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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

Japrocksampler meets Krautrocksampler via deliciously acid-fried n heavy space rock oozing with doom-laden fuzz solos and psych-out electronics. Dhidalah are ripping this genre a new one from the far east alongside Guruguru Brain label mates Kikagaku Moyo and Minami Deutsch. DHIDALAH at The Louisiana.

East meets West in a cosmic jazz fusion of John Coltrane’s spirit and the ancient sounds of the nay reed flute, as played by the Palestinian master Faris Ishaq. An unmissable collaboration with Bristol European Jazz Ensemble FFO: Yusef Lateef, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Dhafer Youssef, ECM. IN THE SPIRIT OF 'TRANE at St Paul's Church, St Paul's Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1LP.

Free entry! Talisman are the defining band of the golden era of Bristol roots rock reggae and a firm favourite of the St Paul’s Carnival live stage. Expect conscious lyrics of unity and skanking one-drops FFO: Steel Pulse, Third World, Black Uhuru. Talisman + DJ Rubba Riddims at The Canteen.

Incendiary triple bill joining quantum dots between Ahmed’s crazed modal jazz swing, Skylla’s bewitching ECM inspired vocal works and Josephine Foster’s sublime baroque folkways. It’s the last event of Bristol New Music, and all musical boundaries have been left in tatters. أحمد / Josephine Foster / Skylla at Strange Brew.