St George's Bristol
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
Relaxed concerts and family events in a grand old hall, with a café bar for lunch before or after.
This isn't your standard soft play or farm park day out. St George's puts on relaxed performances where you don't have to keep small kids pinned to a seat, they're free to move around, wander out and back in if a meltdown's brewing, and generally treat the hall like it's not a museum. Look for the RP symbol on the events listing, that's your cue it's one of these. There are family-friendly events too, and free tickets for 8 to 25 year olds turn up on a selection of shows if you know to look for the symbol.
Between whatever's on, the café bar is worth building the visit around. Soup, vegetarian toasties, savoury pastries, proper coffee, that sort of thing, and it's open in the daytime even if you're not there for a performance. Kids get a light lunch, you get a barista coffee, everyone's happy before the doors even open for the main event.
Now the bit that's a genuine faff: this is a historic building, and it shows. There are 21 steps at the Great George Street entrance, so if you've got a buggy or a wheelchair you want the Charlotte Street entrance instead, where there's a lift to every floor including the café bar and the hall. The Gallery in Hall isn't step-free at all, and the gardens are on a hill so they don't work well with buggies or wheelchairs either. On-site parking is limited and prioritised for Blue Badge holders, so most people are looking at the meters on the street.
One more thing worth knowing before you settle in: doors get closed during performances to protect the sound, so if you need to nip out with a fractious toddler you might be waiting for a natural gap rather than just slipping out whenever.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Limited on-site Blue Badge parking (free with permit)
- Food
- Café Bar with light lunches, soups, vegetarian toasties, savoury pastries, cakes, teas, barista coffees, wine, craft beers and soft drinks
- Wheelchairs
- Step-free access via Charlotte Street with lift to all floors
- Dogs
- During daytime at café bar, assistance dogs allowed at events if trained to toilet on command in designated areas
- Charlotte Street entrance has the lift; Great George Street has 21 steps
- The gardens sit on a hill and aren't buggy or wheelchair friendly
- No air conditioning, so dress for a warm hall in summer
- Doors stay shut mid-performance, so factor that in with a wriggly toddler
Plan your visit
What are relaxed performances?
You're free to move around and go in and out during the show. They're aimed at families with small children, and also welcome older relatives living with conditions like dementia.
Is the building accessible with a buggy or wheelchair?
Use the Charlotte Street entrance, there's a lift to every floor. The Great George Street entrance has 21 steps, and the Gallery in Hall isn't step-free.
Is there parking?
On-site parking is limited and mostly kept for Blue Badge holders. Street parking on meters is nearby, and Blue Badge holders can use pay and display bays free or park on yellow lines for up to three hours.
What's the café bar like?
Light lunches, soup of the day, vegetarian toasties, savoury pastries and cakes, plus teas and barista coffees. There's free wifi if you're settling in for a while.
Are there discounts for families?
Free tickets for 8 to 25 year olds are available on a selection of events, look out for the symbol on the listing. There are also reductions for under-18s, students, disabled visitors and NHS staff on some shows.
Can we bring a dog?
Assistance dogs are welcome if they meet the official definition, and need a high-vis jacket at busier performances for everyone's safety.
Will it be too warm or too cold?
There's no air conditioning, so the building can run warm in summer and a bit chilly in winter, worth bearing in mind for what you dress the kids in.
Can we leave partway through if needed?
Doors are closed during performances to protect the sound, so you may need to wait for a suitable gap rather than leaving the moment you want to.
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