Discovering your city
The sound of Bristol
Bristol's music scene fires on all cylinders, with festivals championing new music and venues where you can enjoy everything from unsigned bands to chart acts.
Venues like the Big Chill in the city centre and the Canteen in Stokes Croft are popular with students and gig spaces vary from small venues, such as the Louisiana, to the 02 Academy for big name acts. The clubbing scene has it all too, from huge, multi-million-pound clubs to intimate underground venues.
Cultural life
The city is rich in culture, with major art shows at the Royal West of England Academy and Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery.The Harbourside is something of a cultural hub, too. It is home to MShed – Bristol’s newest museum, which tells the fascinating story of the city and the Arnolfini - one of Europe's leading centres for contemporary art. As well as a variety of multiplexes showing the latest blockbusters, Bristol is home to a number of independent cinemas such as the Cube Microplex.
You can catch musical theatre and headline shows at the Hippodrome and the UK's oldest working theatre the Bristol Old Vic. There are several comedy venues including the Tobacco Factory. Bristol is where the illusionist and former Bristol University student Derren Brown first performed and among the city’s sons are comedians Lee Evans and Russell Howard
Eat, drink, shop
Bristol’s central shopping area Cabot Circus is consumer heaven for shopaholics with big-name stores and famous high-street names. If you’re looking for something that’s a little bit different, St Nicholas Market brings together local traders selling everything from handmade jewellery to chilli sauce, and there are hundreds of distinctive independent shops close to the University in the Clifton and Gloucester Road areas.
If food is your thing, you will love Bristol. As well as the usual gamut of curry houses and pizza joints for cheap student eats, there are plenty of top-end restaurants including Bordeaux Quay, the UK's first eco-restaurant. Global food in all its diversity is celebrated widely in Bristol, which is home to a range of nationally acclaimed ethnic eateries.
A green capital
Bristol has earned a reputation as a green capital based on the quality of its open space. As well as The Downs (about 400 acres of grassed, green space) Bristol has over 450 parks and open spaces for you to enjoy, which is proportionately more than any other UK city.
Bristol was one of three finalists for the European Green Capital Award 2014, which aims to provide an incentive for cities to share best practices and become role models. Many of the city’s attractions, restaurants and accommodation have been recognised for their commitment to sustainability and green tourism.
Bristol further proved worthy of its green credentials by being named England’s first Cycling City.
An active community
If you love sport, you’ll love Bristol. The two local football teams are Bristol City in the south and Bristol Rovers in the north and their stadiums host international football matches, rugby and other big sporting events.~
If you want to get involved in adventurous sports, you can try rock climbing in the Avon Gorge or one of the city’s climbing centres, mountain biking at Ashton Court or kite-flying on the Downs. Further afield, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall provide fantastic opportunities for walking, surfing and other outdoor activities.
Made in Bristol
Bristol has an international reputation for innovation and is home to many science and technology organisations. Concorde – the world’s first commercial supersonic jet – was designed and built in Filton; Ribena, the much-loved blackcurrant drink, was invented here and Aardman Animations, creator of the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit films, is based in the city.
A festival city
Bristol is also famous for hosting a wide range of festivals throughout the year, including the acclaimed International Balloon Fiesta, St Paul's Carnival and the Harbour Festival.
A city for life
When you experience the quality of life Bristol has to offer – the perfect mix of urban bustle and rural tranquillity – you will be pleased that you chose to come here. Many of our students love the city so much that they stay in Bristol after graduation. Almost a fifth of Bristol graduates successfully find work in Bristol and choose to make the city their home.
The city is big enough to be exciting and keep you entertained, but small enough that it is safe, accessible, and you can get everywhere quite quickly. It’s a vibrant city with lots of festivals and events taking place..
Ed Richards, Fourth year, BVSc Veterinary Science