The Welcome Fair is one of the biggest events of the year, with over 16,000 attendees last year!

• Meet 300+ student groups with info about membership and upcoming events. 
• Get your official university merch. 
• Local venues, national brands and food stalls with free giveaways and prize draws.

No matter the weather, it’s the perfect way to kick off the year. Don’t miss out!

All University of Bristol students can come to the Welcome Fair, as long as you’re a registered with the University of Bristol and have your Ucard or photo ID!

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Date: Friday 18 September 2026 
Location: The Downs, Parrys Lane  
Gates open for quiet hour: 10:00am
Gates open for general access: 11:00am
Event closes: 17:00

Public transport

Bristol SU Welcome Fair takes place on Durdham Downs at the junction of Parrys Lane and Saville Road. What Three Words /// impose.foal.assure.

Buses - First Bus

Durdham Park Stop - 1, 2, 2a or 3 buses. From this stop it is a 6minute walk to the Welcome Fair entrance along Westbury Road

Black Boy Hill Stop – 1,2a, 3, 72a, 505 buses. From this stop it is a 12min walk to the Welcome Fair entrance along Westbury Road.

Due to the volume of people making their way to the event waiting time for buses is longer than advertised and demand for each bus is higher.

Where possible we highly recommend walking or cycling to the event.

Cycling

Please bring your own lock to take advantage of the temporary bike rack on Parrys Lane. Don’t attach bikes to the perimeter fencing or you risk having it removed.

Please collect your bike on the same day, bikes left overnight may be removed Bicycles, skateboards, scooters, roller blades or personal motorised vehicles are not permitted inside the event – this is with the exception of mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs

Electric Scooters

Electric scooters are available to hire across Bristol. There isn’t parking available at the fair, so you will need to leave your scooter at the nearest parking area. These can be found at the top of Redland Hill and Whiteladies Road. Download the Dott app to get started. 

We strongly recommend that you wear a helmet when using the scooters, use one per person and do not drink and ride. Find out more about the Scooter Scheme.

Walking

If possible, we highly recommend walking to the fair. It is only a short distance from the Stoke Bishop Halls and within walking distance to most of the Clifton Halls.

Water

Water points can be found across the site.

Toilets

There are wheelchair accessible toilets on site, alongside single cubicle all genders and male and female toilets.

Getting Around

If you need directions to any areas of the site or have any questions, there will be members of staff to help. You will find them roaming the site wearing backpacks with flags.  

Seating

Accessible Seating will be available across the site, so you can take a break when you need it. For a quieter space, please visit the calm space.

If its sunny, bring a picnic blanket and set yourself up to watch the Give it a Go arena with a drink from the SU Bar.

Under 18s

If you are bringing an Under-18 to the site, please use this Airtable form to pre-register their attendance and to gain access.

Information if you are bringing children on site:

• Alcohol will be present on site
• Bar sales will be subject to an ID check
• Children should be supervised at all times
• Children will be given a wristband with your contact details in case they do get lost

Lost Property

Lost property will be located at the Bristol SU Info point. Please ask a member of SU Staff for information, they will be in light blue branded uniform.

The fair is open to all University of Bristol students no matter which year you’re in. You’ll just need to bring your UCard with you.

Yes, as long as you are a registered student at the University of Bristol and have photo ID we will be able to let you in to the event.

The Welcome Fair is exclusively for University of Bristol Students however, students with children or carers are invited to bring them to the event with them. You can pre-register their attendance by emailing bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk or register them on the day by talking to a member of staff. They will be wearing blue branded uniform.

The Welcome Fair will only be running on Friday 18 September, however all of the information about who is there and what they are offering is available online at bristolsu.org.uk/welcome-fair

If you aren’t able to attend the fair, you are still able to attend Give it a Go! sessions to meet our student groups and decide if you wish to purchase membership. This year we are holding a special Give it a Go! takeover day, where our student groups will be present in all our spaces from morning to night on Wednesday 16 September. 

The fair is outside on a grassy area – in the event of bad weather, mud and puddles are likely. Dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfy shoes.

But this is our festival celebrating all the best things about Bristol SU. So, feel free to grab some glitter, face paint and wear what you want!

Make sure you bring your U-Card for entry to the fair, and a refillable water bottle. There will be food vendors at the fair, so you might find it useful to bring money, although entry to the fair is free.

Depending on the weather, you might wish to bring a raincoat or sun cream.

The Give it a Go arena is a space at the fair where different student groups will be running free ‘Give it a Go’ sessions so that you can try out a range of different activities. Booking is not required.