what's on
about
GET INVOLVED
ACCESSIBILITY
SUPPORT

Millennium Square

Expression at Millennium Square

A bold space for culture, commentary and creativity, the Expression Stage returns with a powerful mix of spoken word, panels, talks and performance. Curated with Good Law Project, Diverse Artists Network and Bristol Legacy Foundation, this year’s programme shines a light on activism, identity and artistic truth. From high-profile voices like Carol Vorderman and Ella Morgan to rising talents across the South West, expect radical ideas, urgent conversations and moments of connection, all rooted in Bristol’s commitment to diversity, access and community.

Orange abstract tent

Expression Stage

Friday

Sort by:
Time

Deaf rave CIC

Deaf Rave DJ and Sign Song Friday Night Takeover.

18:00

To

21:00

Start:

18:00

End:

21:00

Expression Stage

Saturday - Jelli Records presents

Sort by:
Time

Retini

Retini perform songs that tell a story about everyday life and events, blending acoustic and electric guitars while playing and singing melodic sounds.

11:00

To

11:30

Start:

11:00

End:

11:30

A.D. Scruffs

A.D. Scruffs are a roots revivalists band hailing from Bristol itself. From the frailing of the banjos and chiming of the mandolins, they captivate any audience that will lend an ear.

11:50

To

12:30

Start:

11:50

End:

12:30

Chris Garcia Sullivan

Chris Garcia Sullivan’s music answers the call of the wild. Heart-led storytelling that echoes simpler times, blending vocals with acoustic guitar, rhythmic foot tambourine, and harmonica.

12:50

To

13:20

Start:

12:50

End:

13:20

My tin monkey

Quite possibly the second of third most awesome Irish-ish band to come out of the South West, and trying really hard to do better - come along, sing along and we'll all get along.

13:40

To

14:20

Start:

13:40

End:

14:20

Gin Bride

Gin Bride are a Bristol based trio with an identity crisis. Not quite folk, not quite indie, not quite pop, but a healthy dash of all three.

14:40

To

15:20

Start:

14:40

End:

15:20

Ged Wilson

Ged Wilson brings his own style of blues with a modern twist. Signed to Bad Monkey Records, Ged delivers an upbeat, rootsy set full of heart, humour and groove.

15:40

To

16:10

Start:

15:40

End:

16:10

Courting Ghosts

Courting Ghosts is a band celebrated for their distinct fusion of Indie-Americana, acoustic and folk-rock music.

16:30

To

17:10

Start:

16:30

End:

17:10

The Arkansaw Jukebox Collective

They are covers Jim, but not as we know them! Sex Pistols on a banjo? Radiohead as a waltz? A Bluegrass Stormzy?! Has the world gone mad...?

17:30

To

18:15

Start:

17:30

End:

18:15

Fitty Gomash Ceilidh Barn Dance

Rabble-rousing 8-piece who embrace traditional music as it was intended; to bring people together to shake the floorboards and rattle the rafters.

19:00

To

21:00

Start:

19:00

End:

21:00

Expression Stage - Talks

Sunday - Presented by Good Law Project, Diverse Artists Network & Bristol Legacy Foundation

Sort by:
Time

"How to be a Good Ally" workshop, a Bristol Legacy Foundation panel ft. Michelle Gayle

This session explores the true meaning of allyship through the lens of anti-racism, abolition, and reparatory justice.

11:00

To

11:45

Start:

11:00

End:

11:45

Action Hero

Action Hero will be constructing 2000 paper buildings for an installation at M-shed and they need your help, Bristol!

12:00

To

17:00

Start:

12:00

End:

17:00

Hiba

Hiba is a Sudanese-British curator, drama facilitator, and educator based in the South West of England, passionate about using the arts to empower young generations.

12:00

To

12:10

Start:

12:00

End:

12:10

Blaise Penny Kirkwood

iAM13E is a dynamic Hip Hop and Spoken Word artist known for blending Rap and poetry into powerful, high-energy performances.

12:15

To

12:30

Start:

12:15

End:

12:30

Gracie Akinkunmi

Gracie Akinkunmi is 16 year old Bristol based multi genre artist with high energy performance and thought provoking lyrics. This is a performance you don't want to miss.

12:35

To

12:50

Start:

12:35

End:

12:50

Dayton Powell

Dayton Omar Powell has spent the past 14 years living in Bristol, where he has become a respected advocate for youth empowerment and violence reduction.

12:50

To

13:00

Start:

12:50

End:

13:00

Lildonia Lawrence

Lildonia Lawrence is a writer, wellbeing coach, and dance artist whose work flows at the intersection of creativity, healing, and social justice.

13:00

To

13:15

Start:

13:00

End:

13:15

Mir Abdullahi Miri

Mir Abdullah Miri is a refugee scholar with a PhD in English Language Teaching and pursuing a second PhD in Refugee Education at the University of Bath, where he is also a lecturer in the Department of Education.

13:15

To

13:30

Start:

13:15

End:

13:30

Workshop: 'Making a case a campaign: Water Pollution' with Jo Bateman and Katrina McDonnell

Join Good Law Project’s Jo Bateman and Katrina McDonnell for a powerful workshop exploring how personal experience and legal action can fuel grassroots campaigning.

13:45

To

14:45

Start:

13:45

End:

14:45

Protest rights with Gaie Delap, Blue and Raj Chada

Explore the power, and consequences, of protest with Good Law Project, climate activist Gaie Delap, trans rights campaigner Blue and leading protest defence lawyer Raj Chada.

15:00

To

15:45

Start:

15:00

End:

15:45

Trans rights / Trans experience with Ella Morgan and Jo Maugham

Join trans advocate Ella Morgan and activist Jo Maugham for a powerful conversation on identity, authenticity, and activism.

16:00

To

16:45

Start:

16:00

End:

16:45

Q&A: 'a year of holding power to account' with Carol Vorderman, Jo Maugham and Dale Vince

Join Carol Vorderman, Jo Maugham and Dale Vince for a dynamic panel reflecting on a year of speaking truth to power.

17:00

To

17:45

Start:

17:00

End:

17:45

Roxana Vilk

Roxana Vilk is a British-Iranian award-winning multidisciplinary artist working across theatre, film, and music.

18:00

To

18:15

Start:

18:00

End:

18:15

Nia Bimkubwa

Nia Bimkubwa is a Bristol based singer, songwriter, poet and actor. As a natural performer, Nia authentically shares her love for life, nature and her culture.

18:20

To

18:35

Start:

18:20

End:

18:35

Paz

Paz specialises in illustration and poetry, they explore themes like intergenerational healing, South American folklore, addiction, queerness, ecology and the absurdity of human-ing.

18:40

To

18:55

Start:

18:40

End:

18:55

Our other stages

A woman singing with a man on the bass next to her

Queen Square

A proper showcase of the best of Bristol and welcoming communities from across the city, Bristol Rising and the Dance Tent will present emerging artists from grassroots music and dance institutions, and for the first time ever, St Pauls have teamed up with Bristol Harbour Festival for a Dance Tent Takeover on Saturday!

Green square with circle in the middle
View Stage
Man playing guitar on stage dockside. Photo taken by Paul Box

Amphitheatre

The Bristol Harbour Festival’s main stage for 2025. Expect the very best in back-to-back music from local and international talent as we celebrate emerging talent from across the globe.

Blue abstract amphitheatre
View Stage