Hoo-Ha! Festival returns for October half term for two jam-packed days of music, dancing, and activities for little people and their families.
This year London Rhymes kick starts our musical bonanza with their eclectic and high energy show to get everyone dancing while Popcorn (feat. Julia Turner & Rachel Dadd) take childrens’ song to a new exciting terrain on our main stage.
Kid Carpet‘s will be making a return for his first live gig in Bristol for years featuring hits from all his ridiculous family shows.
All levels of Bristol Beacon will be filled with opportunities to get creative with Scrap Store, Let’s Make Art and Conductive Music joining us all day Friday and Saturday.
Plus, firm Hoo-Ha favourites Explorer Dome and Junior Jungle Rave will be returning to thrill young scientific minds and excite all you fabulous dancers.
So come, one and all, to the Hoo-Ha party: Bristol’s most splendiferous free festival for families is back!
Presented by Bristol Beacon
All ages welcome
Buggy parking and baby changing facilities available
Looking this year’s Hoo-Ha Festival?
Our free family festival hoo-ha takes place in August most years. If you’re looking for this year’s Hoo-Ha festival, follow the link below.
Main Stage Line-up
Activities & Workshops
Book Readings
Book Readings
Level 1
Friday
12:00 – 14:00
We LOVE stories at Hoo-Ha! Festival, and if you are too then you’re in for a story-tastic treat with our book readings and workshops with Gwen Millward and Robert Starling.
Scrap Store
Scrap Store
Stalls bar
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 11:45
13:15 – 15:00
Children’s Scrap Store host “Be a monument detective”: a playful junk modelling workshop creating memorials, statues and immortalising our idols through scrap!
Bakehouse Factory
Bakehouse Factory
Sailing across all levels
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 15:00
Join Long Joan Silver and The Pirate DJ on a swashbuckling storytelling adventure!
From singing sea shanties to scrubbing the DJ-decks, this pirate pair will train up wanna-be buccaneers with all the skills needed for a life of laughter at sea.
Short and sweet interactive stories to entertain the family.
Lets Make Art
Lets Make Art
Stalls Bar
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 15:00
Join Alice and Karen from Let’s Make Art; artists in residence from the Arnolfini, who will be providing some of their signature fun activities for kids.
Make a Boxhead with a glow in the dark twist, a colourful shaker or a carnival mask!
Rubbish Portraits
Rubbish Portraits
Stalls Bar
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 15:00
Returning for her second year at Hoo-Ha! festival is Bristol based illustrator Lucie Sheridan and her LIVE ART Booth.
Lucie draws ‘Rubbish Portraits’ in just 3-minutes from her magical booth. The only thing is…she is actually quite good at drawing.
Explorer Dome
Explorer Dome
Ground Floor
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 15:00
Ages 4+
Explorer Dome returns to the Hoo Ha with it’s family-friendly, interactive planetarium show: The Wonder of Space!
Crawl through the tunnel, enter the magical atmosphere of our dome, meet the experts and immerse yourselves amongst stars, planets, constellation myths & legends, the lives and deaths of stars and possibility of life on other worlds. Bring your curiosity and please ask questions!
Conductive Music
Conductive Music
Terrace Bar
Friday & Saturday
11:00-15:00
What if we told you that you can plug a cable into an apple, to control a digital musical instrument? You might not believe your ears! Yet that’s what little ones can do in this workshop from Conductive Music.
Kids Yoga with Linzy Na Nakorn
Kids Yoga with Linzy Na Nakorn
Terrace Bar
Friday only
11:00-11:45 & 12:00-12:45
Registered yoga teacher, Linzy Na Nakorn, leads a gentle stretch and flow workshop for young children and their families.
Vital Beats
Vital Beats
Terrace Bar
Friday, 13:00-15:00
Saturday, 12:00-14:00
Vital Beats bring a fresh approach to group work and therapeutic music making.
The facilitators are passionate professional artists in the fields of Drum and Song and this energy transmits to participants who join in their sessions.
Book Island
Book Island
Level 1
Friday & Saturday
11:00 – 15:00
If you love reading stories from around the world, you will love Book Island’s stall. They are Bristol’s only children’s publisher and have picture books for all ages. Every family who pays them a visit will receive a free gift!
Music, messiness & merry-making
View 16 images
Music, messiness & merry-making
View 16 images
Stages & Areas
Main Stage
Ground Floor
The Hoo-Ha Main Stage is the place to show off your best dance moves, get involved with silly games and sing along to your favourite songs.
You’ll find the main stage on the lower ground floor of the building – you can’t miss it!
Ground Floor
This is where all the young astronomers come to enter Explorer Dome. You’ll find the Dome opposite our box office. It’s also where you can park your buggies when you arrive.
Stalls bar
Level 1
Up the stairs you’ll find a whole area filled with creative activities you can get involved with. It’s a big space for you to play, get a bit messy and have fun.
Terrace Bar
Level 3
Chill out on our top floor where you’ll find some quieter spaces and activities including kids yoga and tranquil music making.
Relaxed Performance Hour
10-11am Friday & Saturday
A relaxed performance is for families who might require a gentler start to the festival.
From 10-11am on Friday and Saturday activities will be quieter and avoid loud or surprising sounds. The environment will be supportive and relaxed with fewer people.
Download the Hoo-Ha! Accessibility Pack for more information about what to expect when you arrive and during the festival.
The venue
Bristol Beacon
Practical information
Buggy Parking
You can park your buggy in the signposted areas on lower ground floor and level 3 of Bridgehouse.
Baby Changing Facilities
There are baby changing facilities within our disabled toilets on Lower Ground, Ground and Level 3 in Bridgehouse.
Getting Here
Getting Here
Bristol Beacon is located on Trenchard Street in Bristol city centre, 200m from the city centre promenade bus stops. Find out how to get here on foot, by bicycle, bus, car, train and boat.
Access Information
Access Information
Bridgehouse, our café and box office are fully accessible. Find out more about venue facilities, joining our access register, access booking online and website accessibility.
Eat & Drink
Eat & Drink
Our cafe Bristol Loaf will be serving their daily menu of breakfast, lunch including pastries, cakes alongside filled focaccia and ciabatta and artisan loaves.
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Event Ticket Coverage
Protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances with Booking Protect and get a full refund if you’re unable to attend.
