Not only does Bristol boast a vast array of restaurants, cafes, markets and foodie hotspots to explore, but throughout the year there is also a plethora of food and drink events and festivals to enjoy.
Whether you’re into fine dining, vegan cuisine, craft beer or chicken wings, there’s something for everyone here. And, what’s more, these celebrations often take place in some wondrous parts of Bristol – at quirky indoor or luscious outdoor venues – with music and other entertainment as well.
Some even allow you to bring your four legged friend, while others have specific child-free days, so you can mingle with friends and colleagues and keep the kids and their sticky fingers at home. Here’s the festivals and events in the calendar so far, but watch this space for more as the year goes on…
March
Free From Festival
When: March 8 & 9
Where: Document, 10 Eugene Street, St Jude’s, Bristol, BS5 0TN
The UK’s only gluten and dairy-free food festival is coming to Bristol this March. Here, festivalgoers can enjoy a foodie festival experience, discovering and sampling a wide range of products without the worry of whether you can eat them.
Imagine chocolate, mouth-watering desserts, savoury snacks and street food galore. There will also be gluten-free beer, organic wine, and refined sugar-free beverages at the bar. Join the talks and demos by nutritionists and industry professionals to learn some great tips on how to cook healthy, tasty food without using gluten or dairy and other top 14 allergens.
Tickets will be split into morning and afternoon sessions, with the festival running between 11am-6pm on the Saturday, and 10am-5pm on the Sunday. Tickets vary in price, with the most expensive costing £64.39 and including early access and a VIP goodie bag – ordinary individual sessions cost £16.47 each, with children aged 12 and under (and carer/companion tickets) going free.
May
South Gloucestershire Food & Drink Festival (Spring)
When: May 17 & 18
Where: The lawns of Bristol & Bath Science Park, BS16 7FR
The South Gloucestershire Food & Drink Festival – spring edition – boasts a whole weekend celebrating food and drink and promising festivalgoers they won’t be leaving hungry thanks to the ‘array of deliciousness available for every preference’. Hosted on the lawns at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, the festival will be serving up everything from sweet treats to savoury delights, classic real ale, cocktails, and more.
There will be live music to entertain. Plus, dogs are welcome on leads, so you can bring your four-legged friend with you for a great day or two out.
A limited number of free tickets are available – grab yours quickly before they’re gone. Once free tickets sell out, General Admission (16+) will be £3 + booking fee. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
June
Bristol Craft Beer Festival
When: June 13 & 14
Where: Harbourside
Dubbed ‘the best beer festival ever’ according to its website, Bristol Craft Beer Festival is back this year giving festivalgoers the chance to sample more than 300 beers from over 50 breweries, and enjoy plenty more food, drinks varieties and live music. All your beer is included with your ticket, too.
This year’s line-up of brewers includes the likes of Arbor, Bristol Beer Factory, Left Handed Giant, New Bristol Brewery, Wiper and True, Basement Beer, St Austell Brewery, and many more. There will also be food from the likes of Bocca Di Bianchis, Bone Daddies, Dead Wingers, Meltdown Cheeseburgers, and The Jolly Hog.
Tickets can be purchased as standard or group options. Standard tickets cost £57 for one session (afternoon or night), or £158 for a weekender ticket. Group tickets grant a discount when you purchase in groups of four plus. Find out more here.
July
Feast On
When: July 24 – 27
Where: The Downs
Feast On returns to the Downs this summer for a festival filled with restaurant pop-ups, a banqueting area, produce market, beer and cocktails, live music, cooking demos, open fire cooking, children’s entertainment, eating challenges, food tasting, wine tasting, and food sustainability talks.
Bristol names in the world of food – like Pasture, Nadu, Harbour House, Koocha, The Jolly Hog, Bocca Di Bianchi, The Bank Tavern, Caper & Cure, Bomba Tapas, and more – will be among the line-up this year.
Tickets are already on sale, ranging from between £8.25 to £48.84, depending on ticket type and sessions. You can venture out for a special summer work party package, or make the most of the current second release and VIP second release day tickets at time of writing.
September
Wing Fest
When: September 5-7
Where: Harbourside Amphitheatre
The ‘world’s largest chicken wing festival’, Wing Fest returns to Bristol’s Amphitheatre this year, with tickets including all live music, DJs, bands, entertainment, rides, games, axe throwing, eating competitions, and official Wing Fest trucker hats. Every year the event showcases the best chicken wings that Bristol has to offer, with thousands of lucky ticket holders and a judging panel deciding whose wings are best.
This year, some 100,000 wings will be served by 18 different street food vendors, restaurants and BBQ teams. Ticket prices vary depending on the session you choose – £19.50 for the Friday evening over 18s event, and £23.50 for each day and evening session that follows.
South Gloucestershire Food & Drink Festival (Autumn)
When: September 13 & 14
Where: The lawns of Bristol & Bath Science Park, BS16 7FR
The South Gloucestershire Food & Drink Festival – autumn edition – boasts a whole weekend celebrating food and drink and promising festivalgoers they won’t be leaving hungry thanks to the ‘array of deliciousness available for every preference’. Hosted on the lawns at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, the festival will be serving up everything from sweet treats to savoury delights, classic real ale, cocktails, and more.
There will be local live music to entertain. Plus, dogs are welcome on leads, so you can bring your four-legged friend with you for a great day or two out.
A limited number of free tickets are available – grab yours quickly before they’re gone. Once free tickets sell out, General Admission (16+) will be £3 + booking fee. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
November
Spirit of the South West
Where: Spirited, 196 North Street, Southville, BS3 1JF
When: Dates TBC
This festival celebrating makers of spirits from across the South West, will return sometime in 2025. According to the 2025 events page on the Spirit of the South West/Spirited website: “We’re incredibly lucky to be based in the South West of England, where we have some of the UK’s most innovative and exciting distilleries right here on our doorstep, so for one day only we bring them together to showcase their delicious spirits and engaging stories.
“To celebrate the people, places and produce of this stunning corner of Great Britain for the third time, we will be welcoming these craftspeople into our shop for tastings, cocktails and one or two special treats in November 2025. Date TBC. Watch this space.”