A brand new free-to-attend, one day festival is coming to Bristol’s Old City in August

A brand new free-to-attend, one day festival is coming to Bristol’s Old City in August

Posted on: 05 Jul 2023

Taking over King Street, St Stephen’s Church, St Nicholas Street and St Nicks Market, Old City Sounds will cover everything from soul to swing, folk to funk and busking to blues.

 

Old City Sounds will run throughout Bristol Old City between 12 PM and 6 PM on Saturday 26 August 2023.

 

This completely free, family-friendly event is sure to jazz up Bristol’s August Bank Holiday weekend with a celebration of Bristol’s musical soul aimed at those young (and young at heart) on the final day of the 2023 summer holidays.

 

For more information, and to keep an eye on updates, head to the event website.

 

 

Organised by Bristol City Centre BID, this free inaugural outdoor festival is sure to prove a day of musical fun for all the family with a diverse musical programme planned over four melodic zones located in the Old City.

 

The beloved Old Duke Jazz Festival will feature as part of King Street’s ‘Old City Jazz Zone’ with a busy lineup of live jazz talent from all over Bristol and beyond, with folk, funk and swing also taking centre stage.

 

Keeping children entertained during the final throws of the school holidays will be the ‘Old City Kids Area’ in the garden of St Stephen’s Church. Young ones will be able to enjoy storytelling from legendary Bristol bookshop Stanfords, bubble artists, face painting, circus performers, jugglers, and giant garden games.

There will also be live versions of children’s classics played by local Bristol musicians on St Stephen’s Street which will be pedestrianised, allowing parents to relax and enjoy the music. Interactive and musical renditions of children’s stories and plays can also be enjoyed with Little Music Makers.

 

St Nicks Market will be home to a bumper programme of buskers with ‘Old City Acoustics’ welcoming talented local musicians from BIMM to perform as part of the event, allowing visitors to shop, eat and enjoy top quality music all at the same time. Nearby Corn Street will host the ‘Bristol Indies’ Market’, selling locally crafted gifts, vintage clothing and more.

 

If that wasn’t enough, St Nicholas Street will be hosting musicians and vocalists from around Bristol and beyond as part of the ‘Old City Eclectic’ area. With a diverse selection of classical and nu-wave players including virtuoso flamenco guitarist Flamenco Thief and soul vocalist China Bowles, this stage is sure to paint a smile on attendees both young and old.

Old City Sounds will run throughout Bristol Old City between 12 PM and 6 PM on Saturday 26 August 2023. For more information, visit the website. 

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.