With summer finally getting started, Bristol is soon to be in full bloom with events spanning every corner of the city and beyond. Here are some of our event highlights for June.

Markets and Food from Exciting Vendors

St Nicks Night Market: First Friday of the Month 2^nd June, 7^th July and 4^th August

St Nicks returns with its fantastic summer night market on the first Friday of every summer month. With traders from The Covered Market and Exchange Hall extending their hours to 10 pm and even more spilling out onto Corn Street, it promises to be unmissable. Late-night shopping, a vast array of food, funky music and dancing draws cheerful crowds every year and this year’s looking set to be even better. Enjoy some unique nightlife right in the heart of Bristol. For more information head to the St Nicks Night Market Facebook page.

Bristol Craft Beer Festival at Lloyds Amphitheatre: 9^th – 10^th June

Celebrating Bristol’s love for craft beer, the Bristol Craft Beer Festival will be host to an abundance of exquisite beers from local and not-so-local breweries. The hugely popular festival returns to Lloyds Amphitheatre this June offering exciting DJs, delicious food trucks and plenty of beer, cider and spirits from more than 40 breweries. For tickets and more information visit the Bristol Craft Beer Festival website.

Family-Friendly Activities for All Ages

Stories from the Soul at We the Curious: 15^th – 29^th June

After the success of the Stories of the Stars event last winter, We the Curious are delighting us again with a new show about the questions we have surrounding the body and soul. The event takes place at John Wesley’s New Room in the centre of Bristol’s shopping quarter, with a runtime of 50 minutes. Also, it’s completely free. For more information, click here.

Springfest at Wild Place: 27^th May – 4^th June

The collaboration we never knew we needed, Upfest and Wild Place will be hosting the art and animal event of the season. With plenty of lawn games and crafts for all ages to enjoy and 8 giant murals from some of the South West’s most accomplished street artists, celebrating the conservation programmes run by the Wild Place Project. You’ll also have the chance to see magnificent wildlife and look ahead to the new species joining in the coming years. Book advance tickets through the Wild Place website and enjoy 10% off.

Parades and Festivals with Music, Food and Dancing

St Pauls Carnival Fringe Events

2023 sees the return of Bristol’s famous St Pauls carnival and in the run up the city will be full of fringe events to prepare everyone for the big day. Celebrating the community and history of Caribbean culture, the city is host to multiple events across Bristol. Immerse yourself in stories of Caribbean legends with events such as Legends of Windrush: Human Library and Inna Wi Carnival Cinema. For more information on events, visit the St Pauls Carnival website.

Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum: 8^th – 10^th June

Taking advantage of the stunning forest locations around the UK, Forest Live is heading to the South West for a three-night spectacular, including music legend Paul Weller, the unmissable British talent of Jack Savoretti and Tom Grennan as well as Saturday’s special guest Natalie Imbruglia. Not only will you be entertained at some of the most unique musical events of the year, but you’ll also be helping look after the nation’s forestry with profits from ticket sales. Head to the Forestry England website for more information and tickets.

Project Zulu: 9^th June

Setup in 2012 by the University of the West of England (UWE), Project Zulu has been their partnership with schools in South Africa, exchanging resources and educational development projects. Every other year Project Zulu tours a choir of talented children from these schools performing traditional Zulu songs and dances. Their finale concert at Clifton College Chapel will be an inspirational night of exceptional talent. For tickets and more info, head to the Project Zulu website.

Bristol Pride: 24^th June – 9^th July

Getting bigger and better every year, Bristol Pride is back this summer to take over the city, showcasing the beautiful diversity of Bristol. With comedy and theatre performances, talks, workshops, nightlife, sports and musical performances from Scissor Sisters’ energetic frontman Jake Shears and Australian icon Natalie Imbruglia, it promises to be a great event! Pride Day itself sees a two-mile march through the city centre and the big musical event on The Downs with plenty of shuttle buses running between them for ease. To celebrate love and pride, go to the Bristol Pride website for more information.

Bristol Sounds: 21^st – 27^th June

Bristol is once again gearing up for one of its biggest nights in music with Bristol Sounds. A magnificent open-air event that’s previously seen the likes of Tom Misch, Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds and Jungle, will be filling up Lloyds Amphitheatre with elated crowds and a killer roster of big acts. This year’s line-up kicks off with renowned musician Mika. Through the week there’ll be Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, nineties Mancunian rock success James, iconic alt-rock band Levellers and finally the powerful vocals of Self Esteem. Performing in the heart of Bristol against the stunning backdrop of the harbourside, Bristol Sounds is set to be another amazing year. For tickets, go to See Tickets.

