ROCKAWAY PARK EVENTS
Like everything else, our events are unique, and here is where you'll find all the info, as well as any booking links. If you're a band or performer who would like to play at Rockaway, check out the Performing at Rockaway Park section at the bottom of the page.
For a taster of our events, here's a couple of short videos to give you an idea.
Somerset Arts Week Launch & Gig
Sunday Market, Music & Vegan Roast
Parking at Rockaway for Events
Please be aware that when it's been raining heavily, the parking field at Rockaway can become water-logged. This means we will only have parking available on site for disabled visitors. When the field is unusable, we'll issue any important updates to online ticket holders via email, as well as update this page and our social media channels.
For all our events, ticketed or free, we'd like everyone to try and do their bit for the environment by using public transport, taking a taxi, or car sharing wherever possible. If you'd like a little exercise, you can also park in the nearby village of Temple Cloud and walk to Rockaway, but please
DON'T PARK ON EASTCOURT ROAD.
It's too narrow and we need to have emergency vehicle access at all times.
The 376 bus stops at the end of our road, at Cameley Road Surgery (Temple Cloud).
This bus comes from Bristol, Wells, Glastonbury and many other locations. You can find the full bus timetable below, and thank you for planning your journey to Rockaway.
We really appreciate it.
A handy PDF map with the best route to reach us by car, plus a map of the 5-minute walk from Temple Cloud village to Rockaway across the field, can be downloaded below.
OUR EVENTS
April Sunday Session
It's another Sunday Session filled with the usual magical Rockaway ingredients - open studios, a fantastic arts market of local artists, crafters and makers, smashing vegan roasts, and more live music.
For April, 5-piece Dr Splink will be playing their infectious original blend of ska, reggae, and funky punk. Favourably compared to The Blockheads, Madness, Dr Feelgood and The Stranglers, they're one of the most fun festival bands around, with tracks that are 'crafted, ingenious little melody bombs.'
The wonderful Sarah Lewis and Tracey Calvert from Normal Magic will be offering free mental health advice, alongside Dan, our friendly Rockaway social worker and bargee, who is offering free advice on how to access family support if you're worried about the safety of someone you care about - all anonymous and off grid!
Our Sunday roasts for this Session are now available to book in advance from our Vegan Café page and include Seitan Steak in Beurre Blanc Sauce, Shepherd’s Pie, Wellington, Meatballs or Nut Roast
This family-friendly event is free to attend, with a £5 fee for each vehicle if the Parking Field is operational. Keep an eye out for updates about parking nearer the time... Any donations you're able to make in one of our donation buckets in the Rockaway yard - from spare change or a couple of quid to more - will help us continue providing live music at our Sunday Sessions, and is very much appreciated. Thank you.
Free Normal Magic Family Sensory Workshop
Sunday 21st April, 11.30am - 1.30pm
Sarah and Tracey from Normal Magic are also running another free drop-in sensory workshop at the April Sunday Session for primary age children and their parents/guardians/carers.
Informal, fun and inspirational, these sensory workshops offer a range of activities that use our sense of sound, sight, touch, taste, smell, body awareness and balance. By including the 'Normal Magic 10 a day choices,' Sarah and Tracey bring to life the many ways we choose to balance and protect our mental health.
There's no need to book, just drop into the Rockaway classroom between 11.30am and 1.30pm to take part in this enjoyable sensory experience.
Yoga + Roast Club
Sunday 21st April, 11.30am
Hosted by the amazing Maddie, this popular club begins with a yoga class in the Rockaway House at 11.30am, followed by a yummy vegan roast at the café.
Cost is £22 and if you're a Mad member, there's a sweet £5 off!
To become a Mad member, you can visit Maddie's website HERE.
Don't forget that Maddie hosts a regular yoga class in the Rockaway House on Tuesday evenings, 6.45pm - 8pm.
Cost is £10 per session and you can book online HERE.
May Sunday Session
We have a special musical treat for you at May's Sunday Session with the band Blue Midnight playing eccentric crossover tunes, with trombone reggae lines, violin folk melodies and fluid, solid bass.
