Simple Things Festival will return tomorrow, bringing a mix of live music, electronic acts and DJ sets to the city.
Now in its eleventh edition, the festival began in 2011 as a one-day event celebrating Bristol’s independent venues and its reputation for musical innovation.
This year’s headliner is Nala Sinephro, a Belgian-Caribbean experimental jazz musician currently based in London. Other performers include The Bug, who will be closing Beacon Hall, Warrior Queen, Blackhaine, and new-gen vocalists such as Scottish post-punks VLURE.
As in previous editions, performances will take place across multiple city venues, including Bristol Beacon, Strange Brew, Rough Trade, and Thekla, turning the city centre into a network of stages.
Many a rising star has graced the Simple Things stage, with Irish rock band Fontaines D.C headlining back in 2018.
So while the programme continues to attract national attention, organisers have kept the focus on Bristol itself. The festival’s format aims to highlight the importance of small and mid-sized independent venues to the city’s creative economy, especially at a time when many face rising costs and closures.
It comes after a summer which saw the closure of Motion, one of Bristol’s most iconic and well-loved music venues.
Simple Things is a festival built entirely around existing urban spaces rather than temporary sites. Fourteen years after its debut, it still functions as both a showcase for new music and a celebration of the infrastructure that keeps the Bristol music scene alive.
