I mean it, if you live in Bristol you’re in for a treat right from May through till the end of August! You can stay at home. Don’t spend money on flights away, because you’ll just feel like you’ve missed out when your Bristolian friends tell you what they did at home, yes at home, while you were okay.
I’m being a slight hypocrite in that I am actually going to France for a few days during August, but I’ve never felt I needed to have a holiday abroad less than I do this year.
Firstly, the summer of 2014 is set to be the 'hottest summer on record' and, however sceptical you may be about these grand statements; we at least know it’ll be hot in some way.
‘I’ll be occupied right from May?’, you say, doubtfully. Well, if you haven’t heard about the giant waterslide down Park Street on May 4th that even the USA has caught wind of, you’ve been living in a cave. You’ll be the embarrassment of all of Bristol’s people if you miss this date, and you won’t forgive yourself for it. I personally wouldn’t rule out queuing the night before for this – and I’m NOT the boxing-day-sales-type-queuing fanatic in any way (boxing day is for being so fat you can’t move, just saying).
Anyway, May will also be bringing us two major food festivals; Bristol Food Connections from 1-11 May where you’ll spot a certain Jamie Oliver and Tom Kerridge , and simultaneously Eat Drink Bristol Fashion from 1-19 May, leaving you with love handles, but love handles that you’re proud of for all the delicious food you’ll have sampled, discovered, and probably attempted the next day at home. A certain Professor Green will also be gracing us with his rapping presence on 22 May at the o2 Academy, helping you party off your food baby (or food twins) from the weeks before.
Also helping us dance our love handles off are two music festivals on the same weekend, still in May (yep, May is going to be a great month) are Dot to Dot on 24 May, and Love Saves The Day – 2-day festival in Castle Park on 24 – 25 May, with the likes of Annie Mac, Clean Bandit, Laid Blak, and Eton Messy performing!
*Pants for breath* We’ve only just covered (well, skimmed) May… Onto June!
Talking of food festivals, and music festivals, Grillstock BBQ and Music Festival brings its delicious smells, flavours and sounds to Bristol’s buzzing harbourside from the 7 – 8 June. If you don’t believe me when I say ‘delicious’, check out my review of Grillstock’s restaurant, or just try it for yourself.
However, if you fancy something a bit more chilled, Wallace and Gromit will be hanging out at the M-Shed for a very special exhibition, including original sketches and figurines right from 24 May through till 7 September.
A small matter of the football World Cup happens to be kicking off in June too, which never fails to cause a buzz around all corners of Bristol during its months, as you can imagine.
July brings ever more festivals; which is precisely what you can expect from a typical summer in Bristol. If you do decide to go abroad this summer, don’t be a fool and go during July, whatever you do!
Starting on the 5th July is the loud, booming, chicken filled, colourful and bassy St. Paul's Carnival, which will leave you sunned, stuffed, dancing, and loving life all through St. Pauls until the early hours. Then that same weekend, carrying on until 12 July is Pride Bristol, celebrating and embracing Bristol’s LGBT community with past performances from none other than Kelis, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and 90s boy band Blue. That weekend you won’t know what to choose, but it is possible to do it all, so I’d recommend you do just that.
The following weekend brings the fun-filled, eventful Harbour Festival for the 43rd year running, flowing and packed all through Bristol’s city centre and harbourside from 18-20 July. If you’ve felt like Bristol hasn’t brought you enough food by now, there is an endless supply here too, leaving no room for dieting this summer, so say goodbye to your beach body. You won’t need it anyway, you won’t be going to any beaches.
Brisfest takes a break this year, leaving August without. But the famous Balloon Fiesta from 7 - 10 August lives on tirelessly, filling our Bristol sky with colour and summer-themed balloons floating dreamily through the sky, above our homes and lives beneath. Finally the festivals slow down a notch for the year, and you can finally breathe, laid sun-kissed on a hill somewhere in Ashton Court as you watch the sky.
If you get in there now for tickets, you’ll also be able to watch India take on England in the cricket live at Gloucester County Cricket Club. But tickets are rapidly vanishing into the hands of fellow cricket fanatics around the country, so hurry!
