Bristol opens new late-night safe space in the city centre

New Friday and Saturday night service on Central Promenade offers practical help, first aid, phone charging and a friendly place to regroup

Bristol Safe Space at Night is now operating every Friday and Saturday from 10pm until 4am on Central Promenade, opposite the Bristol Hippodrome, giving people enjoying the city’s nightlife somewhere to reset, recharge and get a helping hand when they need it.

Delivered by Bristol BID and Avon and Somerset Police, the service offers practical support ranging from first aid and phone charging, to period and sexual health products. . A friendly, non-judgemental team is on hand to talk, provide information about other support available in the city and help people contact medical services or the police where needed.

Early figures from September show the range of support already being provided. In the launch week the team recorded 10 interventions, with most relating to welfare or vulnerability.

Support has ranged from helping people get home safely and providing a place to recover, to situations where additional safeguarding, medical or police support was needed. The early activity highlights the role of the Safe Space as both a practical point of help and somewhere people can turn when a night out becomes more difficult than expected.

The Safe Space is designed to be somewhere anyone can drop into when their night doesn’t quite go to plan, whether they’ve lost their friends, run out of phone battery, are feeling unwell, need somewhere to wait for a taxi or simply want ten minutes somewhere quieter.

The new weekend service follows two Safe Space pilots delivered by Bristol City Centre BID and Avon and Somerset Police in December 2024 and early 2025, which explored the need for dedicated night-time welfare support in the city centre. Feedback from the initial pilot highlighted a wide range of reasons people sought support, from being reunited with friends and finding somewhere to wait for transport to dealing with unexpected problems such as broken shoes.

Now operating regularly from Central Promenade, Bristol Safe Space at Night forms part of a wider network of people and organisations supporting Bristol’s night-time community, connecting with partners including Hope Against Suicide, Bristol Street Pastors and city centre businesses.

Bristol Safe Space At Night, September 2026

Louisa Briggs, Project Manager at Bristol BID, said: “Bristol has a brilliant nightlife and we want people to know there’s a friendly place they can turn to when their night doesn’t quite go to plan. It doesn’t need to be an emergency, sometimes you just need to charge your phone, sit down for ten minutes or have someone help you work out what to do next.

“The first few weeks have already shown just how varied that support can be. Safe Space is about adding another layer of support to the city at night and bringing together the businesses, police and supporting organisations already working hard to look out for people. We want it to feel approachable and easy to use, with no judgement, no drama, just a bit of backup when you need it.”

DI Emily Welch of Avon and Somerset Police said: “We’re really pleased to be continuing our partnership with Bristol BID and to see Bristol Safe Space at Night now operating regularly in the city centre. The earlier pilots showed us the many different ways a service like this can support people, and having a consistent, recognisable place to go means people can get help with smaller issues before they become bigger ones.

“It also strengthens the network of support already operating across Bristol at night, helping venues, businesses, police and other partners work together so that people can enjoy everything the city’s nightlife has to offer.”

Bristol Safe Space at Night can be found on Central Promenade, opposite the Bristol Hippodrome, every Friday and Saturday from 10pm to 4am. Visitors should look out for the branded Bristol Safe Space at Night gazebo and flags.

The service is staffed by a trained first responder from Bristol Ambulance and marshals from CR2 Security. They can help people access further medical or police support where necessary. It is not an emergency medical service; anyone who is seriously ill, injured or in immediate danger should contact the appropriate emergency service.

For more information about the service, head to https://www.bristolbid.co.uk/projects/bristol-safe-space/

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