Clifton Suspension bridge, BristolGetty
As Bristol marks its 650th anniversary of becoming a city and county with major celebrations in the pipeline, the year also sees the usual vibrant, world-renowned festivals and events return to in person events.
From Banksy to Brunel and Sandition, Poldark and Doctor Who to Wallace and Gromit, there is no city in the UK quite like Bristol. Located deep in the West Country, 120 miles from London and 12 miles from Bath - Bristol celebrates its 650th anniversary this year and is only becoming more and more diverse as time goes on. Awards UNESCO Film Status in 2017, the city is also home to Europe’s largest ballooning festival, the only 3D Planetarium in the UK, and Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Here we look at just three reasons to visit Bristol.
We The Curious
Home to the UK’s only 3D planetarium, We The Curious, was forced to close in 2022 after a devastating fire ripped through it - destroying the roof. While the renovation works will be ongoing until at least early 2024, We The Curious is the personification of not being able to put a good thing down, as it continues to run events all across the city. Prior to the fire, the museum was in the middle of Project What if the first major science centre exhibition based on the curiosity of a city, based on gathering over 10,000 questions from people in every postcode of Bristol to form a realistic understanding of what makes the city tick. The good is that the planetarium promises to come back better than ever, enabling kids of all areas to sit back and travel to the farthest edges of the universe from the comfort of their own seats. It’s worth noting that previously, We The Curious was renowned for its experiential approach to science - encouraging visits to walk through a tornado or cover themselves head to toe in a giant bubble. A truly wonderful day out for the entire family.
For more information visit wethecurious.org
Banksy Walking Tour
No mention of Bristol would be complete without mentioning a walking tour dedicated to one of its most famous sons - Banksy. These days works by the anonymous artists sell for thousands, but once upon a time he was once a struggling artist from Bristol - and the city remains proud of his contributions, with some of his earliest works hidden around the city. While some enjoy exploring the city and stumbling upon a famous work of art, for others a walking tour is the best way to absorb the artist’s work - which is why the city offers tourists a free online walking tour.
Born in the city in the early 70s, Banksy was part of the wave of street art that took Bristol by storm in the 198s, and though his work later appeared in London, LA, and New York - in 2009 he returned to his hometown to overtake Bristol Museum and Art Gallery for a record-breaking exhibition. He later returned to the West Country in 2015 for his internationally successful Dismaland exhibition in nearby Weston-super-Mare and in 2020 two new pieces appeared on the streets of Bristol. The most recent is located on Vale Street and shows an older lady sneezing up England's steepest residential street while another work from the same year is close to the youth club where Banksy spends some of his time as a younger man and shows a girl firing a catapult full of red flowers onto the side of a house. Other Banksy works in the city include Mild Mild West, Well Hung Lover, The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum, and the Grim Reaper.
Download the Banksy Bristol Trail app wherever you get your apps.
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Renowned for its summertime events, the jewel in Bristol’s eventing crown has to be the International Balloon Fiesta. Each July thousands of visitors gather for the four-day event, which also happens to be the largest ballooning festival in Europe. The Fiesta started in 1979 when 27 hot air balloon enthusiasts met and set off from the popular ballooning location, Ashton Court. These days, spectators can expect to see upwards of 100 hot air balloons take flight over Bristol - all free of charge as the Fiesta remains a charity run by a committed group of volunteers. Other events that take place during the Fiesta include family activities, live music, traders, five public bars and street food, all positioned around a huge launch field. Our highlight is Nightglow, which takes place at 9pm on the first night of the Fiesta and sees 20 hot air balloons lighting up in time to the specially created soundtrack from BBC Radio Bristol.
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