By Gabriel Lordon, Third Year Philosophy
Littered with Banksys and responsible for pioneering the 'Bristol Sound', the city is a veritable goldmine for music and arts. Despite this, I don’t feel that what Bristol has on offer is fully explored and enjoyed by the majority of its student population.
Whilst there’s plenty of fun to be had in a night out to a student club or pub crawl down Whiteladies road, there’s a lot to be gained from venturing outside of the much-loved Triangle area. I argue doing so will not only help students to become further integrated into Bristol’s community but also allow us to look back at our time here knowing we really made the most of it.
You have most likely heard of the Headfirst app, a handy and easy to use platform for exploring different events in Bristol. But how much are you utilising the app beyond just hopping on it to buy a ticket once your mate sends through the link for your next rave?
HEADFIRST – A QUICK RUN DOWN
Headfirst is Bristol’s leading event guide and was founded by a former promoter and events producer and run by a small team of two music lovers. It’s an independent and ethical resource – each month a large proportion of booking fees are donated back to charities in and around the city such as Bristol Redistro, Bristol Refugee Rights and Medical Aid for Palestine. In 2025 so far over £45,000 has been donated back, demonstrating just how important the music and arts scene is to Bristol’s culture and economy.
In addition to this, their mission statement demonstrates awareness of the need to prevent industry ‘gatekeepers’ and the exploitation of young creatives by those with more privilege. The community mission comes before any profit incentives; "it is essential we spotlight new ideas and support event organisers that take risks or challenge the status quo," Headfirst’s statement says. This is evidenced by the editor’s recommendation feature, which takes me to my first ‘Headfirst Hack.’
Hack #1 – Pay attention to staff recommendations and editor picks
As pundits of Bristol’s music scene with their own experience in event production, the Headfirst staff provide tailored recommendations which act as a cheat code to discovering top quality events.
Whether it be showcasing up-and-coming talent or world-renowned sound-systems like Scotland Yard, these shortlists are always worth a look if the amount of options seems overwhelming at first glance. Crucially, their recommendations span across many kinds of events, so if you’re looking for some evening fun that doesn’t involve clubbing or a classic pub-night, these are incredibly useful.
Hack #2 – Use in-app listening features to gauge what you’re getting yourself in for
If it is music-based fun you’re looking for like club nights or gigs, each specific event page typically contains samples from Spotify and YouTube, providing you direct access to short snippets of previous events by the DJs or artists, so you know roughly to expect from the music side of things when you book.
This is helpful because written descriptions often involve terminology and industry-oriented language that the average student is unfamiliar with. Whilst the majority of us have a grasp on what ‘house’ and ‘DnB’ entail, you likely wouldn’t know what to expect from ‘acid trance’ or ‘Detroit tech.’ Giving different events that you wouldn’t usually lean into a chance is a great way to discover new music and venues, as well as to meet new people. You’ll never know until you try.
Hack #3 – Get familiar with the different sections
Club nights, raves and gigs are popular for a reason. While these represent the typical student idea of a night out, there’s no harm in thinking outside of the box. Headfirst gives us the unique opportunity to browse alternative options from stand-up comedy to film screenings to other crafting workshops, and the quality of these is just as high as the ‘night-life’ section.
- The Arts section
From the arts section you can expect opportunities for active participation like life-drawing and sculpting, as well as observation-based events like immersive experiences, experimental theatre, and screenings. The Wiper & True Taproom in the city centre even do life drawing sessions with dogs as the subjects for an extra therapeutic layer.
As someone with very limited artistic experience I can vouch that you don’t need any expert skill to take part in activates like life drawing – it’s a chance to try your hand at something and enjoy the atmosphere and experience of it.
In a time when so many of us are struggling with screen time addictions, spending an hour properly disconnected is like a breath of fresh air. It also makes for a fun date as it gives you lots to talk about (or so I’ve heard).
Also, many of these events take place in venues well-known amongst the student community such as Loco Klub (theatre and performances) the Exchange (cabaret shows) and Mr Wolfs (Comedy Club every Sunday).
- The Activities section
This section of Headfirst is a great blend of classic activities like pub quizzes and the weird and wonderful you’d expect from a city as interesting as Bristol. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and take part in something that’ll likely make a great story.
Community celebrations with music, workshops, barbecues, and storytelling down at the Bridge Farm, and a fermentation class where you can make your own kimchi to take home are only a couple of examples available on the day I write this article - there’s all sorts on offer. You could even take part in a weekly wild foraging walk on Saturday afternoons through the Clifton Downs and Avon Gorge, learning about bushcraft and ‘medicinal plants.’ How Bristol is that.
If you’re passionate about activism and campaigning this is also a great way to stay up to date on different protests and movements that take place across the city.
We are lucky to live in such a vibrant hub of culture and diversity, so we may as well take the time to see what it’s all about. There are many ways of going about this and each person is different and wishes to gain different things from their time in Bristol. If you are looking to explore more of the city’s venues, culture and people, Headfirst is not a bad place to start.
Download Headfirst for iOS here and Android here.
Featured image: Gabriel LordonHow do you usually find out about music or arts events in Bristol?
