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

A tangible manifesto for building radical queer futures! Rooted in historical community resource sharing, Prashar-Savoie’s debut book imagines genuine, collectivised nightlife networks. Catch them at this idyllic Misscoteque outing discussing their club commons vision with lesbian scene organiser Katherine Griffiths, then serving up dreamy electro, aqueous grooves and 80s vinyl selections to take you into the night. Club Commons at Bridge Community Farm.

Alkanna Graeca land with a flourish at Circomedia: the Balkan folk trio reshape old-world polyphonic melodies into ritualistic masterpieces of harmony-laden exploration, taking influence from jazz, Arabic maqam, improv and experimental traditions. Glorious stuff, hosted alongside a singing workshop and a dinner raising funds for Amos Trust Gaza Appeal. Alkanna Graeca at Circomedia.

Collective sonic communion rooted in resistance: pioneering polymath Ahmed Eid is a musical life force, from his Arabic electro-jazz psychedelia to his work with the Palestine Music Space in Ramallah. The Bukahara co-founder steps out in solo guise fundraising for the next generation of Palestinian creatives, joined by Soufian Saihi’s mesmerising oud serenades on support. Ahmed Eid + Soufian Saihi - Palestine Music Space Fundraiser at The Jam Jar.

Sell out warning! The Orcutt Shelley Miller trio tear through an avant-rock outer world, as Bill Orcutt’s iconoclastic outlaw shred interlaces with Steve Shelley’s mad percussion and Ethan Miller’s writhing bass. On support: electroacoustic composer Cole Pulice untethers sax and synth into boundless, dreamlike arcs. A fugitive voyage in sound FFO: Jim O’Rourke, Sonic Youth, Nala Sinephro, Pharoah Sanders. Orcutt Shelley Miller + Cole Pulice at Strange Brew.