Believe me, I have barely scraped the surface of what summer 2014 has to offer in our wonderful city, but you get the message – don’t go anywhere! Go away when its winter here and the flights are cheaper anyway, or you run the risk of seriously seriously missing out. Don’t.
I’m being a slight hypocrite in that I am actually going to France for a few days during August, but I’ve never felt I needed to have a holiday abroad less than I do this year.
Firstly, the summer of 2014 is set to be the 'hottest summer on record' and, however sceptical you may be about these grand statements; we at least know it’ll be hot in some way.
‘I’ll be occupied right from May?’, you say, doubtfully. Well, if you haven’t heard about the giant waterslide down Park Street on May 4th that even the USA has caught wind of, you’ve been living in a cave. You’ll be the embarrassment of all of Bristol’s people if you miss this date, and you won’t forgive yourself for it. I personally wouldn’t rule out queuing the night before for this – and I’m NOT the boxing-day-sales-type-queuing fanatic in any way (boxing day is for being so fat you can’t move, just saying).
Anyway, May will also be bringing us two major food festivals; Bristol Food Connections from 1-11 May where you’ll spot a certain Jamie Oliver and Tom Kerridge , and simultaneously Eat Drink Bristol Fashion from 1-19 May, leaving you with love handles, but love handles that you’re proud of for all the delicious food you’ll have sampled, discovered, and probably attempted the next day at home. A certain Professor Green will also be gracing us with his rapping presence on 22 May at the o2 Academy, helping you party off your food baby (or food twins) from the weeks before.
Also helping us dance our love handles off are two music festivals on the same weekend, still in May (yep, May is going to be a great month) are Dot to Dot on 24 May, and Love Saves The Day – 2-day festival in Castle Park on 24 – 25 May, with the likes of Annie Mac, Clean Bandit, Laid Blak, and Eton Messy performing!
*Pants for breath* We’ve only just covered (well, skimmed) May… Onto June!
Talking of food festivals, and music festivals, Grillstock BBQ and Music Festival brings its delicious smells, flavours and sounds to Bristol’s buzzing harbourside from the 7 – 8 June. If you don’t believe me when I say ‘delicious’, check out my review of Grillstock’s restaurant, or just try it for yourself.
However, if you fancy something a bit more chilled, Wallace and Gromit will be hanging out at the M-Shed for a very special exhibition, including original sketches and figurines right from 24 May through till 7 September.
A small matter of the football World Cup happens to be kicking off in June too, which never fails to cause a buzz around all corners of Bristol during its months, as you can imagine.
July brings ever more festivals; which is precisely what you can expect from a typical summer in Bristol. If you do decide to go abroad this summer, don’t be a fool and go during July, whatever you do!
Starting on the 5th July is the loud, booming, chicken filled, colourful and bassy St. Paul's Carnival, which will leave you sunned, stuffed, dancing, and loving life all through St. Pauls until the early hours. Then that same weekend, carrying on until 12 July is Pride Bristol, celebrating and embracing Bristol’s LGBT community with past performances from none other than Kelis, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and 90s boy band Blue. That weekend you won’t know what to choose, but it is possible to do it all, so I’d recommend you do just that.
The following weekend brings the fun-filled, eventful Harbour Festival for the 43rd year running, flowing and packed all through Bristol’s city centre and harbourside from 18-20 July. If you’ve felt like Bristol hasn’t brought you enough food by now, there is an endless supply here too, leaving no room for dieting this summer, so say goodbye to your beach body. You won’t need it anyway, you won’t be going to any beaches.
Brisfest takes a break this year, leaving August without. But the famous Balloon Fiesta from 7 - 10 August lives on tirelessly, filling our Bristol sky with colour and summer-themed balloons floating dreamily through the sky, above our homes and lives beneath. Finally the festivals slow down a notch for the year, and you can finally breathe, laid sun-kissed on a hill somewhere in Ashton Court as you watch the sky.
If you get in there now for tickets, you’ll also be able to watch India take on England in the cricket live at Gloucester County Cricket Club. But tickets are rapidly vanishing into the hands of fellow cricket fanatics around the country, so hurry!
Believe me, I have barely scraped the surface of what summer 2014 has to offer in our wonderful city, but you get the message – don’t go anywhere! Go away when its winter here and the flights are cheaper anyway, or you run the risk of seriously seriously missing out. Don’t.