Monday-Saturday: Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut, Tobacco Factory
Written and directed by Morag Fullarton, this Edinburgh favourite set in a gin joint “is a lovingly disrespectful homage to one of the classic films of all time”.
www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com/shows/detail/casablanca_the_gin_joint_cut/

Tuesday-Saturday: The Room in the Elephant, Brewery Theatre
Glasgow’s A Play, a Pie and a Pint arrives in Bristol kickstarted with the latest play by Tom Wainwright, “part rap, part myth, part tribute to Dirty Dancing”, featuring Banksy.
www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com/shows/detail/the_room_in_the_elephant/

Tuesday-Sunday: Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival
The annual festival returns two months earlier than usual. It remains, in the words of the Guardian, a ”cinematic Trojan horse… smuggling short-filmmakers into the big league”.
www.encounters-festival.org.uk

Wednesday: Bristol Pound launch
After months of delays, the Bristol Pound is finally launched at a special night market in St Nic’s, where you can spend your Bristol Pounds for the first time, dine and dance.
www.bristolpound.org

Thursday: Cleaning Women, Big Top @ Creative Common
Probably the most bizarre gig of the year. Finnish cross-dressing zombies playing homemade instruments provide a live score to 1924 sci-fi Aelita the Queen of Mars.
www.encounters-festival.org.uk/cleaning-women-aelita-queen-of-mars

Friday: Duotone, Colston Hall
Last seen at Bristol Folk Festival, this amiable duo loop guitars, cellos, percussion and voices to create “ethereal soundscapes for their poignant lyrics to weave in and out”.
www.colstonhall.org/whatson/Event3074

Saturday & Sunday: Brisfest, Ashton Court
Brisfest returns to its spiritual home of Ashton Court featuring De La Soul, Roni Size, Jaguar Skills, Beardyman and much more. Remember, no tickets on the door.
www.brisfest.co.uk

Sunday: The Bristol Belter
Three sportives with lengths up to 155km, setting off from Redwood Lodge featuring “rolling hills, coastal views, lung-bursting climbs and spine-tingling gorge descents”.
www.bristolbelter.com