Bristol 650 launched in celebration of Bristol's 650th anniversary as an independent city and county

Image - Bristol 600 celebrations, 1973 (credit Clark Photo Archive)

Bristol 650 is a year-long celebration of all things Bristol: who we are, where we come from, what we’ve done – and where we’re going. It’s a chance to tell untold histories, mark anniversaries across the city and welcome new arrivals. Bringing together the joint forces of Visit West, Bristol Ideas, Bristol One City and Bristol BIDs, Bristol 650 is the most ambitious multi-partner heritage project in Bristol for over a decade. It is a project of the city, by the city.

Bristol 650 marks the anniversary of Bristol being granted its independence from other county authorities by King Edward III in 1373. This act made Bristol a county in its own right.

Image - St Pauls Carnival (credit Martin Skikulis)

Throughout the year, there will be a wide variety of events and activities to celebrate Bristol and its people. These will be brought together on bristol650.com to help Bristolians and visitors to the city plan their calendars and make the most out of this memorial year. Bristol650.com is now live and welcoming event submissions by partners, festivals, companies and venues, with more events being added every week. Subscribe to our newsletter now for regular updates of highlighted events and stories to look out for.

Image - Bristol Pride

Across our events and digital content, you’ll see two main themes of the year emerge:

We Are Bristol
We are a city of individuals, each with our own talents, skills, stories and opinions. We come together as a collective to make the city of Bristol – a city that is rebellious in spirit, collaborative, diverse and welcoming.

Where do we come from?
What is my story? Where do I and my family come from? What are the stories of and from my community? How does the history of my house and street fit into the wider city story? How has the city grown and evolved throughout history?

Bristol650.com will be home to the various events scheduled to take place in 2023 marking the 650^th anniversary of the city and county of Bristol. A standout event scheduled for this year’s anniversary celebrations is Unicornfest, which will host the Unicorn Trail across Bristol and the South West, a new sculpture trail featuring mythical creatures painted by local artists and schools. Also included in the Bristol 650 calendar of events are the Bristol Light Festival (3-12 February), Bristol Harbour Festival (15-16 July), Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (10-13 August) and Bristol Open Doors (15-17 September). Organisations, companies, charities and venues wanting to submit events for inclusion in the Bristol 650 programme can do so on bristol650.com. It’s your one-stop shop to read stories and learn all about the people, organisations and places of Bristol.

Members of the public are invited to submit their memories of Bristol 600. Whether it’s old family photos, stories or mementos of the occasion, the Bristol 650 team is welcoming submissions from anyone whose family, friends or businesses might have been involved in the 600th anniversary celebrations – and Queen Elizabeth II’s visit – back in 1973. We would encourage press outlets to get people involved with our efforts to collate these memories. Submissions can be sent to info@bristolideas.co.uk.

Image - Bristol bus boycott commemoration, 2014 (credit Bhagesh Sachania)

2023 also sees the following major Bristol anniversaries:

• 200 years of the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
• 200 years of Business West, the regional chamber of commerce
• 200 years of St George’s Bristol
• 125 years of Cabot Tower
• Windrush 75
• The 60^th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott
• 55 years of St Pauls Carnival
• 21 years of Tobacco Factory Theatres
• 15 years of Ujima Radio
• 10 years of DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre.