Sounds like summer: the best of Bristol’s festival season

Forget Glastonbury, Bristol is where it’s at! We bring you four top gatherings taking place in the south west’s capital during the coming months. Take the train to one of these events and you can sit back, relax and charge your devices while you beat the traffic and swat up on the lesser-known acts on the bill.

NASS Festival

Shepton Mallet, near Bristol
11–14 July
This four-day festival, celebrating new music, skating and BMXing brings together 15,000 revellers to Bath and West Showground, near Bristol. With purpose-built skate and bike parks, alongside five music stages showcasing the best in dubstep, drum and bass, punk and rock music, this is the place to go if you’re looking for raw action. Headliners include rapper Giggs, Rudimental, Cypress Hill and everyone’s summertime favourite, Tom Misch.
nassfestival.com

Take a GWR train to Castle Cary station. A shuttle bus service runs from Castle Cary to the festival every 30 minutes, priced £4 single, £6 return

Bristol Harbour Festival

Various venues
19–21 July
Now in its 47th year, this festival is one of the biggest around, spanning from Welsh Back in the east of the city, to SS Great Britain in the west. Bristol Harbour Festival brings together 250,000 people each summer to celebrate the area’s rich maritime history and enjoy three days of music and events. There will be music stages, tall ships, dance areas, food markets, water display teams, circus acts and much more, so don’t miss out.
bristolharbourfestival.co.uk

Take a GWR train to Bristol Temple Meads station

The Downs Festival

Clifton Downs
31 August
Combining music, performance, art and good food, this one-day festival looks to create a friendly and sharing community that will party the day away, dancing and building connections. As well as a stellar line-up that includes Ms. Lauren Hill, Grace Jones, Neneh Cherry and Idles, there will be loads of independent, ethical traders and a lively children’s area.
thedownsbristol.com

Take a GWR train to Bristol Temple Meads station. Buses will run from Bristol Temple Meads and The Centre to the event site from 12:30 to midnight

Tokyo World

Eastville Park, Bristol
21–22 September
Launched in 2013, after twelve ‘mini-festivals’ at local nightclub Motion, Tokyo World is a festival at the forefront of modern music, specialising in the slickest dance beats on the scene, and especially those artists pushing new sounds. Among this year’s acts are Craig David, who will be presenting his TS5 project, De La Soul, Kurupt FM, Soul II Soul, Leftfield and tons more.
tokyoworld.org

Take a GWR train to Stapleton Road station, which you can reach via Bristol Temple Meads station