Top things to do in Bristol — week of 30 March
Bristol week of 30 March: Strange Brew is doing the kind of line-up I would queue around the block for, and the Old Crown is back to its proper Sunday self.
Right, week of the 30th. Big week, two proper club nights, a couple of decent gigs, and the Sunday roast that I am building my entire week around.
Quick plug, then I will shut up about it: I keep all of this on the Bristol this-week page on Rifio because checking Headfirst and RA separately is a faff.
Monday: Recovery
Nothing on. Genuinely. The Bristol Monday calendar is shocking and I refuse to lie about it.
If you are climbing the walls, the Old Crown does a £6 burger night on Mondays and the bar is quiet enough to hear yourself think.
Tuesday: Strange Brew, listening session
Strange Brew runs a Tuesday listening session — DJ plays a record front to back, no chat, you just sit there and listen. £8, lovely, slightly pretentious, I love it.
This week's record is dub-flavoured, so it should be a proper one.
Wednesday: Free meetup at Engine Shed
The Bristol product community do a Wednesday social at Engine Shed — free, drinks are cheap, the talks are about 20 minutes total which is the right amount. Mix of founders, designers, the occasional Sifted journalist looking for a story.
Thursday: Motion warm-up
Motion does a Thursday warm-up — smaller room, £10, proper sound system. Good way to test whether you can handle the Saturday at full volume.
Friday: Strange Brew, the main event
Two rooms, £14. Upstairs is dub and reggae through til 2, downstairs is jungle and amens. Line-up has two names I would have paid double for, alot of value here.
Get there for 11 if you want into the downstairs room without queuing.
Saturday: Lakota
Big room is back to full capacity after the renovations. The queue starts at 10:30, the music starts at 11. £18, runs til 6am if you have the legs for it.
The toilets are still a war zone but the sound is genuinely better than before.
Sunday: Old Crown roast, then a long walk
The Old Crown roast is the best in central Bristol and the queue at 1pm proves it. Book a 12:30 slot. £18, they do the trimmings properly, the lamb is the move.
After: walk the harbour, stop for a pint at the Apple, go home, sleep for 14 hours.
That is the week. Two club nights, one listening session, one networking thing for the people who like that, one roast I will be writing about untill I die. Save them on Rifio if you do not want to forget — the Bristol bass-music filter gets refreshed daily.
- 1
Strange Brew Friday
Stokes Croft · £14 · FriTwo-room night, dub upstairs and amen breaks downstairs, one of the best line-ups this quarter.
- 2
Lakota Saturday
Stokes Croft · £18 · SatThe big room is back to full capacity after the works. Bring earplugs and patience for the queue.
- 3
Old Crown Sunday roast
Old City · £18 · SunThe roast is the entire reason you came. Book ahead.
FAQ
- What does this list cover?
- Mon 30 Mar to Sun 5 Apr 2026, mostly Stokes Croft, Easton, Old City.
- Mostly bass nights?
- No, but there is a fair amount because this is Bristol and that is the whole point.
9 comments
- kez·
strange brew friday was outrageous, the dub set til 2 was untouchable
- Marlon·
lakota queue at 10:30 was real, but the new sound system genuinely worth it
- tash·
old crown roast is the best in town. fight me. 12:30 booking was perfect timing
- jay c·
strange brew tuesday listening session is so good, quietly the best £8 night in bristol
- Beth W·
engine shed wed was sound, met two product folk im now working with
- milo·
motion thurs warmup is genuinely the right way to do a club weekend, dont overdo saturday
- aisha·
found these via rifio search, saved the lot, weekend sorted
- rich·
monday burger night at old crown is real, £6 and a proper pint, no notes
- lola·
lakota toilets warning was deserved, but the music made up for it
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