Raise the Bar

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Raise the Bar The South West's leading live poetry night. Events, open mics, retreats + more.

Raise the Bar is a premier live events organisation and talent development platform, providing a space for artists of all kinds of background and lyrical styles to perform their work, and providing high quality YouTube packages of their poetry. We also invite outstanding and internationally renowned poets, as well as fantastic local talent, to perform at our live events.

We’re thrilled to announce Raise the Bar (Raise the Bar) is returning to Cheltenham Festivals with Anthony Joseph (Antho...
15/10/2026

We’re thrilled to announce Raise the Bar (Raise the Bar) is returning to Cheltenham Festivals with Anthony Joseph (Anthony Joseph) and David Larbi (David Larbi)!

Award-winning poet, novelist and musician Anthony Joseph brings his electrifying blend of poetry, music and storytelling, joined by social media phenomenon and author of Frequently Happy, David Larbi — plus one more special guest to be announced! ✨

📅 Sun 18 Oct, 4:30pm
📍 The Hive, Montpellier Terrace, Cheltenham
🎟 Tickets £16 — link in bio

✅ Live captions available
📚 Book signing after the event

15/10/2026

❤️ Raise the Bar couldn’t be prouder of our director, Danny Carlo Pandolfi, for receiving the Sky Arts Award () for Poetry.

For over a decade, Danny has poured his heart into Raise the Bar, building a community where poetry can bring people together, give voices a platform and make people feel they belong.

This award is a testament to years of dedication, belief and an unwavering love for poetry and the people who make it what it is.

Danny, this is so well deserved. We’re honoured to be part of what you’ve built, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

With all our love and pride,
The Raise the Bar Team ✨

✨ Reflecting on our first night at our new home, The Pickle Factory!Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first op...
11/10/2026

✨ Reflecting on our first night at our new home, The Pickle Factory!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first open mic in Easton. ❤️ We loved bringing the Raise the Bar community together in a new space, and we can’t wait to do it all again!

🔥 We’re back on Thursday 22 October for another dynamic night of live poetry, featuring two brilliant voices:

✨ Keith Jarrett () — international slam champion and 2026 Forward Prize-shortlisted poet.
✨ Lucy English (Lucy English) — poet, writer and performer, launching her brand-new collection, Dream Time!

🎤 Plus, our extended open mic welcomes poets, storytellers, lyricists, rappers and wordsmiths of all styles and experience levels.

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026
📍 The Pickle Factory — Easton, Bristol
⏰ Doors 7pm | Show 7:30–9:30pm
🎟 Tickets via link in bio

Pics by the brilliant Urmila

🌟 THANK YOU, BRISTOL! 🌟What a night ❤️A huge thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for Raise the Bar: UK Poetry ...
28/09/2026

🌟 THANK YOU, BRISTOL! 🌟

What a night ❤️

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for Raise the Bar: UK Poetry All-Stars at Bristol Beacon⁠. You filled the room with so much energy, love and noise — we’re still buzzing!

1400+ tickets were sold in the final count - a record breaking night for a South West poetry event of its kind!

And an enormous thank you to our 8 incredible poets for making the night so special:

✨ Harry Baker⁠
✨ Hollie McNish⁠
✨ Roger Robinson
✨ Travis⁠
✨ Nikita Gill⁠
✨ Georgie Jones⁠
✨ Michael Pedersen⁠
✨ Safiya Whitaker

🎧 And thank you to NGAIO⁠ for keeping the energy going on the decks on stage! And to Caleb Parkin on the decks in the foyer ✨

Huge love to the whole team at Bristol Beacon⁠ for welcoming us into Beacon Hall and helping us bring our biggest event yet to life. ❤️ And to the lovely Storysmith for selling all the wonderful books from the poets.

After a record-breaking night, we’re already looking ahead…

✨ And there’s LOADS more to come from Raise the Bar. Stay tuned. ✨

See you at the next one. 👀

📸 photo by

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Grace Nichols is sadly no longer able to make it tonight. We wish her all the best.On s...
27/09/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Grace Nichols is sadly no longer able to make it tonight. We wish her all the best.

