold their seminal art exhibition at new arts space D-Unit.

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April 26: José González, Marble Factory
With his intimate, elegant song writing José González has captured the hearts of many across the world, leading to him selling out the Royal Albert Hall and recently performing at Green Man Festival. His long-awaited new album ‘Local Valley’ “is an exercise in hushed, glacial indie folk, with quiet contemplative vocals over intricately plucked guitars” (Loud & Quiet).

April 26: The Science of Habits, Hen & Chicken
Dr Benjamin Gardner, a social psychologist from Kings College London & The University of Surrey, digs deep into the subject of habits – how to break them, how to make them, and how to “train your brain” to pick up healthy ones.

April 27: Anna Mieke, The Canteen
The Canteen continues its ethos of live music every night of the week with a performance from Irish singer Anna Mieke.

April 28: Gin Tasting Masterclass, North St. Standard
Local distillery 6 o’clock gin hosts a gin tasting session, with sneak peeks at some new flavours.

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April 29-May 2: Open Studios, Spike Island
Explore behind-the-scenes of the former Brooke Bond tea-packing factory, home to over 70 artists’ studios, Spike Print Studio, UWE Fine Art students, as well as designers, writers, filmmakers, animators and photographers. Meet artists in their studios and see their working practices, get involved in family-friendly activities and browse art works for sale, and enjoy delicious local street food and drinks.

April 29: The Bish Bash Bosh: Improv Game Show, Bristol Improv Theatre
An entirely improvised game show from the Bristol Improv Theatre. Who knows what to expect?

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April 29: Tindersticks, Bath Forum
For the past 30 years indie-rockers Tindersticks have crafted a balance of haunting, visceral feeling and aching warmth fronted by Stuart Staples and his idiosyncratic, atmospheric crooning and earlier this year they released their 13th album, Distractions. As Tindersticks celebrate three decades as a band they mark this milestone with a special two-set show including accompaniment from a local string orchestra.

April 30: East Bristol Brewery Trail, Various Locations
After a two year hiatus, Bristol’s biggest pub crawl returns, with seven breweries opening their doors for the public to come in and taste the wares.

April 30: Hidden: Open Air Day Festival, Propyard
The hottest new Bristol venue hits the ground running with an open air day festival and a lineup to match the occasion.

And coming soon…

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June 22-27: Bristol Sounds 2022, Harbourside
Bristol’s much-loved open-air series of concerts returns to Canons Marsh Amphitheatre on Bristol’s harbourside from 22nd-27th June this year with an eclectic line-up of must-see artists including Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds, Paolo Nutini, Elbow, Jungle, First Aid Kit and The War on Drugs.

Main Photo: Revel Puck Circus

Read more: Programme Revealed for Mayfest 2022

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