What’s on in Bristol

Bristol’s theatre history goes back a long way. Bristol Old Vic, on King Street, opened in 1766 and is often described as the oldest continuously working theatre in the English-speaking world; today it produces new plays and classics. The Bristol Hippodrome, on the city centre’s St Augustine’s Parade, takes the big touring musicals, and the Tobacco Factory Theatres in Southville stage drama in a former factory south of the river.

On the music side, Bristol Beacon, the concert hall formerly called Colston Hall, reopened in 2023 after a long renovation and hosts everything from orchestras to rock. Add the O2 Academy Bristol, Thekla, a boat moored in the Floating Harbour, and the clubs of Stokes Croft and Old Market, and the city has something on every night.

Bristol does not have a large arena yet, so the biggest tours often play Cardiff or Birmingham instead. This page lists upcoming dates for every type of show in Bristol. For music only, see concerts in Bristol.

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