The Bristol Radical History Festival returns this Spring for its eighth edition.
The festival takes place over two days in 2026 – at the M Shed on Saturday 25 April, before it moves on to The Cube Microplex on Sunday 26 April.
Those two days will encompass talks, panel discussions, films, history walks, exhibitions and more, the details of which will be confirmed closer to the date.
This year’s event has four main themes: Propaganda, Utopias and Dystopias, Welsh history, and the General Strike – 2026, of course, marks the centenary of this singular event that lasted nine days and brought Britain to a standstill. The festival is just one of a number of events that are happening nationwide to commemorate this unique moment in British history.
In addition, as a preliminary to the festival, there will be a performance on Friday 17 April at The Cube by Three Acres and a Cow.We are promised a new showshining a spotlight on the Welsh history of land rights and protest in folk song and story.
This year also marks twenty years of the Bristol Radical History Group. Our first event was the inaugural Bristol Radical History week in October 2006. Since then the group has become a permanent fixture on Bristol’s cultural landscape, and along the way has hopefully shifted some perceptions about the city’s history.
In those twenty years we have helped organise over 500 events and published over 80 pamphlets and books. Our events have always been free or of minimal cost and are organised by local people from Bristol and NOT funded by universities, political parties, business, or local government. To break even, we rely on our members giving their labour for free and sales from our publications.
As well as talks and discussions at the festival’s two venues, there will also be space devoted to stalls where you can stock up on pamphlets, books and more, from over 20 publishers and distributors.
And, most importantly, the festival is entirely free and whether you are a serious academic or curious first timer, all are welcome.
For more information on the Radical History Festival head over to the Radical History group’s website at www.brh.org.uk which will be updated regularly as individual events are confirmed.
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