On short notice, we are delighted that incredible poet and performer Roger Robinson will now be joining tonight’s UK Poetry All-Stars lineup!

Swipe to see the full poster and head to the link in our bio for final tickets on sale now.

Get ready for an unforgettable night at Bristol Beacon featuring:

✨ Harry Baker — World Poetry Slam Champion and Sunday Times bestselling author
✨ Hollie McNish — Ted Hughes Award winner and Sunday Times bestselling author
✨ Roger Robinson — winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize, RSL Ondaatje Prize and Cholmondeley Award, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His collection A Portable Paradise was named a New Statesman Book of the Year, while Home Is Not a Place, created with Johny Pitts, was a Guardian Poetry Book of the Year and shortlisted for the British Book Awards.
✨ Travis — award-winning writer, performer and theatre-maker
✨ Nikita Gill — acclaimed poet, playwright, writer and illustrator
✨ Georgie Jones — acclaimed poet and performer with a formidable stage presence
✨ Michael Pedersen — prize-winning Scottish author and Edinburgh’s Makar

🎧 Plus music from NGAIO on the decks.

After a record-breaking 2024 edition that brought over a thousand people through the doors, we’re returning bigger than ever for a huge celebration of poetry, performance and live storytelling.

📅 TONIGHT — Sunday 27 September 2026
📍 Beacon Hall, Bristol Beacon
⏰ 7pm – 9:30pm (doors 6:30pm)
🎟 LAST TICKETS AVAILABLE — link in bio

✨ See you tonight!

24/09/2026

A special invitation from Michael Pedersen 🌟

has a special invitation for you to join us for Raise the Bar: UK Poetry All-Stars at !

Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning Scottish author, Edinburgh’s Makar / Poet Laureate and former Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University. His work spans fiction, non-fiction and poetry, with his writing receiving acclaim from the likes of Stephen Fry, Bernardine Evaristo, Ocean Vuong and Kae Tempest.

Michael joins an incredible lineup of some of the very best in contemporary poetry and spoken word, alongside:

✨ 
✨ 
✨ Grace Nichols
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After our record-breaking 2024 edition, we’re bringing UK Poetry All-Stars back to Bristol Beacon for our biggest celebration of poetry, performance and live storytelling yet.

📅 Sunday 27 September 2026
📍 Beacon Hall, Bristol Beacon
⏰ 7pm–9:30pm (doors 6:30pm)
🎟️ Tickets via link in bio — from £16.80

✨ Come and join us!

22/09/2026

🌟 Raise the Bar: UK Poetry All-Stars is all over Bristol! 🌟

Our posters are up around the city and we’re getting SO excited for Sunday! 👀

We’re bringing an incredible lineup of some of the very best in contemporary spoken word to , including:

✨ 
✨ 
✨ Grace Nichols
✨ 
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✨

📸 See one of our posters out in the wild? Tag us! We want to see where you spot Raise the Bar around Bristol 👀

And if you haven’t got your ticket yet… last tickets are available!

📅 This Sunday — 27 September
📍 Beacon Hall, Bristol Beacon
⏰ 7pm–9:30pm (doors 6:30pm)
🎟️ Tickets via link in bio
✨ We can’t wait to see you there!

21/09/2026

A special invitation from Georgie Jones 🌟

has a special invitation for you to join us for Raise the Bar: UK Poetry All-Stars at !

A performer by nature and poet by trade, Georgie is known for her formidable stage presence, sharp wit and compelling way with words. A Roundhouse Poetry Slam finalist, Resident Artist and BBC Words First alum, she has toured her work across the UK and gathered millions of views online.

Her debut collection And The World Spins Anyway is a love letter to real life — an exploration of the exquisite messiness of modern existence, finding humour, warmth and comfort in the chaos.

