• Swindon & Wiltshire Events
• Monday September 21 2026

Bristol’s flagship tech festival unveils lineup

Bristol’s flagship tech festival Brazen has unveiled its lineup as it prepares to bring technology, creativity and culture to venues across the city during a five-day programme in November.

The event, produced by techSPARK in partnership with Bristol BID, Bristol Creative Industries and MyWorld, will run from November 9 to 13.

Organisers have announced the first speakers, with further names and events expected to be added.

The initial line-up includes Google Cloud’s Caelum Rosenkranz, Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson, street artist Inkie, comedian Jayde Adams, author and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan, Open Bionics ambassador Tilly Lockey, and activist and author Satish Kumar.

Brazen will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, technology showcases, immersive performances, live music and learning events. Venues will range from St Nicholas Church to smaller and less conventional locations across Bristol.

Organisers say the festival is intended to bring together founders, innovators, creatives, campaigners, investors, policymakers and community groups, creating opportunities for collaboration across sectors.

Its programme will be organised across four strands. Summit will focus on large-scale talks, debates and conversations, while Community will feature workshops, meet-ups and grassroots activity.

Showcase will focus on demonstrations, prototypes and applied innovation, and Live will feature immersive experiences, music and comedy curated and produced with Yuup.

Ben Shorrock, chief executive of techSPARK, said: “The strength of any festival is ultimately defined by the people who take part. This is the first of our lineup announcements and we’re already incredibly excited by the range and calibre of voices who will be joining us at Brazen.

“From founders and innovators to creatives and community leaders, our speakers will help create the kind of conversations and happy collisions that lead to new ideas, partnerships and opportunities. Together, they’ll help showcase the energy, ambition and creativity that make this region such a powerful hub for innovation.”

Brazen is being supported by technology companies, universities, regional businesses, start-ups and community organisations.

The festival was formerly known as Bristol Technology Festival and, more recently, BTF+. Organisers say it has developed over the past six years from a regional technology event into a programme with national and international ambitions.

Its wider aim is to reflect Bristol’s business and creative communities while creating a city-wide platform for ideas, partnerships and innovation.

Events will be staged across multiple venues, bringing activity into different parts of the city and connecting established organisations with emerging businesses and community groups.