What's On / Bristol Gigs / free gigs

Free Gigs in Bristol

upcoming gig

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

We’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Yelping electroindustrial painscapes. Ambient gnostic noise rituals. Carnivorous Plants double-droning in the dark of the Cube Microplex stage. All these moments will be lost in time, like liquid in the library :'((( Goodbye Liquid Library :) at The Cube.

Wayne Snow’s Afrofuturist neo-soul and richly textured R&B are deeply shaped by icons like Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Sade, Sun Ra, and King Sunny Adé. Expect glowing falsetto, cinematic atmospheres, and lulling club grooves that stir the spirit and soothe the spirit. Wayne Snow at The Jam Jar.

Local one-man hammer machine Lawi Anywar draws art rock gold from a heady melting pot of psych, funk, prog and shoegaze, spoiling Strange Brew with new album delights alongside mega support from ethereal grunge angel Eli Dayo + uncanny post-folkers Foot Foot. Unmissably hypnotic heft FFO: Meshell Ndegeocello, Yves Tumour, Slint, American Football, TV On The Radio, Brontide. Lawi Anywar, with Eli Dayo and Foot Foot at Strange Brew.

A sweet double dose of Isle of Eigg cult microlabel Lost Map: the carnivalesque psych-folk of seven-member Cornish collective Blind Yeo promises to carry the Jar to new cosmic heights, bolstered by gloopy electro-indie-pop from label founder Pictish Trail. Fans of Tunng, The Beta Band, Melin Melyn, Jane Weaver et al – jump on it. Blind Yeo + Pictish Trail at The Jam Jar.