So August Bank Holiday folks is the date for this lovely little festival. This was my first time…read morehere, but actually it's only been running for 2 years. Tickets cost £40 for adults, and children are £1. Get them quick as it does sell out. This is a family festival, and my friends kids absolutely loved it, and why wouldn't they...... face painting, and arts and crafts...and even a bouncy castle for them...and best of all this was all free. The site itself was clean and had plenty of space for the tents and to sit outside, but then we are talking about around 1500 people. And there was plenty of entertainment for adults and party goers too...from the 5 stages - with acoustic sounds from the Otters Pocket, chill out at the Lotus Flower,or hit the brilliant Dub tent which had some great Reggae, and Drum n Bass blasting out. When the sound systems shut down at midnight, you then get a chance to head to silent disco...where you can party til 3.30am...and potentially back to the lotus flower after that if you're hoping to catch the sunrise. The vibe was fun and friendly...and they have big ideas for the future so this is definitely one to watch. My only criticism would be that there were too many covers bands...but then this is a learning curve...and I have no doubt this will change in future years. A brilliant little festival, and well worth checking out.

Yes, went to this last night to see Distance and Youngster, and was genuinely blown away by the…read moreformer. It wasn't the sort of now cliched chainsaw dubstep, but more of a groove-ridden, yet thoroughly modern-sounding dub at 140bpm. Brilliant. The system in room 1 at Basement 45 suited it perfectly - clear, punchy and bassy as all hell. Nothing short of excellent. The room was packed, but had just about enough space to dance in, though watch yourself if you find yourself near the edge, where the tunnel-shaped room slopes down to the floor - my friend hit her head in a moment of excitement when a new bassline came in. Room 2 gave you a bit more of a break - it was more tear out, but only had a handful of hardcore fans inside, with plenty of space to dance. I'd highly recommend Skizm at Basement 45.

What a great space. As we wandered to a restaurant for dinner (that ultimately turned out to be…read moreclosed), we noticed this hall all lit up with purple lights which of course pulled us inside. There was a live band playing in the foyer...all Prince covers. The band was great, the acoustics were good and the crowd was grooving. Turns out we had walked into a Prince tribute. People were dressed in their best 80s/purple/Princewear and it was great. We listened for a few songs but then headed off so we didn't get to see Purple Rain or the inside of the theater. I'm sure it was great.

Just completed this is a building in its own right, although most people would only come here…read morebecause they're watching something a the Colston Hall. It's hard to miss, finished with Gold coloured cladding. It looks a bit like someone put a gigantic gold ingot onto the skyline of Bristol. Inside is all black metal and ikea-ish coffee tables. There's a rather smart bar on the ground floor, which is fairly expensive (more than three quid for a pint) but not too bad. They sometimes have events here (I recently came to see my friend playing the guitar). The sort of thing you get is usually quite small, community based events, to give you an idea of what to expect. It's a brilliant space for some light theatre - a few sketches or something like that . The big windows mean that it doesn't' get too dark though. It's not a proper venue, that's the Colston Hall itself. Recently finished and still feeling new Colston Hall Foyer is pretty sleek, and only feels a little like its trying a bit to hard with the gold cladding.

This is a slightly belated review - the shitstorm surrounding ATP's Jabberwocky is currently going…read moredown which makes me even more impressed with how Temples handled everything, given they're a brand new festival catering to a pretty small market. Temples is a 3-day festival in May with a bill full of sludge, doom, death, and black metallers as well as a healthy infusion of hardcore and crust punk - similar in scope to Leeds' Damnation Festival. A happy lineup then. 2014 saw the festival headlined by Electric Wizard, Neurosis, and Clutch - I went for the first two days which contained a near-ideal lineup of bands I like. Firstly, where do you put a bunch of metalheads? The simple answer to that is in a skate park in the industrial area of the city where no-one really goes at the weekend. I can tell that Motion is probably a pretty filthy, Skins-esque club. Just a inkling. Pros: - actually a pretty good venue all-in-all. Decent sized, big sound system. - incredible lineup - 1 hour of Amenra + 2 hours of Neurosis was pretty much the ultimate cathartic experience. - awesome artwork - one of the main pieces was worked on in the main foyer throughout the weekend. - very responsive organisation: some logistical things were tried, failed, and promptly removed. Other concerns were addressed quickly. - helpful on-site staff (one of them told my friend how they were initially expecting trouble from the crowd but were shocked by how nice they are...especially compared to the raves which take place at the venue). Cons: - problems with food vendors who didn't show up so the queues for very mediocre chips was huuuge. - not great beer. Beer geeks and music geeks are often one and the same. Red Stripe and Guinness doesn't quite cut it with this crowd. - The venue is a bit awkward in that the only way to the second stage is via the main stage. Stage times were generally alternated between the two stages, so you got a bit of a logjam in the adjoining area which was not ideal. For a first time event, I was really impressed. Teething problems were on the whole addressed pretty swiftly and you can tell the management are passionate about what they're doing. Next year (2015) has acts such as Converge, Pig Destroyer, Nails, and Celeste. The lineup's looking rather more uptempo than this year, sounds like it'll be a great one. They're expecting you...