The band features Grant Showbiz, who spans the worlds of Gong, The Fall, The Smiths, Billy Bragg and Moodswings. Plus, Elliet Mackrell of Kangaroo Moon on violin, the wild trombone stylings of Nick Waterhouse, funky drummer Mike Fullick and special guest Justin Adams on guitar, who has played with Jah Wobble, Sinead O’Connor, Robert Plant, JuJu and many more.
Expect the usual magical Sunday Session features - open studios, an arts market of local artists, crafters and makers, plus more delicious home-made Sunday roasts!
Full details available soon on the Vegan Café page...
Reclaim & Transform
A Celebration of Local Queer Talent & Community
Saturday 11th May, 4pm - 11pm
Prepare to be dazzled as Queer Radiance & Rockaway Park are teaming up to bring you Reclaim & Transform, an extraordinary event celebrating local queer talent and community💜
Queer Radiance is a new dynamic duo who believe in the power of community and celebrating queerness in all its diversity, and we're delighted to be working with them on this event. We’re also fundraising for the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity for queer homeless youth. You can find more information about them HERE.
Alongside your host, Gender Criminal, the event will be showcasing thrilling performances from drag artists, pole dancers, storytellers, poets, and more!
Explore the buzzing queer market with information stalls, sip delightful drinks from the bar and indulge in incredible vegan food provided by the Vegan Café.
We will be joined by night legends KRUSH, Bendy Wendy and Dunya Lamrhari to bring you all the boogie bangers. And that's not all - Normal Magic will also be on site offering free mental health and wellbeing workshops! You can find out more about Normal Magic HERE.
Rockaway Park is fully accessible and has a quiet room/chill space. If you have any specific requirements, please get in touch and we will do our best to cater to them.
Parking is available on site for £5, including accessible parking.
If you're able, please also consider donating to AKT, which is such a worthy cause.
Booking in advance is recommended, so just click on the image below to join us for this truly unique event that promises to be unforgettable 🏳️🌈
Tickets £16 & Concessions £10
There’s also a Pay It Forward Option
If you can afford a little extra, why not buy a ticket for someone who wants to be part of a beautiful queer community event but can’t afford it? Help spread the love 💛
Zine & Literature Fest
Saturday 18th May, 11am - 4pm
Rockaway Park & Myth & Lore Zine present our first Zine & Literature Fest!
Join us as for this day of creativity and community as we showcase zine artists spanning DIY punk to manga, as well as typeface and everything in between for literature, zine and art enthusiasts alike.
This exciting event celebrates diverse artistic expressions and features insightful talks on our outdoor stage. Plus, hands-on workshops, where you can contribute to the creation of protest banners, delve into lino cuts, and explore the art of book upcycling and more!
All workshops and talks are by donation to those running them on the day... So, please bring cash. Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect at the festival.
Tracy Heather Johnson
Prize-winning writer, whose stories are being TV adapted, Tracy will be opening our event with an exclusive reading!
Bumblepunk
Lino printing workshop and hand-carved prints for sale
We Are Zanna
Zines and limited prints, making art accessible for all
Let Zoe Spoil You
Queer Cosmic Horror and Homoerotic Monster Boys art, novels, and a folklore-inspired writing talk
Kooky Books
Based in SPARKS Bristol, selling beautiful upcycled books and offering an origami workshop
Left Cultures
Publications celebrating diverse voices on the left
Söber
Introspective and spooky artworks
Gemma's Funky Art
Art inspired by fungi, fantasy, and British folklore
Boswellian Artifacts
Eco-friendly prints, T-shirts, weird fiction, underground comics and zines
SAMOCO BOOKS
Occult and counterculture-inspired creations, including zines and comics
Forest of Zine
Bicycle-based zine library showcasing nature-based and journey-themed zines, along with a zine-making workshop
Dispress
South West punk zine featuring interviews, gig reviews, and art submissions
Weird Grandma
Visual art and writings exploring legacy, trauma, and rebirth
Sally Carini Arts
Special book-related oddities
Black & Bone
Macabre folklore and myth-inspired illustrations on handmade khadi Indian paper, offering a glimpse into magical worlds
A Slow Death in the South West
Screen printed lit goodies and a second-hand book sale
Myth & Lore
Somerset-based zine, amplifying inclusive storytelling through mythology and folklore
Kate Evans
Cartoonist, author, public speaker, activist, mother, Kate will be hosting a talk about her life in cartoons and Q&A
There's no tickets to book. All we’re asking is for £2 donations, which grants you entry, but also plays a crucial role in sustaining Rockaway as a creative hub.
