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Free Gigs in Bristol

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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

Free entry / PWYC underground rap expose of the year? If it’s good enough for Backwoodz, you know it fkn slaps. Fatboi Sharif’s haunted flow dances over Muggs-worthy doom-bap licks and giallo glitch inna truly inzane de-construction/re-construction of rap’s past, present and future. Nigh on historical FFO: Armand Hammer, JPEGMAFIA, Cannibal OX, Model Home, Ka. FATBOI SHARIF + COLD LIGHT at The Lanes.

Free entry! The biggest dude in Welsh rockabilly revivalism since Crazy Cavan (God rest his Teddy soul), the real John Lewis is a one-of-a-kind, all-drinking, all-swearing, twanging sensation. He’s carting his stomp box over the pond for some Link Wray rumbling and blue-eyed Sun Records balladry, expect a spike in muscle car drag racing and polka-dot heartache in the Fishponds area! John Lewis at The Greyhound Fishponds.

A transcendental meeting of seasoned jazz travellers with subversive architects of chamber drone drift! Three groups rise from the shifting sands of the Avonian improv scene to wash the Cube in twinkling neo-classical ivory, cello that scratches and soothes, and kiddie-chaos percussive bursts. Soul food FFO: The Necks, ECM, Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane. Rah + Persimmonomenon + Oliver Brouwer & Luigi Marino at The Cube.

Richard Dawson and Éliane Radigue’s go-to harpist haunts Easton's most stunning space with spectral improv twang. Marrying ancient bardic traditions with the freest of free jazz, Rhodri sets the horsehairs alight in duo formation with radical UK percussion GOAT Mark Sanders, then in quartet mode with Bristol fav Rachel Musson on sax and Matt Davis on trumpet. The shape of harp to come! Rhodri Davies + Mark Sanders + Diabolus. Field Concert Series.