About Us

Brisfest is more than just a music festival, it’s a registered charity set up to support the community in a number of ways:

• We help people into work by providing free training and qualifications, mentoring and by building confidence and skills
• We showcase the best of the South West and provide an arena for upcoming local talent to reach a bigger audience
• We are governed by a board of trustees and a further 90+ volunteer committee members who work year round to plan all aspects of the festival – from décor to line-up, site build to transport, security to catering – this dedicated team brings all of these elements together to create a festival Bristol can be proud o
• We are joined by over 400 volunteers, 2,000 artists, the media and a diverse range of local businesses who help us to bring the whole festival together for one weekend in Septembe
•  The vast majority of our staff and performers work for free. Without their commitment Brisfest wouldn’t be possible
• We invest all profits from Brisfest back into the festival each year to make it bigger and better and to facilitate volunteer development

Our story  

Brisfest was born in 2007 after the sad demise of Ashton Court Festival. Bristol’s beloved community music festival had run into financial problems and declared bankruptcy after three decades entertaining and delighting the people of Bristol.

A group of local volunteers, determined to ensure the survival of a not-for-profit music festival in the city, began building support to create a new event that would showcase the best Bristol had to offer.

From the outset we agreed that public participation would be one of our key aims with involvement open to all. We decided to start small and aim high, beginning in September 2008 with a new location in the city centre. We actively sought feedback and public involvement to create a festival that benefited all members of the local community.

And so, with overwhelming support from the people of Bristol, we began the daunting task of raising £100,000, setting up a charity and planning a large-scale outdoor festival for up to 8,000 visitors a day!

We grew from 14,000 visitors in our first year to 25,000 visitors in 2011. We’ve focused on growing gradually and developing the festival, and our work as a charity, year on year. In 2012, having outgrown our city centre site, we’re moving the festival to its “spiritual home” – Ashton Court Estate.

With an increased capacity of 20,000 people per day, eleven stages, a line-up featuring the best the South West has to offer, and overwhelming local support for our move to Ashton Court, we can’t wait for September! We hope to see you at the Estate for the biggest celebration of music, art, circus, comedy, dance and food that Bristol has ever seen!

Our work as a charity

Championing local artists

• We stage a music festival which provides a platform for local talent to reach a bigger audience, record label scouts and programmers from other festivals
• We host music industry talks and demo panels at the festival where local artists can network and get valuable feedback from industry professionals
• We support artists year round by offering them access to free workshops throughout the year, materials, workshop space, office space, advice and contacts
• Our festival director, Poppy Stephenson, is also a trustee of the Bristol Music Trust and sits on the Bristol Music Industry Forum, campaigning for better coverage of local artists and securing direct support for emerging and established local talent

Helping people into work

• We offer industry work experience, mentoring, skills swap programmes and fund professional training to help our volunteers into employment. So far we have been responsible for securing full-time work for 22 people and have provided references for over 180 more
• We provide valuable work experience for over 400 people each year, including disadvantaged members of the community and those with additional support needs

Good for Bristol

• Brisfest boosts the local economy and draws in visitors from across theUK. A vibrant cultural scene is pivotal to attracting and retaining talent, trade and tourism
• We make the festival as inclusive as possible, ensuring there is something for everyone, keeping the entry price as low as possible and offering almost unlimited volunteering opportunities (to cover all abilities) in exchange for free tickets