We look forward to you joining us in fostering a sense of artistic community and supporting the vibrant space that is Rockaway. Your presence and contribution will make a huge difference and we appreciate it!
Exclusive Film Screening
Saturday 25th May, 6pm
Class & Culture Films, in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut, present this exclusive screening of 'B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin, 1979 - 1989,' followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Mark Reeder!
The final years of West Berlin’s hedonism and chaos are shown in this unique and beautifully fragmented documentary. For all those who love subculture, rebellion and music, this is a staggering piece of cinema.
Mark guides us through the squats, the parties, the riots and the ten years in Berlin from his arrival in 1979 through to 1989. This is a walled-in Berlin in its final days. A playground and sanctuary for the dispossessed. A sensory visual and auditory overload!
For a taster, take a look at the trailer below.
An extraordinarily eclectic and creative character, Mark is a musician, record producer, remixer, DJ, graphic designer and film maker. Originally from Manchester, his clandestine musical career has spanned over more than four decades, from founding member of The Frantic Elevators, with Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), to the German representative for Joy Division and legendary Manchester record label Factory Records from 1978-1983.
Mark has also been a member of synthpop bands Die Unbekannten and Shark Vegas and is an established DJ and remixer for artists such as New Order, Depeche Mode, The Pet Shop Boys, Blank & Jones, John Foxx, Anne Clark and Yello or Die Toten Hosen. He’s DJ'd all over the world - from events in Amsterdam, Turin, Bogota, Stockholm, Vilnius, Taipei, Moscow, Minsk, Beijing and Shanghai, to the Sydney Opera House, and 02 Arena in London for New Order.
This intimate film screening begins at 7.30pm in the Chapel of Unrest and is followed by a Q&A with Mark and fellow filmmaker Brandon Spivey, from Class & Culture Films. It's a unique and rare opportunity to hear from the man himself about his unusual journey into a Berlin that no longer exists.
There's a limited number of tickets for this event and we recommend booking in advance to ensure you can attend!
Tickets for this exclusive screening cost £12, or you can purchase a meal ticket which features a delicious vegan bratwurst. This German style sausage comes in a jumbo roll, topped with cheese, sauerkraut and BBQ sauce, served with a side of fries.
So, please make sure you select your preferred ticket option by clicking below.
We’re thrilled that piano-playing, singing song crafters Carol Hodge and Julia Othmer are joining us for this special July Sunday Session. Across the Atlantic Ocean - from the unlikely locations of Huddersfield in Yorkshire and Kansas City, USA - Carol and Julia have struck up a pen pal relationship of songs, bringing light to what divides and unites us, geographically, politically and personally. Having met on tour in 2018 supporting Welsh legends The Alarm, the pair quickly bonded over their shared love of all things heart-centred and magical.
The Selenite Songs Project sees these two powerful women joining forces once again to reflect light and create connection. Since December 2023, Carol and Julia have challenged themselves to write a song on the first new moon of each month with the following strict rules:
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Write in response to a songwriting prompt, inspired by the artists and their supporters on social media
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Spend a maximum of 2 hours writing the song
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The resulting recordings must only be piano, voice, and found sounds
The Selenite Songs tour features songs written during this six-month project, as well as conversation about the process and story behind each one, creating a magically unique experience!
Songwriting Workshop, 12.30pm £10
Carol and Julia are also holding a fantastic songwriting workshop before their performance at the Sunday Session!
With over 40 combined years of songwriting and performance between them, they've got ample experience of songwriting, performance, collaboration and creativity to share. Carol and Julia will open their tool kit of artistic approaches to unlock creative potential, including strategies to handle the proverbial 'blank page;' working through writer’s block and expanding possibilities. They will guide the group through a series of games and experiments with exercises that can be translated to a variety of artistic mediums. The workshop also provides time for a Q&A and live co-creation with workshop participants.
