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
afrobeat
blues
jazz
reggae
world
— The Canteen
drum and bass
gypsy jazz
jungle
psych
world
— The Canteen
afrobeat
funk
jazz funk
latin jazz
— The Canteen
hip hop
jazz
soul
spoken word
poetry
— The Canteen
blues
jam session
Get a feel for The Canteen
Our recent recommendations for The Canteen
Free entry! Straight outta Mali, Pcha is part of a new wave of artists flipping the script on West African sounds. Son of legendary balafonist Neba Solo, he grew up steeped in the rhythms of Sikasso before twisting that heritage into a wild mix of amapiano, afrobeats & hip-hop. Blissful rhythms aplenty!
Ancestral sound meets global beats.
Free entry! Echoing the energy of Floating Points, Ezra Collective and Sons of Kemet, London’s Zeñel blends Afrobeats, jungle and grime with a heavy dose of live jazz flair. Their electronic improvisations twist jazz into a percussive, club-tuned frenzy engineered for intimate live gigs and Friday night freakouts alike.
Experience a fusion of jazz and electronic music drawing on inspiration from grime, UK drill, afrobeat and future bass
Free entry (before 9:30pm)! The grind/metal-friendly sound system we always dreamed of squeezes into the Canteen for a sub-rowdy session with Kahn & Neek’s dread pressure Gorgon Sound project. BIG in all senses.
BACK FOR THE TRILOGY! Gorgon Sound return to Stokes Croft Sub Sessions for the 3rd time...
Free entry! The Riot Act crew get PROUD with a stuffed-to-the-brim cabaret of comics, clowns and high-flying circus carnage.... they’re stretching our word count with all these goodies, with highlights including: Fella’s one-night resurrection of papier-mâché menace Mr Big Head, an interactive clown-barista/Pierce Brosnan romance via Alistair Aitcheson + Kate & Frankie’s silly, sexy, worm-fuelled acrobatics.
Clowning chaos. Punk poetry mayhem. Circus insanity and Stand-up galore.
Free entry (before 9:30)! So Carnival’s not not (not?) happening this year… at least one thing we’ll know for sure, there’ll be some St Paul’s heritage dubwise at The Canteen from Bristol’s Roots Ambassadors. Chewing Glass rig up the place with Ras Kama at the controls and Aqua Levi chanting down the mic as always. Unstoppable!
CGC Sound System are proud to announce a carnival special featuring Bristol roots/dub veterans: NEGUS MELODY!