I'm a big fan of Trinity as a venue, art centre and community space. These guys do so much more…read morethan a lot of people know about. First and foremost, and what you'll probably know it for, Trinity is a music venue. They host some big names and book some really cool up-and-coming acts. I saw Disclosure there about 18 months ago with a crowd of 300. And I know that Alt-J also played there shortly after they won the Mercury prize a couple of years back. During the day, early evenings and weekends you'll find lots of regular dance and music classes for kids and young adults and over 50's. They also do bike workshops and monthly gardening sessions going on. You can also hire Trinity for your own events or gigs, which is something I've looked when hosting events before. A few of us went o Trinity of Sunday evening for their annual firework display. It was RAMMED! The queues was huge but the seemed to get everybody in pretty quickly. The fireworks were good, but nothing spectacular. Good value for the £2 donation though. Trinity is now home to Bump Roller Disco. They do kids and adult sessions and it's definitely on my list of things to do in Bristol. I've never roller skated before, so we'll see how that goes!

The Trinity is very much a part of Bristolian culture, and is typical of the values and aspirations…read moreof many of the creative types that live here. An 800 capacity venue, with a multi-purpose remit, the programme is pretty varied. I've been to vintage fairs and flea markets here, attended closing night extravaganzas / after show parties of the indie music festival, Venn Festival, and been to well patronised gigs of amazing singer-songwriters like Josh Ritter and Laura Marling. Being a converted church, there's a sizable garden, that is often used during the summer. They have a fully licensed bar at most events, offering some great local ales and organic drinks, but i find them a little pricey.

I literally can't wait for this years' Harbour Festival, I only managed to catch bits and pieces of…read moreit last year as I had only just moved to Bristol. This year, 2010, it'll be going down 30th July - 01st August, and do you want to know the best thing about it? It's freeeeeeeee! Amazingly, it's been going for 39 years, and while I wouldn't want to bore you with trivial statistics and facts, what it means is, this weekend has been running for enough years for them to have worked out what works and what doesn't! There will be not one, not two, not three, but eight, yes eight stages with a variety of music for all tastes. It's generally a great weekend, don't miss it!

This much-loved summer festival sees literally hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Bristol…read morefor a weekend of eating, drinking and wishing we owned a boat. Many of my friends come down specifically for this weekend, usually around the end of July, beginning of August. All the boats in the harbour tart themselves up with bunting and the like and there are plenty of food stalls where you can buy everything from candy floss to wheels of cheese! There are plenty of market type stalls if shopping is your thing and all the bars and pubs around the waterfront are jam-packed with people making the most of drinks promotions and the outside seating. A fantastic weekend of entertainment, and it's all for free! Last year I spent it drinking cider and watching VV Brown play on the main stage in a packed Lloyds Amphitheatre and can't wait to do the same this year.

If you want a festival which is a bit rough around the edges but packed full of passion you'll love…read moreThe Bristol Festival. It's only been going for a couple of years, so it's still trying to find its feet a little bit, but it's got a lot going for it. There's live music, a cabaret tent, face painting, market stalls, a drum workshop and charcoal drawing to be done. It isn't quite as slick as other festivals: there's a long wait between bands on the Mr Wolf's music stage and there's not a great deal of choice of food and drinks. But there's loads to take part in, all covered by the ticket price, a fantastic party atmosphere and an interesting mix of people. Among the many highlights, my favourite thing at the Bristol Festival was learning how to graffiti. I loved the paint dripping down my arm, breathing in the toxins while recklessly defacing a wall (all very controlled and legal, you understand!) I can't wait for the next festival, as I'm sure it's going to get bigger and better every year. If you want to help out or perform check out the website and get stuck in!

Despite it's own independent stance, Bristol Festival is undoubtedly a reaction to the unfortunate…read morelost of the annual Ashton Court Festival a few years go. Taking place each September around the waterfront, Lloyds Amphitheatre and Queens Square, Bristol comes alive with food, music and plenty of cider. Spread over two days, the evening portion of events sees several clubs come together for Rave on Avon - a wrist band will get you in to places like Blue Mountain, Lakota and Mr Wolfs. Speaking of wristbands, although there are stalls and stages around Bristol, the main stages require a wristband, that can either be bought for one day, both days or both nights. It's a shame that this festival usually falls around the same weekend that first year uni students move into halls as it means they miss out on the opportunity to experience what is fast becoming a classic Bristol event. The festival is all about volunteering and the organisers hold regular consultations and fundraiser club nights throughout the year so that the festival can go ahead.

Once upon a time this was a small local festival taking place every now and again out back at a…read morepub. Now it's one of the largest folk music festivals in the United Kingdom. It takes place during summer every year, at the beginning of the summer holidays, and is a very family friendly event. This is the ideal festival for those with young children and an aversion to massive crowds, the like you find at Glastonbury. There are many regulars who return year after year, and the festival is becoming ever more popular year after year too. This was the festival that I was taken to as a child. I could probably draw you a map of it down to the last blade of grass. With live music, dancing and a wonderful variety of stalls, this festival can be a little bit of an unforgettable experience. This year the festival takes place from the 22nd-25th of July, and includes acts such as Show of Hands, Bellowhead and many, many others. Quickly, book now!