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Free Gigs in Bristol

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Bristol's Free Gigs Scene

Where to find free music in Bristol Free music's pretty easy to find in Bristol. Whilst most gigs outside of the big venues are usually only a few quid, it's always nice to see some bands for free or a couple of pounds in a bucket (if they're good!) For guaranteed free music with your pint, go to a venue which has a free entry policy.

The Old Duke, The Canteen and The Golden Lion (except fridays) should probably be your first port-of-call to check out Coronation Tap are also very reliable and popular for free gigs. Luckily free gigs can happen anywhere, this means you can keep things interesting and not get bored of rotating the same Bristol venues. Free live music can crop up anywhere from the Grain Barge and Lousianna to Colston Hall and even St Georges.

The economy of free gigs. Can it survive Covid?

Good news: gigs in Bristol are more likely to be free than anywhere else! General ticket prices seem to be more common between free and £5; the £20+ bracket is a rare one compared to the capital’s high-end arts and theatre gigs. Bristol’s pandemic response has opened up some extra local music funding. Will free gigs disappear with the added financial pressures of covid? Indoor gigs may soon be possible, but how many of them will remain free and accessible?

Free outdoor gigs and festivals in Bristol

From mid June to the beginning of September Bristol Council and independent organisations put on some great free music events. Best of all there's something different almost every weekend and they don't cost any money! Significant large events include St Werbergh's Fair, The Harbourside Festival and St Pauls Carnival. In addition there are some great smaller, open air gigs with free entry to be found in places like Queens Square, Stokes Croft and Castle Park.

Buy tickets for free gigs events in Bristol

Our recent free gigs recommendations

Looking for Glastonbury-esque feels at only 1,000 capacity + just a 30 minute drive from Bristol? Welcome to Inglefest. An intimate farmhouse location with a firm musical focus on the South West, including adorable emo-folk-punk trio Toodles & The Hectic Pity, Pocket Sun’s impossibly dreamy synth-pop, beloved Bristol boom-bap from The Scribes + oh so much more. Inglefest’s just bursting at the seams with rnb, punk, jazz and folk loveliness. 15th - 17th August at Oxwick Farm.

Sell out warning! Irresistible pagan dream-folk evocations of Cornish megaliths and wistful faeries through fingerpicked guitar, sitar drones and Daisy’s hypnotic contralto. A complete pastoral reawakening FFO: Shovel Dance, Incredible String Band, Nico, Alison Cotton, Karen Dalton. Daisy Rickman // LIFTER // Pictureframes at Strange Brew.

Reverb-drenched riders of the apocalyptic haze, London-based five-piece The Confederate Dead summon drone-laced guitar voyages out of of pulsing waves and elliptical loops. Step into the silken heat! FFO: Galaxie 500, Spiritualized, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, staring into the void. The Confederate Dead at The Louisiana.

Unmissable all-day misrule and crust/hxc/street punk pit heaven at the metal-working anarchist oasis aka Rockaway Park. 14 bands across 2 stages including Barcelona’s Riot City pogo punks Lux and the righteous return of blistering buzzsaw upstarts the Flex + shuttle bus from BRS, vegan cafe, info stalls, crowd-surfing kiddies. Bliss and leather! UNREST 2025 at Rockaway Park.