5 min readThe adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel ‘Rivals’ is a shocking and steamy antics tale of the social elite of 1980s England. The series was filmed in and around Bristol, so we've put together a list of locations where you can experience some ‘80s nostalgia once you've watched the show on Disney+!
Image - Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara in Rivals - credit Disney+
Stay at Harbour Hotel Bristol
With its subterranean spa, opulent Gold Bar and sumptuous rooms, Harbour Hotel Bristol is the perfect place to stay and live out your yuppy Rivals dreams. Set across two former bank buildings, this luxurious hotel is a great base for exploring Bristol's grand Old City - a key filming location for Rivals.
Image - Harbour Hotel Bristol
Visit Concorde at Aerospace Bristol
Concorde was known as the most extravagant, expensive and advanced form of travel in the ‘80s, but did you know it was part-built in Filton, north Bristol, where it is now housed at Aerospace Bristol? Step on board the last Concorde to fly and see where more key scenes of Rivals were filmed.
If you're looking for an even boujier experieence, you can also book a private viewing of Concorde at Aerospace Bristol, where you can sit in front row seats, enjoy champagne on board and re-live the ‘80s experience for yourselves, just like its previous passengers Phil Collins and Live Aid performers!
Image - Rivals filming at Aerospace Bristol - credit Adam Jones
Scout filming locations in and around Bristol
Much of the filming for the series took place at the Bottle Yard Studios south of the city, but there are still plenty of other Rivals locations you can visit! Corn Street is the backdrop for some glamorous scenes, as well as Queen Square, which was transformed into a fictional street for the series.
- Read more about Rivals filming locations on The Bottle Yard Studios blog
- More filming locations in Bristol
Image - Queen Square
Rivals was also part-filmed in nearby Bath (a 12 minute train ride away from Bristol) and The Cotswolds, where the series is set (40 minutes from Bristol by car), which you can visit using Rabbie’s Tours.
For some more ‘80s nostalgia, go on a tour of Only Fools and Horses – also filmed predominantly in Bristol - and visit The Granary Club, where Del Boy famously fell through the bar in front of Trigger!
Image - The Granary Club
Drink classy cocktails
Another Rivals filming location is Cosy Club Bristol on Corn Street. Once a church, then a majestic banking hall, this Grade II listed Neo-Palladian style building with marble flooring, original stonework and domed roof is now a grand bar and restaurant. Sip on your favourite ‘80s inspired tipple, from a Bloody Mary to the Classic Strawberry Cosmopolitan, or go for a more modern concoction such as their Matcha Margarita.
Image - Cosy Club
Eat quintessential '80s dishes
Did you know that the 1980’s dining favourite Berni Inns began life in Bristol? Famous for its steak and chips, prawn cocktails, knickerbocker glory and Black Forest gateau, the first Berni Inn opened in 1956 where the Rummer in St Nicholas Market is now.
For prawns with Bloody Mary ketchup and a decadent steak and chips in Bristol today, Goram & Vincent at The Avon Gorge Hotel by Hotel du Vin is the place, with stunning views of Clifton Suspension Bridge as a backdrop.
Image - Goram & Vincent
Shop for some retro outfits
Take your ‘80s inspired Rivals trip to the next level and look the part with some '80s fashion! Visit St Nicholas Market – the oldest market in Bristol – to find some vintage treasures, or shop sustainably in Sparks Bristol where you can thrift second hand clothes, complete with shellsuits, shoulder pads, sequins and, of course, lycra!
Image - Oliver Chris as James Vereker and Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton in Rivals - credit Disney+
Play nostalgic games
Did somebody say ‘Bullseye’? Re-live the ‘80s by playing some classic darts at Flight Club, have a go at some retro arcade games at NQ64 on Baldwin Street or visit History of Video Games on the ground floor of The Galleries shopping centre.
Image - Flight Club
Venture further north of the city and try your hand at archery or croquet on the lawn of the magnificent De Vere Tortworth Court on the outskirts of The Cotswolds.
Image - Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black in Rivals - credit Disney+
Party at one of the city’s venues
Party the night away and relive the best acts of the era at '80s-themed club night Club Tropicana at Bristol’s well-loved music venue, The Fleece. Or see a band at Bristol Beacon - the largest concert hall in the city – where Billy Ocean is set to play next summer and where legendary acts like Gary Numan and Bananarama have graced the stage. Wherever you end up, you’ll be Dancing on the Ceiling…
Image - Bristol Beacon
Watch our reel on how to have a 1980s 'Rivals' inspired break in Bristol:
Read more:
Image - Rivals filming in Bristol - credit Disney+
