The Canteen

Seriously popular Bristol venue with free gigs every night.


Thankfully surviving lockdown, the Canteen is still a centre point of the Stokes Croft live music scene: 5 nights a week of the best free* music on the most vibrant street in Bristol (*£5 entry fee after 9:30pm Fri & Sat)

Since it's launch in 2009 The Canteen (part of the Hamilton House Arts Space) has become seriously popular, so much so that it's fair to expect queues on both Friday and Saturday nights. The Canteen is a multifunctional meeting space, it is neither predominantly a restaurant nor a music venue, however arguably succeeds in both of these roles.

With regards to gigs at the Canteen you can find some of Bristol's best bands and entry is always free (see our free live music in Bristol page for more).

The atmosphere (gig wise) can depend on whats on at The Canteen in Bristol, bearing in mind that many patrons will not be there specifically for the live music. That said the quality of musicians booked by the Canteen is seriously high so be sure to check the listings.

What's On At The Canteen

Furlined at The Canteen
— The Canteen
art pop country folk-pop singer-songwriter
Shing A Lings + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
salsa funk
Minas + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
electro punk post-punk
Play Misty at The Canteen
— The Canteen
country rockabilly folk
The Other Way at The Canteen
— The Canteen
contemporary jazz folk singer-songwriter
Brown Horse + Ead Wood + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
country rock rock classic rock alternative rock
Aurora Dee Raynes + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
singer-songwriter soul funk
Gloop Unit + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
alternative pop art pop experimental rock new wave synthpop
EverGreenFish at The Canteen
— The Canteen
jazz funk soul funk
Sam Evans at The Canteen
— The Canteen
pop rock soul
Stokes Croft Sub Sessions #2 at The Canteen
— The Canteen
dub reggae roots reggae lovers rock ska
Guy Calhoun Band + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
dub psych soul funk
Liz Ikamba at The Canteen
— The Canteen
afrobeat folk soul
Scarlet Muses at The Canteen
— The Canteen
jazz swing
The Slimline Shufflers at The Canteen
— The Canteen
new orleans blues blues
Fromage En Feu + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
world turbo folk gypsy jazz swing
Muttnik + DJ Stefan Goodwin at The Canteen
— The Canteen
acid jazz disco jazz funk soul funk
Lewis Clark at The Canteen
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blues folk jazz soul
Kangaroo Moon at The Canteen
— The Canteen
world psych funk
Brass Junkies + DJ Discombombulator at The Canteen
— The Canteen
pop rock jazz jazz funk funk
Smiling Ivy + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
ska funk
Trio Batey at The Canteen
— The Canteen
salsa samba world festival
Trans-Siberian Express + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
rock indie rock art rock psych funk
Ya Freshness & Big Boss Band + DJ at The Canteen
— The Canteen
dub reggae roots reggae jamaican-ska ska

Get a feel for The Canteen

Our recent recommendations for The Canteen

Capping off another unforgettable year of blistering heat brought in from every conceivable corner of the globe, the last enchanted worm dance of the year is a resident's spesh. With trusted heads bringing their encyclopaedic knowledge of global dance culture to help you MOVE; expect a total trip through blistering zouk, psych fried soca, cosmic afro-jazz and more. 5 HOUR Tropical Meltdown! All Night Global Grooves From Worm Disco Club Founders B2B2B!

Catch the absolute Queen of the Brazillian dancehall scene for £0 at the Canteen. Ain’t every day this happens, but Lei Di Dai’s singular rudegyal style’s set to light up Europe with sprinkles of jungle, reggaeton and baile madness thrown into the grinderrrrrrrr. Lei eats Beiber for breakfast, ladys to the front! Natural connection of Jamaican music, Brazilian flow, positive lyrics and dancing beats in the vibrations of Reggae, Dancehall