Bristol Harbour Festival, one of the country’s largest free festivals, returns this weekend with performances, music, activities and maritime themed events. This year’s quirky highlights will include a poetry machine, a hula hooping street show, baby racing, stilt walking mer-people and an aircraft carrier challenge.
Now in its 48th year, Bristol Harbour Festival is set along four miles of the city centre, from the SS Great Britain to Welshback. This year’s programme will feature live music, performances, family entertainment, food, markets, and maritime themed entertainment and sports.
Maritime highlights at this year’s festival will include an Aircraft Carrier Challenge, a Cardboard Boat Race, and Jetski Stunts.
Entertainment will include circus, street dance and poetry performances, live music and children’s activities. Highlights over the weekend will include Cirque Bijou’s mix of circus and music, Men in Slacks’ highline walk, and swinging trapeze act Korri Aulakh. Visitors can get a customised typewritten poem, try a circus workshop or make a seed bomb in the bee garden.
There will be an eclectic line-up of live music with everything from traditional Japanese drumming and Samba bands to shanty songs and folk music. There will also be punk rock aerobics, some unusual sloths, and walkabout pirates.
Bristol Harbour Festival is the city’s flagship free family event and cultural celebration. Running for more than 40 years, it has become Bristol Council’s largest event in its annual events programme. The festival celebrates Bristol’s harbourside with a programme of arts and cultural activity, providing local businesses, communities, cultural organisations and artists with an opportunity to come together and participate in a large-scale celebration of the city.
When: 19th – 21st July 2019
Where: Bristol city centre
£: Free
More info: www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk