What's On in Bristol

Back to the Future The Musical — Great Scott — one of the most beloved science-fiction stories ever told is reimagined as a full-blown West End musical, and it rolls into Bristol Hippodrome at 7:30pm for a night of time-travelling spectacle, showstopping songs, and more than a little nostalgia. Expect jaw-dropping stagecraft, a live band, and an audience grinning from ear to ear whether they first saw the film in 1985 or last week on a streaming service. Check the website for tickets, and do not leave it too late.

Fireworks 2026 | Seat Unique Stadium — November would not feel right without fireworks, and this one at Seat Unique Stadium promises a proper display to kick off the evening at 6:00pm. It is the kind of event that works for absolutely everyone — kids with wide eyes, couples wrapped in scarves, friends with thermoses of something warm — and the stadium setting means you get a brilliant vantage point without fighting through a muddy field. Check the website for ticket and access details.

Messa | Thekla — Italian doom-metal quartet Messa bring their hypnotic, cinematic heaviness aboard Bristol's legendary floating venue, the Thekla, from 6:00pm. Their sound weaves together occult atmosphere, jazz-tinged instrumentation, and genuinely powerful vocals into something that feels utterly unlike anything else in heavy music right now. If you have never experienced Thekla's intimate, below-deck atmosphere for a band this intense, tonight is the night to change that — check the website for tickets.

High Fade - Twice As Nice Tour - Trinity, Bristol — High Fade bring their Twice As Nice Tour to the magnificent Trinity Centre at 7:30pm, and at £20 this is a live music ticket well worth snapping up. The converted church setting gives the night a warmth and grandeur that few venues in Bristol can match, wrapping the music in something genuinely special. This is a room that rewards turning up early and soaking in every moment.

Dazed Muzic presents: General Levy — The legendary General Levy — the MC whose voice has been foundational to UK jungle and drum and bass for over three decades — takes over the Thekla from 10:00pm for what promises to be an absolutely electric late-night session. At £10–£18 this is the kind of event that serious heads will already have in the diary, but if you have been sleeping on it, wake up. The Thekla's hull practically vibrates on nights like this, and General Levy on form is something you genuinely do not forget.

ACCESS: House & Techno Free Rave — If your Friday night budget is tight, Lakota has your back with a house and techno free rave from 10:00pm where entry costs anywhere from nothing to £5 on the door. Lakota is one of Bristol's most storied nightlife institutions, a venue with real heritage and a sound system that does the music justice every single time. Few things beat discovering a genuinely great rave for the price of a bus fare — do not overthink it, just go.