Bristol’s culture sector generated £892.9m in economic impact in 2023/24.

The figure was revealed by Bristol City Council’s first culture impact survey, which said the findings demonstrate the vital role culture plays in the city’s development and growth.

Part of the impact was £122.4m in social value (benefits to wellbeing, education, employment, and environmental sustainability).

Other findings were:

• Bristol’s cultural sector directly spent £176m in jobs and wages and £272.7m on cultural programming and third-party suppliers, totalling £448.7 million in direct economic impact.
• Cultural organisations in Bristol reached a combined audience of 10.9m people, through in-person and digital cultural activities.
• Organisations funded by Bristol City Council generated a direct economic impact of £41.5m.

The council said the data will be used to support the development of a new cultural strategy and action plan for Bristol, and provide organisations with individual impact data to support funding bids, partnerships and long-term sustainability.

Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England, said:

“I promised to work with the government and invest in the West. To have our creative industries recognised with this funding is a real vote of confidence in our region. People are drawn here from all over the world, whether it’s for our balloons and street art or the city so historic that UNESCO listed it twice. Creativity in the West knows few limits – or equals.

“Culture is part of who we are, whether it’s Oscar-collecting Aardman Animations or treble-winning Bath Rugby. It’s also a big part of the West of England’s economy, and it’s growing. Now we can invest in the future through the industrial strategy: helping businesses to grow, bringing through the next generation of creatives, and driving economic growth.”

As part of the government’s industrial strategy and creative industries sector plan, the West of England gets a share of £150m to support creative organisations and businesses.

Philip Walker, head of culture at Bristol City Council, said:

“The findings of this first culture impact survey highlight what many of us in the sector have long known – Bristol’s cultural offer is rich, diverse, and deeply embedded in the life of our city. From grassroots initiatives to world-class institutions, culture is a vital part of how we live, connect, and grow.

“This impact is only possible through the strength of our partnerships – between artists, organisations, communities, funders, our regional partners and the public sector. Together, we are building a cultural ecosystem that not only drives economic value but also fosters inclusion, wellbeing, and pride across Bristol and the wider region.”

Culture sector members of Bristol Creative Industries

We are proud to have several cultural businesses and organisations as Bristol Creative Industries members. They include:

Design West | Watershed | Bristol Beacon | Curzon Cinema & Arts | St George’s Bristol | Bristol Cathedral | We The Curious | Tobacco Factory Theatres | The Bakehouse Factory | Aardman Animations | Wake The Tiger

Culture will also be part of BTF+, The Bristol Festival of Tech, Creativity & Culture, on 6-11 October. Led by Techspark, Bristol Creative Industries and MyWorld, the week-long festival will celebrate technology, creativity and culture with a huge programme of events. Find out more here.

Culture is vital to our region. Let’s keep supporting it.

About Bristol Creative Industries

Bristol Creative Industries is the membership network that supports the region's creative sector to learn, grow and connect, driven by the common belief that we can achieve more collectively than alone.