Bristol’s live music scene is thrilling, and in this post, we round up some of Bristol’s best venues for live music, gigs, concerts and event nights.
We have split this into sections to give a flavour of Bristol’s music scene from all fronts:
- Bristol’s best gig venues
- Bristol’s best large club night music venues
- Bristol’s best live music in Bar of Pub
- Best concert venues in Bristol
This article has a sister post on Bristol’s Comedy Scene if you’re interested in checking that out too.
Bristol’s best gig venues
These are the best of Bristol’s medium-sized gig venues. Many of these are iconic on the bristol music scene.
What makes them so wonderful is the real mix of artists and performers- some vents are sold out well in advance but there are so many wonderful smaller acts on every night of the week.
These are fantastic places to also explore new music.
| Gig Venue | Venue Type |
| The Fleece | Iconic bristol gig spot for a range of music- often indie bands. Set in an old sheep trading hall which gave rise to the name. Big names have played here- including Radiohead, Idles, Oasis, Muse, Kae Tempest, Jeff Buckley, Coldplay, Sea Girls, Amy Winehouse, Frank Carter & Rattlesnakes, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Darkness, The Lovely Eggs, Yonaka, George Ezra and Ed Sheeran. See events page here. |
| The Louisiana | Another Iconic gig spot in Bristol. The Louisiana is a long-standing and well-known music venue. Famous past gigs include: Muse, George Ezra, Chemical Brothers, Dua Lipa, Two door cinema club, The vaccines and many more. See upcoming events page here. |
| Hen and Chicken | A lively pub and wood-fired pizza place downstairs and a big venue upstairs with a mix of music and comedy arts. Often jazzy, electronic or blues. See all the upcoming events here. |
| Mr Wolfs | Another well known venue in Bristol with great music and music variety- often playing a mix of Rock, Jazz, electronic, funk, blues, drum and base and more. See upcoming gigs here. |
| O2 Academy | Great, larger-scale gigs at this venue that attracts big names of Bristol’s music scene. See upcoming music events here. |
| Thekla | A club on a boat- fun nights and great, high-energy music, See upcoming gigs here. |
| SWX | A more commercial club space with club nights and live music gigs. See upcoming live music here. |
If you’re going to a gig at the Hen and chicken, you might enjoy our posts on the best cafes and day- bars of north street, or even, a pre-dinner meal at one of these great restaurants of North street.
Otherwise, we have guides to great Bristol wine bars, great Bristol gin bars or great classic cocktail bars all over the city.
Best music venue clubs in Bristol- DJ heavy nights
These are bigger event or warehouse-style club venues- expect heavy, late nights here. Lakota and Full moon are in Stokes Croft. Motion. Marble factory, are by temple meads station and Black Swan is on Stapleton Road, Easton.
See the links below to the event sites for upcoming gigs.
| Music Club Venue | Venue Type |
| Lakota | An Institution- one of Bristols best known clubs. Great DJs, packed dance floors, and heavy nights. Big event nights to check out on their events page here. |
| Motion (and The Marble factory) | A huge, riverside warehouse venue home to some of bristols biggest club nights, DJs and day and night music events. See their events page here. |
| Full Moon | Outdoor and indoor club/bar venue in the heart of stokes croft. For those into heavy nights. See their upcoming events here. |
| Black Swan | Underground dance music, DJ sets and live music events. See upcoming nights on their facebook page here. |
Best live music venues (bars/pubs)
Bristol has a huge live music scene- all over bristol are bars that have become renowned for weekly or daily live music, or open mic events.
Three of the best, most respected bars/pubs with live music are The Canteen in Stokes Croft, The Old Duke on king street and Crofters rights also in Stokes Croft.
| Pub/Bar | Venue Type |
| The Canteen | Cafe and Bar with live music every day of the week, a fun mix of folk, jazz, funk, international music and more. Chic, nice place where you always find a range of ages thoroughly enjoying themselves. See upcoming music events here. |
| Old Duke | A Jazz and Blues bar on King street, old beamed building and cobbled street with live music every evening. A complete mix of people and ages. See what’s coming up here. |
| Crofters rights | Indie, rock, folk, experimental drum and bass. Upcoming events here. A nice place enjoyed by students and locals alike. A bit more scuzzy and a few more electronic lighting displays than the two above, but always high vibes. |
Best concert venues in Bristol
These concert venues show a fantastic range of classical, blues, jazz and folk. Bristol beacon is the biggest conference hall and arts centre. St Georges is a more classical, church-style concert hall with some very notable names touring.
| Concert Venue | Venue description |
| Bristol Beacon | A mix of orchestral gigs and concerts. Bristol’s most famous large community concert hall. See the upcoming events here. |
| St Georges | Bristol’s stunning concert hall for a mix of classical and contemporary well-known concerts. See upcoming events here. |
If you’re looking for a pre-dinner meal, you might enjoy our posts about excellent pasta restaurants in bristol, the great Bristol Japanese restaurants and best tapas in bristol.