Skip to content

Bristol Harbour Commercial Opportunities

Homepage welcome video

A video montage showing Bristol Harbour and it’s current commercial spaces including the waterside nature, heritage boats, restaurants and cafes, padel boarders, museums and shops.

Unlocking Bristol’s waterfront spaces

Several prime commercial spaces in and around Bristol Harbour are now available and ready to host new ideas, bold ventures and vibrant experiences. From high-footfall waterside locations to unique spots on the docks, these sites offer strong potential for a range of uses.

This is a rare chance to secure space in one of Bristol’s most visited and well-known areas: Bristol Harbour.

An illustrated map showing Bristol Harbour and its key attractions including the Amphitheatre and Millennium Square.
An aerial view of the Bristol Harbour and the Arnolfini Arts Centre.

Explore the sites, imagine the possibilities and be part of the story.

With 19 sites now available now, we welcome proposals that bring fresh ideas to Bristol Harbour.

View the Opportunity Sites

Why Bristol?

Bristol is one of the UK’s leading regional economies, with growth significantly outpacing other UK regions. Strong consumer demand and local spending power make the city an ideal location for new cultural, community, leisure, wellness, and food and beverage destinations.

An infographic showing that Bristol has a population of 480,000 and is one of the fastest growing cities in England and Wales. Bristol had a 10.1% population growth between 2011 and 2021 and is the 7th most visited city in the UK by international visitors. Bristol has 11.7 million day visitors, ranks 2nd in PwC's 2024 Good Growth for Cities Index and has a £1.25 billion visitor economy. Bristol's Gross Value Added (GVA) nearly doubled between 2004 and 2021 (86%), far outpacing the 55% average for England and Wales. Bristol has more than 2 million staying visitor trips of which 30% are international.
An infographic stating that Bristol Harbour's total footfall in 2023 was 10.1 million. The capacity of the Amphitheatre is 10,000 and in 2024, Bristol Harbour Festival attracted 202,000 visitors, generating an overall estimated economic impact of over £5 million. 75% of visitors come from within 10 miles and 'Harbour' is the number one word visitors associate with Bristol (2025).

Why Bristol Harbour?

Bristol Harbour is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations, attracting consistently high footfall and having a strong connection with both the local community and the wider public. Key statistics highlight a thriving economy and a compelling case for future investment in this dynamic and opportunity-rich location.

A view of M Shed museum and Bristol Cranes
Bristol Urban Living 33 - CB Bristol Design 2017
previous arrow
next arrow

The Vision

These opportunities will unlock the full potential of Bristol Harbour and help bring to life the long-term vision set out in the recently published Bristol Harbour Place Shaping Strategy.

Join us in making the harbour more active and accessible, resilient and sustainable, and industrious and creative.

A graphic showing the vision values of the Bristol Harbour Place Shaping Strategy which are 'active and accessible', 'resilient and sustainable' and 'industrious and creative'.


Infographic sources: Visit Britain, ONS Population Estimates, Place Informatics, Census 2011 & 2021, CoreCities.com,  PWC,
The Economic Impact of Bristol’s Visitor Economy 2023 Produced on behalf of Visit West By The South West Research Company Ltd.

Hero video sources: AND London, Bristol Design, The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.