The Old Duke

What it’s like

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

This is a proper live music pub, not a soft play with a stage bolted on, so set your expectations accordingly. There's a band on every single night, jazz, blues, country, soul and funk taking turns through the week, and Tuesday is open mic if you fancy seeing someone's uncle finally get his moment. Entry is free, which is rare for live music and worth knowing if you're testing the water with an older kid who's curious about gigs but you don't want to commit £15 a ticket to find out they hate it.

The catch, and it's a fair one, is that children are only allowed in until 8pm. So this works as an early evening thing rather than a full night out. Turn up not too late, catch a set, and be out before the room properly fills up and turns into an adults-only crowd. Given the age cut-off and the fact it's a pub rather than a venue built for children, this suits older kids and young teenagers who can sit through a set and appreciate live music, rather than toddlers who need space to move.

It's open from midday right through, so you're not restricted to evenings only if you want to pop in earlier in the day when it's quieter. There's no booking system mentioned.

Need to know

Best for

Older kids and young teens who'll sit through a live set

• Kids are welcome but only until 8pm, so plan an early visit rather than a late one
• Free entry every night, no ticket needed
• Tuesday is open mic night if you want to see something a bit different
• No booking system in place, it runs as a walk-in venue

Plan your visit

Featured in 1 Huddlepin list

See all Live Music & Gigs in Bristol · Things to do in Bristol