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CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED

Live Music & Gigs in Bristol

Most of Bristol's live music is packed into the centre, so you are never far from a gig. St George's Bristol does relaxed concerts and family events in a grand old hall with a café bar for lunch either side. Down on the harbourside, Thekla does gigs from Pulp to Stormzy but it is strictly 14 to 18, and Grain Barge is a floating pub and restaurant where you eat on deck while the kids poke around below. The Old Duke on King Street is free to get in, with live jazz, blues and soul every night, and kids are welcome up to 8pm. For families, the daytime and early-evening spots are your best bet: St George's, Grain Barge or The Old Duke before the music turns adult. The Old England has an outdoor area, a pool table and cricket nets alongside the garden. Older teens have more choice, with The Louisiana and Trinity Community Arts running age-restricted gigs from 16, and The Thunderbolt better suited to teens out with parents than a family day trip. The Brass Pig and The Full Moon Pub & Hostel are both 18+, so save those nights for after the babysitter arrives.

16 places 6 upcoming events 4 free to visit

What's on: live music & gigs

Places for live music & gigs

Visitors on two levels of a moored barge with waterfront buildings and boats visible across the water.

Grain Barge

Bristol

A floating pub and restaurant on the harbourside where you eat on deck and let the kids poke around below.

Food on siteRestaurant

Lloyds Amphitheatre

Lloyds Amphitheatre

Bristol

An open-air harbourside amphitheatre in Bristol that hosts large-scale music and event days out in the open air.

St George's Bristol

St George's Bristol

Bristol

Relaxed concerts and family events in a grand old hall, with a café bar for lunch before or after.

Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyHearing loop+9 more

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon

Bristol

Live bands, bandeoke and jam nights in a venue that stays open into the small hours most nights of the week.

Large crowd of people dancing and celebrating in a nightclub with colourful neon lighting.Free

The Brass Pig

Bristol · adults only (18+)

An 18+ bar with pop and chart music nights, not somewhere to bring the kids at all.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsIndoor seatingLockers+1 more

The Canteen

The Canteen

Bristol

Live music most nights plus a vegetarian Sunday roast, in a Bristol spot that turns into a ticketed late one on weekends.

Allergy awareIndoor seatingFood on siteVegetarian options

Patrons gathering at a bar beneath a neon sign, with sports jerseys displayed on the brick wall above.Free

The Croft

Bristol

A late-night live music venue in Bristol with a back room built for gigs, running well past midnight most nights.

Urban courtyard festival with bunting and decorations, crowded with people of mixed ages socialising and mingling among buildings.

The Full Moon Pub & Hostel

Bristol

An 18+ hostel and pub with live music and DJs three nights a week, not a venue for kids.

Card onlyFood on siteRestaurantToilets+1 more

The GallimaufryFree

The Gallimaufry

Bristol

A Bristol bar with live music, DJs, pottery classes and life drawing under one roof, and free to get in.

Indoor seatingRestaurant

The Louisianafrom £5

The Louisiana

Bristol · ages 16+

A 16+ live music venue with gigs from a fiver, so this one's for the older teens, not the kids.

The Mothers' Ruin

The Mothers' Ruin

Bristol

A bar with a gig calendar and a food menu, more a grown-up night out than a kids' venue.

Historic red-brick pub building with white stone detailing and hanging flower baskets, pedestrians walking past on street.Free

The Old Duke

Bristol · up to age 20

A free-entry pub on King Street with live jazz, blues and soul every night, and kids are welcome up to 8pm.

The Old England

The Old England

Bristol

A Bristol pub with a pool table, an outdoor area and cricket nets that proper cricketers still use.

Food on siteOutdoor play

The Thunderboltfrom £6

The Thunderbolt

Bristol

A late-night live music pub with gigs from 7pm, better suited to older teens out with parents than a family day trip.

Bike parkingFood on siteOutdoor playParking

Thekla

Thekla

Bristol · ages 14-18

A boat moored on the Bristol harbourside doing gigs from Pulp to Stormzy, plus late club nights, strictly for the 14 to 18 crowd.

Food on siteToilets

Large crowd of people dancing and celebrating at a nightclub event with colourful lighting and string lights overhead.

Trinity Community Arts

Bristol

A Bristol live music venue with age-restricted gigs, so this one's for the teens rather than the younger kids.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingWheelchair accessible

Good to know: live music & gigs in Bristol

Are any of them free?

Yes, The Brass Pig, The Croft, The Gallimaufry and The Old Duke are free to visit.

What does a paid visit cost?

Paid entry starts from £5 at The Louisiana. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.

More ways to plan a day out

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