Find your place in our creative space!
Come and explore Inside Out – Bristol Beacon’s Open Music Day – with five floors packed full of workshops, activities and performances for everyone.
This is your chance to have a go, join in and find out about everything we do to help make space for music in Bristol.
Enjoy free performances all day from local artists, with plenty of opportunities for everyone to get stuck in – from DJ demonstrations to early years singing workshops.
Find out more about our transformed venue and education spaces ahead of our reopening this November, as well as hearing from community voices in our Sounds of Flight exhibition.
Then, from 7pm, join us for the Next Level Showcase featuring this year’s cohort of emerging Bristol talent, headlined by some very special guests.
Get a flavour of the programme below, we look forward to meeting you!
Open music day presented by Bristol Beacon
10.00 – 16.00
All ages welcome
Free entry all day
Making our events environmentally sustainable
Explore our interactive displays on how we have transformed Bristol Beacon into one of the best and most accessible performance and music education venues in Europe, and chat to our Green Champions about our roadmap to net zero by 2030.
Listen Out
Free music all day from Bristol artists
Wake Up and Sing
11.00 – 11.30
Wake Up and Sing
11.00 – 11.30
Rise and shine!
Join Laurie Stewart, Head of Creative Learning at Bristol Beacon for an intergenerational family sing-song.
Blow the morning cobwebs away with a range of songs to sing together. No musical experience needed.
Bristol Beacon Jazz Ambassadors
12.15 – 12.45
Bristol Beacon Jazz Ambassadors
12.15 – 12.45
Bristol Beacon Jazz Ambassadors are an exciting, experimental and cross-genre band for instrumentalists aged 14-18 years.
A senior Bristol Beacon ensemble, the group play a variety of styles, exploring a range of genres including classic swing, funk, and hip hop. Jazz Ambassadors cover the more straight ahead jazz and vocal standards, while also experiment, improvise and enhance their musical individuality as young musicians.
Ngaio DJ set
13.15 – 13.45
Ngaio DJ set
13.15 – 13.45
Ngaio is a DJ, singer, songwriter and spoken word artist.
Ngaio’s neo-soul vocals and jazz inspired tracks have been played on Radio 1 & 1XTRA. She is a Bristol Youth Studios tutor, has played festivals including Glastonbury and is musical director of a DJ collective and choir.
Ngaio is also a multi disciplinary artist and journalist, working on filming projects with Netflix and BBC.
Nat Oaks
14.15 – 14.45
Nat Oaks
14.15 – 14.45
Next Level 2022 alumni Nat Oaks showcases an innovative blend of hip-hop, lo-fidelity and post-punk goodness.
Fresh out of the South-West and inspired by the history of Trip-Hop, Oaks moved to Bristol in 2020. Their music takes inspiration from Loyle Carner’s earnestness, flow from Lauryn Hill and lyricism from Frank Ocean.
Kutamba
15.15 – 15.45
Kutamba
15.15 – 15.45
Having previously performed at Bristol Takeover, mixing their love for Zimbabwean music in through a western fusion, Kutamba provide a fresh take on some of the world’s most driving and rich music.
Using an ear for detail to capture the wild sound and infectious dance riddim vibes of the Shona language, Kutumba will be taking to the stage to share their joyful high energy performance.
Find Out
Explore and play with interactive activities and exhibitions
Explore our transformation
All day
Explore our transformation
All day
Did you hear? We’re reopening in November this year!
Explore our interactive displays on how we have transformed Bristol Beacon into one of the best and most accessible performance and music education venues in Europe.
Graft graffiti gig poster workshop
12.00 – 15.00
Graft graffiti gig poster workshop
12.00 – 15.00
These workshops are for those aged 8+ only – children aged between 8-13 must be supervised by an adult
Get creative and create your own Gig Poster with local arts collective Graft.
Graft is a small team of mural artists founded on the principles of education, engagement, craft, and, above all, sharing – sharing their passion, knowledge and skills, and sharing in other people’s stories and expertise.