Georgie joins an incredible lineup of some of the very best in contemporary poetry and spoken word, alongside:

✨ 
✨ Grace Nichols
✨ 
✨ 
✨ 
✨
🎧 Plus music from on the decks

After our record-breaking 2024 edition, we’re bringing UK Poetry All-Stars back to Bristol Beacon for our biggest celebration of poetry, performance and live storytelling yet.

📅 Sunday 27 September 2026
📍 Beacon Hall, Bristol Beacon
⏰ 7pm–9:30pm (doors 6:30pm)
🎟️ Tickets via link in bio — from £16.80

✨ Come and join us!

🔥 Join us on Thursday 22nd October for another dynamic night of live poetry at The Pickle Factory — featuring two brilli...
18/09/2026

🔥 Join us on Thursday 22nd October for another dynamic night of live poetry at The Pickle Factory — featuring two brilliant voices, Keith Jarrett and Lucy English, presented in association with Bad Betty Press!

✨ Keith Jarrett () — international slam champion and outstanding LGBT writer selected for the International Literary Showcase. His work spans poetry, fiction, essays and theatre, with his play Safest Spot in Town performed at the Old Vic and aired on BBC Four. His latest collection, Hide Me Under the Blood and I Shall Be Satisfied, is a PBS Spring recommendation and shortlisted for the 2026 Forward Prize for Best Poetry Collection.

✨ Lucy English (Lucy English) — poet, writer and Professor of Creative Enterprise at Bath Spa University, whose work explores memory, identity, family, place and contemporary life. Co-director of the Lyra Bristol Poetry Festival and a leading practitioner in poetry film, Lucy works across writing, performance, film and immersive technologies. Her brand new collection, Dream Time, is published by Burning Eye Books and will be launched at Raise the Bar!

🎤 Our extended open mic welcomes poets, storytellers, lyricists, rappers, songwriters and wordsmiths of all styles and experience levels — whether it’s your first time or your hundredth. Come share your work, or settle in with a drink and experience some of Bristol’s finest voices.

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026
📍 The Pickle Factory — All Hallows Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 0HL
⏰ Doors 7:00pm | Show 7:30–9:30pm (incl. interval)
🎟 Tickets via link in bio

💡 Open mic sign-ups open Sunday 20 September at 10am
10 performers selected in advance, 4 drawn on the night
👉 Sign up via link in bio

✅ Wheelchair accessible
✅ Reserved open mic spaces for underrepresented voices
✅ Zero tolerance for hate or discrimination

🔥 TONIGHT! Raise the Bar is premiering our brand-new regular home, The Pickle Factory — and we’re kicking things off wit...
17/09/2026

🔥 TONIGHT! Raise the Bar is premiering our brand-new regular home, The Pickle Factory — and we’re kicking things off with two brilliant voices:

✨ Zakariye (Zakariye) — poet, playwright and filmmaker from Birmingham. His debut pamphlet Pulling Faces was longlisted for the Jhalak Poetry Prize, while his short poetry film Cages was broadcast on BBC 4 and BBC iPlayer.

✨ Enzie (zee) — multi-genre artist and spoken word poet drawing on her Nigerian-Welsh, working-class roots. Fresh from winning the Glenn Carmichael Audience Choice Award at LyraFest Poetry Slam 2026, her work explores identity, love, grief, politics and the human condition.

🎤 The mic is open to poets, storytellers, lyricists, rappers, songwriters and wordsmiths of all kinds — whether it’s your first time or your hundredth. Come share your work, or grab a drink and settle in for an evening of some of Bristol’s finest voices.

✨ New venue, same Raise the Bar energy.

📅 TONIGHT — Thursday 17 September 2026
📍 The Pickle Factory — All Hallows Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 0HL
⏰ Doors 7:00pm | Show 7:30–9:30pm (incl. interval)
🎟 Last tickets available — link in bio!

Come celebrate the launch of our new regular home with us. ❤️

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