The Harbourside in Bristol, England, has hosted the Bristol Harbour Festival since 1971, with over 250,000 visitors attending live music, street performances and a variety of live entertainment. The festival includes music stages, a dance stage, street theatre performances, and water displays. A highlight of the festival until 2010 was the Saturday Night Fireworks presentation. Most of the activities are held near the waterfront, so a significant part of the festival is connected with the seagoing vessels moored nearby.
The liveliest part of the festival is quayside, but the main attractions are, of course, seaside — with all the water displays, with tall ships from many countries and hundreds of sailing boats and old-time boats of all kinds.
This event inspired similar events across the Channel, such as Les jeudis du Port and Fête Internationale de la mer et des marins in Brest, Brittany and across Western Europe.
Bristol Harbour Festival celebrates the city's maritime heritage and the importance of Bristol's docks and harbour, and takes place over a weekend at the end of July or beginning of August. 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the festival, and as such is currently scheduled to include additional activities during the week of 23 - 29 July, prior to the main festival itself.
Read more about Bristol Harbour Festival: Entertainment
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