All are welcome, at any level of experience.
Places are limited, so if you'd like to take part, please click on the image below to book.
We're excited that Bristol-based promotions group, Shitty Futures (SF), are hosting another all-day punk gig at Rockaway on Saturday 17th August! They’ve invited 14 of the best contemporary international and UK DIY punk bands to join us across two stages – our open-air stage and the main shed - for what promises to be another fantastic Rockaway event!
The first Unrest in 2023 sold out with over 300 people jumping around to some incredible bands, and we're hoping to repeat that success in 2024.
The Vegan Café will be serving hot food and snacks throughout the day and there's a bar, plus a distro market, activist stalls, chill-out space and more...
1st Bands Announced!
Vidro (Sweden)
Ferocious ripping hardcore punk. Not for the faint hearted - they'll blow you away!
Tramadol (Leeds)
Blistering in your face D-beat hardcore. Featuring members of Powerplant and Frisk.
Stray Bullet (Sheffield)
Tight hardcore punk featuring members of Rat Cage.
Disskerad (Sweden)
Råpunk mangling, featuring members of Totalitär and Avskum. This is their only UK gig, so catch 'em while you can!
Möney (Bristol)
Moody egg punk for the blank generation. Amazing demo out on Chicken Attack Records.
A Culture of Killing (Italy)
Post-punk with anarcho sensibilities on Drunken Sailor Records.
Haavat (Norwich)
Crust punk with Finnish vocals. Featuring members of Agnosy and Deviated Instinct.
Feral State (Leicester)
Straight up D-beat punk mayhem.
Ikhras (London / Brighton)
One of the most important new hardcore bands going, with a demo just out on Quality Control Records.
Morreadoras (London)
Awesome primitive Casio Punks. Definitely not to be missed.
SF are also running a transport pick-up and drop-off service from Bristol on the day, which can be booked via the ticket link. This service will collect people prior to the start of the event and after the 11pm finish.
£25 Ticket
£34 Ticket & Coach
More bands to be announced in the coming months, but be aware that this event will sell out before August. So, whizz over to Headfirst Bristol, where you can buy your ticket in advance and avoid missing out!
(NB: There is no camping available on-site for this event.)
OUR REGULAR EVENTS
Our Sunday Sessions are free - you just need to book your Sunday roast! There is a £5 parking charge and all donations are welcome to support any performers.
Mad also hosts the Yoga + Roast Club, which runs alongside our Sunday Sessions. The club begins at 11.30am with a yoga session in the Rockaway House.
Dates for our Sunday Sessions and the Yoga + Roast Club appear above, in our calendar, our newsletter and social media channels.
If you would like to have a market stall at one of our Sunday Sessions, or during a Rockaway Park event, please contact us below.
PERFORMING AT ROCKAWAY PARK
We often hear from bands and performers who would like to play at Rockaway Park. However, we're not a typical venue with a regular schedule of gigs and performers who just rock up and play! So, here's some useful info about how we operate for you to check through before contacting us.
Like everything else at Rockaway, our events are unique. It's not just the location and setting, with its festival vibe, but also how we actively collaborate with bands and performers to create an event that's a bit special and not like anything you'll see in a pub or music venue. Our calendar of events fills up quickly each year too, with a wide range of activities, so we have a limited number of dates available. However, we're always planning ahead and are happy to hear from bands and performers who are interested in working with us.
We're always on the lookout for performers who would like to play at our Sunday Sessions, which have a relaxed family atmosphere, and feature market stalls showcasing work by local artists and craftspeople, plus our famous vegan roast. We also hold celebrations at Rockaway, along with away days and symposiums, and are often asked about musicians and performers who could help make an event exciting.
So, if you would like to work with us on an event, it would be good to know more about you to help us with our planning. If you could please download the questionnaire below, then once completed, email it to us via the link included, that would be great. We look forward to hearing from you!
ROCKAWAY PARK
"Would those who say it can't be done, please stand clear of those doing it"