• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Monday July 15 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol’s Amphitheatre to be powered by green energy

Events at Bristol Amphitheatre will be powered by electricity, rather than diesel generators, after the city council agreed to fund an £800,000 infrastructure upgrade.

The Amphitheatre, on Bristol’s harbourside, is the venue for a number of live music events, including Bristol Sounds and the free-to-attend Harbour Festival, which takes place this weekend Friday – Sunday, July 19 – 21).

The site hosts events across 30 days a year with a capacity of more than 86,000 people. The council estimates it generates £60,000 in site fees each year.

It was first developed as part of the Lloyd’s Bank HQ development in 1991. The crescent-shaped Canons House was vacated by Lloyd’s in 2022 and acquired last year by real estate firm Longstock Capital and investment firm Mactaggart Family and Partners.

But a lack of infrastructure to the site means that larger events had to rely on diesel generators to provide power – generating high levels of CO2 emissions and damaging the local environment.

The funding, approved at the first meeting of the council’s new transport and connectivity committee on Thursday (July 11) will be used to upgrade the electrical infrastructure at the Amphitheatre, ending the site’s reliance on polluting diesel engines in favour of renewable energy sources.

Committee chair and Green Party councillor Ed Plowden said: “Bristol has a vibrant arts and culture sector, with the amphitheatre playing an essential role, hosting some of the city’s most exciting events throughout the year.

“However, as it stands, the site needs work so that it can host larger music, food and cultural events without relying on diesel generators. With this investment, we will not only cement the Amphitheatre as an amazing space for Bristol’s large-scale events, but it will take another step forward towards the One City Climate Strategy aim of carbon neutrality by 2030.

“We are immensely proud to be further investing into our city’s arts and culture sector and I very much look forward to the varied events we will see at Bristol Amphitheatre in the near future.”

Detailed design work is set to take place this financial year (2024/25), with the power supply and electrical equipment installation and commissioning set to take place in the following financial year (2025/26).

* This weekend’s Harbour Festival will play host to live music and entertainment across five stages – the Amphitheatre, Millenium Square, Queen Square, College Green, and the Thekla, as well as providing nautical entertainment on the water and Fringe events across the city.