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Harbouring a talent? Applications now open to perform at Bristol Harbour Festival

Three days of maritime-magic will put local talent at forefront of next edition.

08/01/2024

The iconic Bristol Harbour Festival will return between Friday 19th – Sunday 21st July 2024 – and organisers are keen to hear from talented locals who want to take centre stage at both well-known as well as new-for-2024 feature areas in the unique setting of the city’s harbour.

Expression of Interest applications for the maritime festival’s next edition are now open, and the festival’s new curators are calling for singers, performers, organisations, charities, and other crowd and community-wowing initiatives to submit their applications to perform before the deadline on Wednesday 31st January 2024.

Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the UK’s biggest free-to-attend events, attracting around 250,000 people across the long weekend in what is a unique opportunity to showcase the city’s rich maritime, musical and cultural heritage. Delivered by Bristol City Council, this year will also see two of the city’s Business Improvement Districts, Bristol City Centre BID and Redcliffe & Temple BID, become key stakeholders in the event – bringing the business community to the heart of the festival.

Complete the expression of interest form

For 2024, Bristol Harbour Festival will be curated, produced and delivered by international events production agency, Proud Events, in partnership with immersive theatre and events company, Swans Events. The client roster of the two organisations includes UK Black Pride, The Cambridge Club, Wychwood Festival, Sheffield Food Festival, Festival of the Sea Grimsby and Lightopia Festival.

An on-the-ground steering group has been brought together, to assist in curating a festival that represents both local ethos and talent as well as international best practice in event operations and production. Local organisations on board include cultural icons Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, Bristol Pride, ACH Refugee Integration Services Provider and Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd. amongst many more, in order to represent the diverse communities and businesses that Bristol is proud to play home to.

The steering group will meet regularly in the lead up to the Bristol Harbour Festival to agree on the many facets of the event and ensure neighbourhoods, groups and districts across the city are represented throughout the three-day festival.

The wide-spread stages that are synonymous with the Bristol Harbour Festival will continue to include stellar acts spanning the genres of music, circus, theatre, on the water and more. New additions and areas are set to join the line-up for 2024, with more information yet to be revealed.

Previous editions of the Bristol Harbour Festival have seen more than 80% of the acts and entertainment on offer coming through the Expression of Interest application form. As such, applications are open to everyone and anyone looking to share their talent.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said:

“Bristol’s Harbour Festival is a key date in our city’s calendar, and an essential platform for aspiring local artists and talent to perform in front of huge audiences. We are proud that we have continued to keep the city’s largest festival, which is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Bristol’s diverse creativity and talent, as a free event for all. We can look forward to celebrating together and bringing another brilliant free festival to Bristol this summer.”

Harry Feigen, Managing Director at Proud Events, said:

“It’s fantastic to be bringing the iconic Bristol Harbour Festival to life in collaboration with an array of Bristol’s leading institutions. Partnering with Bristol City Council, Bristol City Centre BID, Redcliffe & Temple BID and a host of stakeholders from key cultural organisations in the city, the 2024 Bristol Harbour Festival will aim to represent the diverse communities and initiatives that live and operate in Bristol. The local steering group will provide unrivalled insight into the grassroots communities here - and we are keen to use the iconic platform of the festival to celebrate as many as possible.”

For those wanting to perform and join in the city’s 2024 celebrations, they should head to the Bristol Harbour Festival website and complete the Expression of Interest form before Wednesday 31st January 2024. Organisers are hoping to attract the newest and coolest into the festival from all corners of the city.

Applications for boat owners and visiting vessels who wish to attend this year’s festival will soon go live, as will applications for trading at the festival. More information can be found on the Harbour Festival website.

To keep up to date with all Harbour Festival news and updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or visit the website.

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