Bristol families should get ready for a feast of music, dancing and endless entertainment for the whole family as free Hoo-Ha! Festival returns to the city. After a year off, Hoo-Ha! is back with a bang for 2024, bigger and better than ever before, with a mini-version of the festival in Southmead on 10 August, as well as a two-day event at Bristol Beacon later on 27-28 August, providing the perfect final party before the school holidays come to an end.
Attendees of the Southmead edition of Hoo-Ha! can catch interactive shows from local festival favourites at Bristol Beacon’s base for creative learning, Beacon Music Centre.
Kid Carpet presents a rock gig comprising songs and games from his anarchic family shows, in a unique mix of music, comedy and ping pong balls delivered with a punk DIY attitude.
Japanese experimental musician ICHI combines handmade, quirky instrument inventions to Beacon Music Centre with found sounds captured on his trusty sampler, fused with influences spanning punk, reggae, old 78s and more.
RSVP Bhangra will also bring along their iconic blend of authentic dancing as they dazzle with Bhangra dancing, inviting everyone to party Punjabi style at Hoo-Ha! Southmead and at Bristol Beacon.
Even canine friends can get in on the act in Southmead, with The Incredibly Clever Canine Circus. Attendees to Hoo-Ha! Southmead can bring along their pawsome pooches to the outside arena and in less than one hour, ringleader Dakota will conjure the most incredible spectacle out of each and every participant, no matter their prior experience.
Bristol Beacon
From 27-28 August, Bristol Beacon will be bursting with shows, shenanigans and spectacles, with Bristol Beacon’s Bridgehouse filled to the brim with creative activities and thrilling things to discover, while Lantern Hall will host a variety of captivating performances.
Expect some first class family fun from the likes of Dizraeli – Lullabies Live where Hoo-Ha-ers can pull up a beanbag, lay back and drift on a warm sea of live sound, song and visual projections.
Rocking a fuzzy guitar and the sick beats, Poco Drom will put on a storming show with some family-friendly electro grunge that will keep little ones toe-tapping and head-banging with this performance.
Lunatraktors will showcase a special show for children with some re-imagined Anglo-Celtic traditional music that will shake up Bristol Beacon with eclectic acoustic, deep drones, percussive dance and vocal harmony.
Acclaimed French comedian, Marcel Lucont, will also be presenting families with a wild family gameshow, Les Enfant Terribles. The young (and the young at heart) will have their chance to be pests, politicians and pétomanes to be crowned the most awful child. As seen on Comedy Central, The John Bishop Show and more, this acclaimed show is ticketed and can be booked in advance over on the website, for £8.17 including booking fee..
At both Southmead and Bristol Beacon events, there will be plenty of hands-on activities such as interactive science shows with Explorer Dome, craft with Let’s Make Art, exploring sound with Noisy Toys, crazy golf with Kiss My Putt, and lots more.
Matt Aitken, Artistic Programmer at Bristol Beacon, said, “After a fallow year in 2023, we’re delighted to bring Hoo-Ha! bBack to its home at the transformed Bristol Beacon, and looking forward to introducing families, friends and neighbours in Southmead to the organised chaos of this much-loved festival for the first time. You can expect funny noises, silliness and crafty fun both indoors and outdoors.”
Julia Roderick, Head of Community Engagement at Bristol Beacon, added, “We’re so excited to be throwing open the doors of Beacon Music Centre and welcoming in the Southmead community for this joyful celebration of music, play and creativity. We hope families can come along and make special memories together with us this summer.”
With both Hoo-Ha! Southmead and Hoo-Ha! at Bristol Beacon free entry and no tickets required, families are welcome to join the Hoo-Ha! party, and can keep up to date with all the latest information and updates on the Bristol Beacon website.