Bristol Beacon
BEST FOR
Ages 0+
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
A big Bristol concert hall with an orchestral season, kids' meals and a café for before or after the show.
This is a proper concert hall rather than a soft play or a farm, so the day out here is built around sitting still and listening. The orchestral season is the main event for families, with seats running from £16 up to £58 depending on where you sit, and a £10 rate for under 26s that's worth grabbing if you've got a teenager who's into music. Under-26 pricing aside, this isn't a cheap afternoon, so it suits families who already know their child can sit through a live performance rather than a first experiment with one.
Food is sorted either side of a concert. The Colonnade restaurant does a proper sit-down meal with a seasonal children's menu and a pre-show option. Bristol Loaf café is the more casual choice for breakfast or lunch if you're passing through in the daytime, open most days from 8am. Bars are there too, stocking local Bristol Beer Factory beers alongside the soft drinks for the grown-ups' interval.
Booking ahead isn't required in the sense of needing a ticket weeks in advance for the building itself, though obviously you'll want tickets for whichever orchestral performance you're going to. The box office keeps fairly tight hours, Tuesday to Friday 10 till 5, and is shut at weekends, which catches people out if they leave it to a Saturday morning. The venue itself is wheelchair accessible, with an access information page covering seating plans and assistive hearing if that's something you need to check before you go.
There's no toddler soft play corner here, this is live music and creative learning programmes, group ensembles and lessons rather than a climbing frame. Best treated as an evening or afternoon out built around one performance, not a place you wander round for hours.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- School-age kids and teens who can sit through a concert
- Food
- Two eateries: Colonnade restaurant with modern European cuisine
- Box office hours are limited, Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, shut weekends
- Under-26 tickets for the orchestral season are £10, a good option for teenagers
- The Colonnade does a pre-show menu if you want to eat before a concert without rushing
- Tickets can't be exchanged or refunded, only rebooked or refunded at face value if a show is cancelled
Plan your visit
How much are tickets?
For the orchestral season it ranges from £16 for the cheaper seats up to £58 for premium standard. There's also a £10 rate for under 26s.
Do we need to book?
The venue itself doesn't need booking to visit, but you'll want tickets for whichever performance you're going to. The box office is only open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.
Is there food for kids?
The Colonnade restaurant has a seasonal children's menu alongside its modern European food, plus a pre-show menu if you're eating before a concert. Bristol Loaf café does breakfast, lunch and light bites most days.
What age is this suitable for?
There's no minimum age listed, but this is a sit-down concert hall rather than a play venue, so it suits kids old enough to sit through a performance.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is accessible with facilities for wheelchair users, and there's an access information page covering seating plans and assistive hearing.
What can we actually do there?
The main family draw is the orchestral season concerts. There are also music lessons, group ensembles and creative learning programmes running through the year.
When is the café open?
Bristol Loaf café runs Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Can we get a drink during the interval?
The bars stock Bristol Beer Factory beers, ciders and ales alongside wines, spirits and soft drinks.
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