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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

Transcendental drone ragas and drag country doo-wop from the margins, forever! Vibracathedral’s legendary egodeath ensemble freak-outs are a simultaneous re-enactment/destruction of the entire history of 20th century music. A stupefying, life-changing evening FFO: La Monte Young, Cindy Lee, Flower-Corsano, Jackie-O Motherfucker. Vibracathedral Orchestra, Nina Garcia, YOKE, + at Moor Beer Co.

Sell out warning! The most vital act to survive the 90s acid-jazz / trip-hop boom - Red Snapper’s electronic playfulness, instrumental virtuosity and disregard for genre boundaries blazed a path for the current Bristol jazz crossover scene (Snazzback, Waldo’s Gift etc.) Red Snapper + BRACE at The Jam Jar.

Able Noise are a Cube no-brainer! Their deconstructed post-rock undulates woozily between minimalism and maximalism in a time-bending, freeform interplay of collapsing loops, snatched fragments and percussive textures. Plus glitchy folktronica duo Milkweed and a debut show for Eva May & Tara Clerkin Trio’s Pat Benjamin. Huge FFO: Slint, Still House Plants, Lifted. Able Noise / Milkweed / Eva May & Pat Benjamin at The Cube.

Newsflash: brash, loud yet very approachable blokes make freakish noise rock, bad acid psych and goofy fuzz metal feel totally fresh again. None of them are called Michael but they reallllly bring the dirt alongside ever-reliable ear-ripping skronk noise unit Repo Man. Essential FFO: Sex Swing, Butthole Surfers, Melvins, Gnod, Sleep. MICHAEL // Repo Man at The Golden Lion.