Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA (Last updated 11.11.2024)
These are my observations from my experiences of various visits to the O2 Academy Bristol over recent years. (There are links to some of my blogs from gigs here at the end of this piece.)
I’ve only ever known this venue under it’s O2 Academy banner, having been travelling here over about the last 5 years. As well as those visits featured in my blogs (links at the end), I’ve seen Heaven 17 here a few years back; The Psychedelic Furs and The Hunna.
Once inside, the merch stand is set up on the left. There is a small bar beyond the merch, and an area with a few seats around which can be shut off sometimes – it’s just beyond a wall of historic notes.
Usually as you enter you will swing right and through the heavy glass doors that keep the sound in and into the main auditorium. It holds 1,650 people – all standing – and that’s if the balcony is open. It isn’t always.
It is one of those balconies which is fine if you are hugging a place at the rail – otherwise it can be difficult to find a gap to peer through. There is a bar upstairs also. People tend to try clutter the stairs for an elevated view but security put pay to that these days and all in all I’d rather be downstairs. The best spots I find are the slightly raised platforms to the rear left and rear right of the main floor of the auditorium.
It’s ‘side on’ to the stage, if you get my drift, so no one is that far back, even if opting to stay on the raised part in front of the long bar at the back.
The array of drinks is fine – O2 Academy usuals but fridges have some decent bottles of ale usually.
This venue always has the appearance of being busy which does often make for a really good atmosphere.
It’s one of the better medium sized venues I’ve been to and they are a circuit regular for many tours. Unfortunately it’s not that convenient by car or train from Poole.
If coming by train it’s a 1.1 mile walk from Bristol Templemeads and a three hours job with changes. If driving, the large old multi-storey Trenchards car park is just next to the venue….if you can navigate to find it. Parking on upper floors near the exit floor can speed your way out afterwards – I’m usually staying over when in Bristol as the drive is tortous and extends to 3½ hours too often. Rush hour Bristol is chaos. Parking is expensive and then there’s the Bristol congestion charge so diesel car drivers may think twice.
Pre/Post Gig
The obvious spot for a pre-gig pint is the oldest pub in Bristol, The Hatchet Inn, handily just over from the O2 Academy. Deceptively spacious but often busy of course on gig nights. A wide variety of ales on tap. They do food also.
More recently I have enjoyed a trip to The Golden Lion Hotel beforehand – Bristol’s smallest pub.
A regular pre-gig meal spot is the practical and speedy Wong’s Chinese restaurant round the corner, up Denmark Street from the Hatchet Inn.
If you’re hanging around afterwards, especially when at one of those early curfew weekend gigs – where they get the grey haired gig goers out early and let the kids in for a second sitting – then I recommend a visit to the Smoke and Mirrors bar further along Denmark Street from Wong’s, away from The Hatchet. Late licence and more live music.
That’s my O2 Academy Bristol round up. I’ll update this next time I visit.
Some of my visits are covered here:
Gigs with Ivan 