This information is for the 2025 festival. Details for 2026 will be shared closer to the time.
Bristol’s fantastic transport links make it one of the most easily accessible cities in the UK. Whether you’re visiting the festival from nearby or further afield, here’s a breakdown of the various transport options available. Please note, there are a number of planned road closures in place during the festival. Please check before you travel.
Travel by train
Bristol Temple Meads is the largest railway hub in the west of England with direct services to and from London, Scotland, Wales, Manchester, and Birmingham. The majority of installations are within 20 minutes’ walk of Temple Meads Train Station. Trains from Severn Beach run once an hour to Temple Meads. Bristol’s newest station, Ashley Down, opened in Summer 2025 with trains running twice an hour.
Travel with Great Western Railway:
- Book ahead – Book early and save 50%.
- GroupSave – discounts of 1/3 off fares when 3-9 people travel together. Simply search for tickets with the number of people travelling and the discount will be applied automatically.
- Long Weekender – travelling from London Paddington? Leave on a Friday or Saturday, return on a Monday and save over 60% compared to an Anytime Return.
You can plan your journey, check timetables, book tickets and find out more at GWR.com.
Travel by bus
Bristol is well served by a number of fast and convenient bus and coach services.
Bristol Bus & Coach Station is a walkable distance to all festival installations, and permanently features Bristol Light Festival’s 2020 installation, Cheers Drive.
Travel to and around the festival with First Bus:
- Travelling with friends or family? The West of England FirstDay Group ticket is discounted to just £10 during Bristol Light Festival – the ticket allows up to 5 people of any age unlimited use of bus services in the West of England all day! This offer is available exclusively on the First Bus app, from 31st January – 23rd February. To redeem this offer, please ensure your selected area is set to West of England on the First Bus app.
- Travelling solo? Get a Bristol FirstDay ticket for just £6.50, which allows you to hop on and off any of the buses in the Bristol zone (excluding the A1), all day!
Explore the map below or download the poster to locate the nearest bus stops to each installation.
Walk or cycle
We’re passionate about sustainable travel, so why not walk or cycle if you can? Walking is a great way to experience the hidden sights and unique areas of Bristol that you might otherwise miss.
If you’re cycling around the festival, be sure to plan your route in advance. There are plenty of cycle lanes around the city, making it easy to enjoy the festival while reducing your carbon footprint.
Rent a bike, E-bike, or E-scooter
Go green and use a Dott E-scooter or E-bike to travel to and from the festival.
Users will need to download the Dott app (available on IOS and Android) and create an account. To ride an e-scooter users must prove they are over the age of 18 with a valid full or provisional driving licence to ride. E-bikes are available to anyone over the age of 16.
With so many independent bike shops in Bristol, support local and hop on a bike for a 2-wheeled exploration of the festival. Hire options include:
Brompton Bikes – Hire a bike for just £5 a day!
Blackboy Hill Cycles – A fun, affordable way to get around the city
Mollie’s – Ride in style with a vintage bike from Mollie’s
Pedal Progression – Push bikes and e-bikes available
Bristol Ferry Boats
Explore the festival with Bristol Ferry Boats, offering a unique perspective of the festival by water. With 45-minute tours running to and from the City Centre Ferry Landing, hop on board and enjoy a unique journey. Experience two exciting installations visible on board before discovering the remaining installations on land. Pre-book your tickets in advance or pay by card on board.
Tickets for the full 45-minute tour are £8 for adults and £7 for children. For customers hopping on and off from different stops, fares will be between £3-5. View the Bristol Ferry timetable during the festival.
Travel by car
With over 11,000 parking spaces in the city centre, there are plenty of car parks nearby the festival installations. Cabot Circus’ evening rate means you can park from 5pm – 7am, Monday – Sunday for just £3. Alternatively, you can view all car parking options below.
As of November 2022, Bristol’s Clean Air Zone is in effect where some cars will be liable to pay a charge for entering Bristol city centre. You can find out more about the CAZ here.
Planned road closures
Please be aware of several road closures in Bristol during the festival. Check your route before you travel.
- The Redcliffe Bascule Bridge: Closed to vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from 9:30am to 3:30pm, 20 January – 31 January. Use the alternative route via Bristol Bridge or Prince Street Bridge. Find out more.
- Bridge Valley Road & A4 Portway: Closed from 2am – 2pm on 1 February and 2am – 4pm on 2 February due to essential works. Find out more.
- Avon Street and Silverthorn Lane: Closed to vehicles from 8am on 31 January until 5pm on 4 July.
- Victoria Street: Ongoing roadworks may cause delays and pedestrian diversions.
Use the One Network website to see all road closures that may impact your visit.
Park & Ride service
Park & Ride services offer an easy and comfortable way of travelling into the city. Please be aware that each Park & Ride service operates different start and finish times, with some services finishing early evening. Park & Ride options include:
Brislington – South East of Bristol
Long Ashton – South West of Bristol
Lyde Green – North East of Bristol
Parkway North – North of Bristol
Portway – North West of Bristol
Yate – North East of Bristol