Performances from Emerging and Established Talent

Weekends of Wonder! In Broadmead: Weekends in May and June 2023

Bristol’s Broadmead will come to life with an outdoor street performance festival spanning four weekends this May and June. Weekends of Wonder! is a street theatre festival with WOW! factor, bringing local and international artists together to light up the town with bedazzling acts to amaze audiences of all ages. WOW! will bring together veteran street performers alongside cutting-edge new talent to create a truly magical atmosphere on our city’s central high street. To find out more, visit the Bristol Shopping Quarter website.

Disney's The Lion King at Bristol Hippodrome: until Saturday 1^st July

The beloved Disney show makes a triumphant return, having already played two sell-out seasons at the Bristol Hippodrome. The cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers are thrilled to return to the Hippodrome stage for this strictly limited run which is set to excite new and returning audiences alike. The story of The Lion King roars into life using spectacular masks, puppets, and costumes to tell the story of Simba's epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming King. To find out more about this show and purchase tickets, go to the ATG website.

Party: In Paris at the Watershed: 23^rd June

Party: In Paris sees the launch of a two-show special hosted by the Scrapqueens. The night promises 90 minutes of excellent comedy and post-show karaoke in the historical Watershed. Book tickets with a 5% discount for both shows through the Watershed website.

Anna Karenina at Bristol Old Vic: 7^th – 24^th June

Four years in the making, Lesley Hart’s adaptation of Tolstoy’s masterpiece, Anna Karenina, is making its way down to the South West’s own Bristol Old Vic from The Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. Anna Karenina is a tale of two lovers forced to choose between self and society, and this adaptation brings the language up to date with an exciting pace of story and stunning performances. For more information and tickets, visit the Bristol Old Vic Theatre website.

The Wunderkammer by Do Not Adjust Your Stage at Bristol Improv Theatre: 17^th June

In The Wunderkammer, all new TED-style talks from expert guest speakers inspire improvised comedy from one of the UK’s leading groups, Do Not Adjust Your Stage (DNAYS). Neither the audience nor performers have seen the talks before, making for a unique evening of discovery and laughter through entirely spontaneous scenes, sketches and characters. Since 2014, DNAYS have performed The Wunderkammer at sell-out shows in the UK, Europe and the US, including New York’s iconic UCB Theatre and in residencies at London’s Natural History Museum and National Gallery. Previous guest speakers include a professional extreme snowboarder, a Greenpeace activist, the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep and a piracy expert. For tickets, go to the Bristol Improv Theatre website.  

Exhibitions to Inform and Dazzle You

The Cave Art of Lascaux at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery: 1^st April – 10^th September 2023

Step back in time 21,000 years and visit the incredible Stone Age cave art of Lascaux in immersive 3D. This world heritage site in the Dordogne, France, was discovered in 1940 by two teenagers. It features etched and painted images large and small, of many animals as well as mysterious symbols and elements. The site itself has been closed to the public since 1963, but there is a full-size replica of the cave complex in France. Now, using the latest technology, you can ‘visit’ the caves on your doorstep. Find out more about this exhibition and buy tickets on the Bristol Museums’ website.

Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year at The Royal Photographic Society: 20^th May – 11^th June 2023

This summer, Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year, the world’s leading awards for food photography and film, is premiering its twelfth exhibition at The Royal Photographic Society, one of the oldest photographic societies in the world. With over 170 images from more than 25 categories, ranging from the Politics of Food to Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture, the exhibition captures the great sweep of stories and cultures in the world of food. To find out more about the exhibition, head to the RPS website.

Mycelium Book by Rodrigo Arteaga at Arnolfini: 13^th May- 18^th June

Following his Summer 2022 sculpture Fallen Tree for Arnolfini’s Forest: Wake this Ground exhibition, Chilean artist Rodrigo Arteaga has collaborated with researchers at the Centre for Print Research at UWE Bristol. His residency with the researchers resulted in Mycelium Book which aimed “to use mycelium to produce non-human drawings, photographic images and sculptures”. As always entry is free and booking is optional. For more information visit the Arnolfini website.

Sensing Nature Guided Walks at Westonbirt Arboretum: 14^th April – 22^nd September 2023

Let Westonbirt's visually impaired guides lead you through an immersive and interactive sensory experience that aims to shift your perception, enjoy the arboretum at a slower pace and explore the trees of Westonbirt through your nonvisual senses. These walks take place every second and fourth Friday of the month from Apr-Sep - 10.30 am, for more information and to book your spot, go to the Forestry England website.

Perfectly situated for University of Bristol students, Clifton Short Lets offer cheap short term accommodation across the neighbourhood.

As always, for more information on all of the events happening in Bristol this season, take a look at Visit Bristol.