Visit West Meet Trade

People dining at The Granary - credit The Granary

Blog & Guides

Welcome to the Visit Bristol blog, your one-stop shop for ideas, inspiration and handy tips to make your time in Bristol that bit better!

From suggested itineraries to festival round-ups and unmissable things to do, our guides aim to showcase the best of the city, whatever the time of year. We publish new blogs every week and keep our blog posts up-to-date with the latest information, so you can trust that you’re getting the most accurate and useful tips for your trip.

Planning a trip with the family? Check out our guides on Places to stay with kids in and around Bristol and Things to do with teenagers. We’ve also got a list of 60 free things to do to keep costs down.

Coming here to sample as much of the food scene as you can? Have a read through our list of Bristol’s Michelin-starred restaurants, top cocktail bars and pub gardens, or find the best places to go for vegan food while you’re here. We’re sure you’ll also want to try a tasty Sunday roast while you’re here – we've rounded up a few of the best of those too!

If you’re local to Bristol, or here for a few days, we’ve also got plenty of suggestions for day trips to the north, south, east and west of the city so that you can experience as much of the region as possible. Maybe you want to tick off all of the World Heritage Sites near Bristol, or discover our most accessible outdoor attractions.

We’ll also have seasonal guides to help you get the most out of Summer in Bristol, from rooftop bars to scenic cycle routes, or find out what’s on for Christmas in and around the city.

Keep checking back for more brilliant Bristol inspiration!

Things To Do

24 Things to do in Bristol in 2024

22 min read

With a seemingly never-ending list of sights to see and experiences to tick off, how can you pack the best of Bristol into your year? Our top 24 things to do in 2024 is here to help, covering everything from uniquely Bristol attractions to outdoor adventures. It’s no surprise Bristol was…

Latest blogs

Category: Festivals

Old City Sounds 2023 on King Street in Bristol - Credit Julian Preece / Bristol City Centre BID

Nine ways to make the most of #SummerInBristol

Jul. 31, 2024

From soaring hot air balloons to bustling Harbourside festivals, incredible live music to new cultural event spaces, food festivals to family fun; there’s something very special about #SummerInBristol... Read on to find out why Bristol is always a good idea: find out what’s coming up and how to make…

A group of balloons lifting off in a mass ascent at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta - credit Paul Box

Top 6 tips for Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Jul. 29, 2024

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most popular and striking outdoor events on the calendar. This year, the world-renowned free Fiesta returns to Ashton Court between Friday 9 August and Sunday 11 August 2024. Each morning and evening of the fiesta you can join one of the fiesta's…

A group of people holding a large pride banner - Credit Bhagesh Sachania

10 things to do at Bristol Pride 2024

Jun. 19, 2024

Bristol Pride is back for 2024, celebrating its 15 th anniversary with a spectacular and diverse lineup of events across the city between the 29 June and the 13 July. The main festival day returns on Saturday 13 July on The Downs, with four stages, circus tent, family and youth zones. The legendary…

Crowds along the harbour at Bristol Harbour Festival - Credit Paul Box

Bristol’s festival line-up in 2024

May 15, 2024

Ready for dancing to live music, tucking into delicious street food and sipping pints of cider in the sunshine? Bristol’s festival calendar is jam-packed in 2024. There’s a festival for everything in Bristol, from ballooning to music headliners, cider to cinema. Avoid any inkling of Glastonbury FOMO…

Jungle performing on the stage at Bristol Sounds with audience in foreground - credit Bristol Sounds

Unmissable live music in Bristol 2024

Apr. 15, 2024

Known as the birthplace of ground-breaking music from legendary acts such as Massive Attack, Portishead, Roni Size and more recently, IDLES and George Ezra, Bristol is world-famous for its vibrant and varied music scene (listen to this Bristol playlist to hear some of the tunes to come from here)…

Black Honey at O2 Academy at Dot to Dot Festival 2022 - credit Dot to Dot Festival

A music lover's guide to Bristol

Apr. 04, 2023

As the city that gave the world acts such as Portishead, Roni Size and Massive Attack, Bristol has a well-deserved reputation for an incredibly varied, thriving music scene. From legendary artists playing in iconic concert halls, to bluegrass twanging under Banksy-decorated walls, music lovers are…

Performance in the foyer at Bristol Beacon - credit Soul Media

Top 10 music venues in Bristol

Apr. 02, 2023

Bristol has a vibrant music scene beating behind the doors of its many characterful venues. From musical legends in revered concert halls, to 25-piece Samba bands strumming under Banksy-covered walls, from indie hangouts to gigs afloat an old German boat, these music and arts venues cater for all…