The secret carnival at the Volunteer Tavern

The secret carnival at the Volunteer Tavern

Posted on: 17 Jul 2023

Every other Tuesday, a free, fantasy carnival takes over the Volunteer Tavern in Old Market – and it’s the most Bristol thing ever.

The Volunteer Tavern – or the ‘Volly’ – is a tucked away pub at the edges of Old Market, just between Portland Square and the Old Market road itself. Known for their community spirit, delicious in-house food (check out their roasts), and seriously beautiful garden, the Volly is something of a hidden gem, and beloved amongst those in the know.

They have a schedule of all the events you’d expect from a good pub – including a Monday pub quiz, an open mic on Wednesday, and the aforementioned roast on Sundays. But as of the last few months, a new event has been packing the Volly out on Tuesdays – “Carving’s Carnival”, or simply “Carnifolk”.

Carnifolk describe themselves as “an ancient festival celebrating the magic of music and community”. You might describe it as a mini-festival in the mould of something like Shambala, or Boomtown – with some describing it as a “cross between Boomtown and Dungeons & Dragons”.

Carving’s Carnival takes place in a fantastical 13th Century, when the Volunteer Tavern would have stood at the very edge of what was at the time called “Brycgstow”. In the world of Carnifolk, Brycgstow is controlled by the right-wing, draconican “Conservatorium” (read: Conservative Party) – and Carving’s Carnival is set up outside the walls of Brycgstow to fight for love, community and nature.

The event itself takes place in and around the pub, with punters choosing how involved they want to get; the characters (including, but not limited to, a sentient mushroom, a magic item salesman, and a synth-operating witch) walk around the venue, issuing quests to whoever wants them. In return for completing quests, visitors receive the in-house currency – ‘Niblets’ – that they can use to buy gifts and trinkets to take away with them as mementos.

The entire event is also scored by a continuous, improvised jam – an impressive feat seeing as the event stretches over three hours – and music is often core to the stories and quests that take place. For instance, the show usually ends with a rousing sing-along call to raise a glass and “sing, smile and cry” – an offer the audience accept with wild abandon.

Carnifolk takes place every other Tuesday, from 7pm-10pm, at the Volunteer Tavern. Check out their Facebook and Instagram for more info. The next event is Tuesday the 25th of July - get all the info on Headfirst.

Read more:

Article by:

Patrick Bate

Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.