Spring has finally arrived at Stroud Brewery. Sunlight lingers longer, the air softens, and Stroud begins to stretch itself awake. There’s something about this time of year that feels distinctly feminine – a maiden energy of renewal, curiosity, and growth.
In many traditions, spring is a time of heightened feminine power. Vasant Navaratri, the nine-day “powertime of the Goddess,” celebrates multiple forms of the divine feminine, with energy said to peak during this period – inviting renewal, creation, and prosperity. As Dr Pillai observes: “Female Power is the most powerful Energy. Beauty, expansion, fertility, joy, abundance – all these are qualities of the Feminine. It is only available during certain configurations of celestial timing. Yogis eagerly watch for this time to be in harmony with the power of the Mother Goddess.”
That sense of abundance and awakening is everywhere at the Brewery this month – in film, in music, in basslines, in conversation, and on the dancefloor.
On Sunday, March 8th, International Women’s Day, the story begins with The Bass of Women, presented as part of the Stroud Film Festival. The documentary explores the crucial role women have played in shaping sound system culture across Europe – often unseen, but never unheard. After the screening, Vixen Sound leads a talk and Q&A, sharing experience, insight and practical ways to create more inclusive music spaces. It feels perfectly aligned with the season: planting seeds, challenging narratives, and nurturing new growth.
As afternoon shifts into evening, Dub On Tap fills the Balcony Bar with warmth and heavyweight energy. With an international, female-led lineup including Vixen Sound, High Paw, Lys Darkgyal, Shaybae, Alexis Vox, Lady R and more, the dancefloor becomes a living expression of spring itself – playful, vibrant and impossible to contain.
We’ll also be raising a glass to the season with Brew Belles, our 4.5% botanical pale ale brewed by Victoria Dovey-Spicer. Citrus hops meet delicate lavender in a pint that’s fresh, bright and made for longer evenings on the balcony. A small but joyful tribute to the women who have shaped brewing history – and those shaping it right now.
The momentum carries into Thursday, March 12th, when the Stroud Film Festival presents Power Station, a story of neighbours installing solar panels across their street – proof that collective action can spark meaningful change. A post-film Q&A with the Stroud Area Community Energy Network keeps that spirit of possibility alive. Spring isn’t just about flowers; it’s about ideas taking root.
Then comes Friday, March 13th, when Ruffneck Ting brings 30 years of jungle lineage to Stroud. Before it was a genre, jungle was a movement – born from sound system culture, reggae roots, pirate radio towers and warehouse raves. While London lit the spark, Bristol turned it into fire, and Ruffneck Ting has carried that flame since 1993.
What makes this night particularly special is the women leading the charge. Dazee – co-founder and pioneer – stands alongside rising forces Chez and Jenni Groves, representing experience, evolution and the next generation of jungle energy. It’s not nostalgia. It’s lineage in motion. And for Stroud to host such a heavyweight anniversary lineup feels significant – a reminder that our small town dancefloor can hold big cultural moments.
But spring energy isn’t only about headline nights. It’s also about nurturing new beginnings – and that’s where Big Sis DJs come in.
We’ve been incredibly proud to provide a home for Big Sis since they began in 2024. What started as three women – Neon Pumps, K-Dee and Trudy Turner – creating joyful, playful club nights for women and non-binary folk aged 30+ has grown into something far bigger than anyone expected. Sold-out parties led to DJ taster sessions. Taster sessions led to one-to-one tuition and six-week beginner courses. Over 45 people have tried mixing for the first time, 18 have completed courses, and many graduates were performing at events within weeks – absolutely smashing it.
Big Sis isn’t just about learning to DJ. It’s about fellowship, confidence, bucket-list moments, festival bookings, sweaty dancefloors and serious fun. It’s about meeting people exactly where they are and building a community around shared sound.
And in early April, that community energy bursts fully into bloom with the Big Sis DJs Eggstravaganza on Saturday 4th April. Featuring their first guest headliner, the rapidly rising Amelia Leigh, alongside Neon Pumps and Big Sis Selectas, it promises high BPMs, broken beats, jungle, footwork, bass pressure and full-throttle springtime rave energy. A bank holiday weekend celebration of new life, new season, and blossom-level chaos on the dancefloor.
Spring at Stroud Brewery, then, isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s a feeling. It’s women at the forefront of culture. It’s first-time DJs finding their confidence. It’s jungle basslines shaking the Balcony Bar. It’s documentary screenings that spark conversation. It’s a fresh pint in your hand as the sun sets later than it did yesterday.
Renewal. Creation. Abundance.
The season has arrived – and it sounds incredible.
