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.
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
— The Canteen
alternative pop
art pop
classic rock
alternative rock
Get a feel for The Canteen
Our recent recommendations for The Canteen
Free entry! British-Americana troubadour duo A Different Thread weave together the roots of traditional Celtic balladry with Appallachian bluegrass + country to create a richly emotive strain of contemporary transatlantic folk - featuring fiddle, banjo, double bass and an abundance of honeyed vocal harmonies. Timeless!
A Different Thread at The Canteen.
Free entry! Magnetic Bristolian mega-fusion of warm analogue jazz, funk, soul, and psych– basically a mid-week Canteen-goer’s dream. Dr. Chonk & The Nature Injection’s gently trippy, retro-tinted grooves fall somewhere between languid late-night loungefest and a sun-kissed jam session FFO: Azymuth, El Michels Affair, Magic in Threes, Ill Considered.
Dusty, raw sounds of 70s psych-jazz to imagine a modern, lo-fi soul
Free entry! Step inside the haunted house of West Country blues that is Ma Plaine’s Great Decline. Their moody Waits-channelling Americana slithers and swings with bone-rattling skiffle rhythms and a big dollop of proggy oddness. Sinister, spellbinding!
Uplifting mash of blues, jazz and country
Chewing Glass sure know how to pick ‘em! Continuing a deadly run of some of the heftiest dub and dread steppas Stokes Croft seen in about a decade with Austria’s mighty Dubbing Sun. He’ll be wrecking the subs with Kolee nicing up the mic in a huge 140-fortified session FFO: DMZ, Ishan Sound, Radikal Guru, the Bug etc.
CGC Sound bring Austria's Dubbing Sun to Bristol
Free entry! Feverishly noisy glitch pop at Canteen. Local instrumental experimentalists Socks & Ballerinas are a two-person kaleidoscope of fractured beats, lush loops, and improvisational swerves. Captivating and chaotic FFO: Matmos, Autechre, Tortoise.
Bristol-based instrumental live looping duo making weird sounds and wacky rhythms