Sounds of Flight Exhibition
All day
Sounds of Flight Exhibition
All day
In the Glass Room exhibition space, find a soundscape of stories from community workshops delivered in libraries across Bristol. asking ‘How did we get here in Bristol?’.
Whether that was from one side of the city to the other, moving next door or crossing countries and continents, our exhibition of sound, art, music and testimony will celebrate the stories of the people that make Bristol a community.
Produced in partnership with global majority led cross-arts company Brolly Productions.
Act Out
Sharpen your musical skills with interactive workshops
Magical Elephant Adventure family workshops
10.15 – 11.00 and 11.20 – 12.05
Free, but ticket must be booked in advance
Magical Elephant Adventure family workshops
10.15 – 11.00 and 11.20 – 12.05
Free, but ticket must be booked in advance
Join trombonist Raph for this marvellous musical workshop for children under 5 and their parents and carers.
Make your own junk percussion, design your own animal masks and join the melodious animal parade. Packed with singing, wiggling and animal dance moves, this free workshop will delight little and big people alike.
Workshop 1: 10.15 – 11.00 (sold out)
Workshop 2: 11.20 – 12.05 (sold out)
PULSE: Open samba fusion workshop
12.30 – 13.30
PULSE: Open samba fusion workshop
12.30 – 13.30
Join local Samba troop The Sambistas and find out yourself how music can make you feel good.
Drop-in and learn how to play Samba music and move with our PULSE wellbeing music practitioners and The Sambistas. Open to all – though be aware this will get loud!
DJ Skills Demonstration
14.45 – 15.15
DJ Skills Demonstration
14.45 – 15.15
Join Bristol DJ, producer and Bristol Youth Studios tutor Chiara (DJ Ef Kia) for an interactive demonstration on how to use DJ equipment and produce music – live!
Chiara teaches DJ skills as part of Bristol Youth Studios – our contemporary music programme for 13 – 17 year olds. Chiara has also worked as a music educator for Creative Youth Network, BIMM Bristol and in theatre sound production, as well as owning her own label and event companies.
Instrument Zoo
All day
Instrument Zoo
All day
Ever wanted to try a trombone? Curious about the cello or want to sample the sax? Now is your chance!
For anyone interested in learning more about musical instruments or those who just want to make some noise, visit our Instrument Zoo with a selection of the instruments we have on offer to learn throughout the year.
Pick your instrument and make some music with the Bristol Beacon team.
Next Level Showcase
From 7pm, join us for the Next Level Showcase headlined by the UK’s most exciting new Rap artist Miss Lafamilia and DJ McCoy Sway and performances from this year’s Next Level cohort.
Our Transformation
Our Transformation
Discover more about the project, get the latest updates from the site, and find out how you can support us.
Opening Programme Announcements
Opening Programme Announcements
Sign up and be the first to know about our opening programme and for regular email updates
The venue
Bridgehouse
at Bristol Beacon
Our foyer space located within Bristol Beacon where we host events, performances and conferences.
Getting to the venue
Location: Bridgehouse is located within Bristol Beacon with entrances on Colston Street and Trenchard Street.
Address: Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
Bicycle
Bicycle racks can be found in front of the main entrance on Trenchard Street, Colston Street, and on the city centre promenade. Find your nearest cycle routes using Cycle Planner.
Car parking
Trenchard Street multi-storey car park is 50m away directly behind Bristol Beacon.
Bristol Clean Air Zone
Bristol Beacon is inside the Bristol Clean Air Zone. Check if your vehicle will be charged and how much you’ll have to pay.
Bus
The city centre bus stop is 250m from Bristol Beacon where most bus services stop.
Access
Mobility
Bridgehouse has level access from street level with lifts to all levels. For unallocated seated performances, seats can easily be removed to accommodate wheelchairs.
Assistance Dogs
Registered assistance dogs and emotional support animals are allowed in the venue.
Hearing Facility
There is an induction loop at the box office. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting. There is no hearing loop facility for the foyer stage.
Eat & Drink
Eat & Drink
We’ve got plenty of places for you to relax and refill. From coffee and cake, to delicious sharing boards, to full menus.