Ayr · the live music guide
Live Music in Ayr
Ayr, South Ayrshire
01 — The short answer
AyrLive music in Ayr
Ayr has 6 venues listing live music, 249 gigs in the next 30 days and 44 open mic nights (both in and around Glasgow). Below: the rooms to start with, the gigs on now, what acts are paid and where to go next, all read live from the same directory.
The Ayr Pavilion on the seafront is back as a venue for rock and tribute shows. In the town centre, Venue38 is Ayr's largest grassroots music and events space and the Printhouse is a 350-capacity music venue. The Iris books indie and live music, Ayr Town Hall hosts rock, blues and soul nights, and Wellington's Bar runs a regular Thursday open mic.
listing live music
| Gigsin the next 30 days · in and around Glasgow | 249 |
| Open micsactive nights · in and around Glasgow | 44 |
| On GigXchangeAyr act · with a profile you can browse | 1 |
02 — The scene
Live Music Scene Score — Ayr100
| Artists | 48 |
| Venues | 12 |
| Gigs 90d | 100 |
| Rates | 50 |
| Heritage | 90 |
| Activity | 0 |
03 — Rooms to know
4 roomsThe rooms to know
Three big rooms and a bar open mic.
| Seafront venueThe Ayr PavilionRevived seafront venue for rock and tributes. Books: rock, tribute.Getting on: Programmed by the venue |
| Large venueVenue38Ayr's largest grassroots music and events space. Books: rock, tribute, covers.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Music venuePrinthouse Ayr350-capacity music and events space. Books: indie, rock.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| BarWellington's BarGrassroots bar with a Thursday open mic. Books: open mic, acoustic.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
04 — The scene
AyrThe Ayr sound
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Ayr is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
| The seafrontThe Ayr Pavilion brings rock and tribute shows back to the front. |
| Town centreVenue38, the Printhouse and The Iris carry the gig nights. |
| The open micWellington's Bar is where new Ayr players get a Thursday stage. |
| Room sizesSmall rooms under 150: 1 · mid-size up to 500: 1 · bigger stages: 2 - 4 rooms in Ayr with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Ayr venue directory. |
| The open mic circuit44 open mic nights run in and around Glasgow - The Old Toll Bar and The Allison Arms among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times. |
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Paisley, Glasgow and Stirling.
| NearbyLive music in Paisley | |
| NearbyLive music in Glasgow | |
| NearbyLive music in Stirling |
05 — Venues
6 roomsWhere live music happens
The Ayr circuit runs through 6 venues, Ayr Town Hall and Printhouse Ayr included. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights.
Photo: Google Ayr Town HallAyr 
Printhouse AyrAyr 350Cap 
The Ayr PavilionAyr seafront · AyrHouse PAEngineer 650Cap 
The IrisTown Centre · AyrHouse PA 100Cap 
Venue38Town Centre · AyrHouse PAEngineer 800Cap 
Wellington's BarTown Centre · AyrHouse PA Cap tbc Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Ayr venue directory, see what is booked on the Ayr gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
| All live music venues in Ayr |
06 — Gigs
Next 6The next 30 days Ayr
249 gigs are listed in and around Glasgow for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory.
Starts14:30 Outside The Original Prog Classics ShowMacSorleys Music Bar · Anderston/City/Yorkhill · GlasgowTickets 
Big Duffy and The Goods Live @ BlackfriarsBlackfriars Of Bell Street · Anderston/City/Yorkhill · Glasgow 15:00Tonight 
Soul on The River with The Divas Soul BandThe Ferry · Anderston/City/Yorkhill · GlasgowTickets 15:30Tonight 
Jack Heavenor DuoBlue Dog · GlasgowFree 17:00Tonight 
The Vintage ExplosionAyr Town Hall . · Ayr West · GlasgowTickets 18:00Tonight 
TortoiseQueen Margaret Union · Hillhead · Glasgow 19:00Tonight Every listing is a real Ayr date, rebuilt nightly from the Ayr gig directory. See the Ayr venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
| All Ayr gigs | |
| What's on in Ayr this weekthe weekly gig guide, by email |
07 — Next step
Pick yoursYour next step in Ayr
Whoever you are, Ayr has a page built for your next step: artists find rooms and open mics, venues and promoters find acts, and everyone sees what gigs actually pay. Pick yours.
| FansWhat's on in Ayr this weekthe Ayr gig guide, by email | |
| FansUpcoming gigs in Glasgowevery listing, sorted by date | |
| ArtistsHow to get gigspay, venues that book, how to pitch | |
| ArtistsOpen mics in Glasgowfree stage time, night by night | |
| BookersBook live musicprices, steps, licensing | |
| VenuesLive music venues in Glasgowclaim yours free and keep it current |
08 — Pay
GX IndexWhat acts earn
One figure from the GX Index - what acts are actually paid, the UK median where it rests on 20+ fees. The full prices and the pay guide are one click away.
| What it costs to book live music in Ayrthe booking guide - every act size and event type | |
| What gigs pay in Ayrthe artist guide - the pay ladder and how to pitch | |
| The GX Indexevery UK fee table, open data |
09 — Compare
Nearest scenesHow Ayr compares
Ayr's scene, counted with the Glasgow area, ranks first of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Edinburgh, Newcastle, Belfast, Dundee, Carlisle, Derry and Newry. Each row is a city's wider area in our directory, nearby towns included: venues that list live music, weekly open mics and upcoming gigs, refreshed nightly.
| # | Area | Venues |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ayr (Glasgow area) This city 44 open mics · 726 upcoming gigs | 167 |
| 02 | Edinburgh 34 open mics · 317 upcoming gigs | 117 |
| 03 | Newcastle 25 open mics · 246 upcoming gigs | 75 |
| 04 | Belfast 17 open mics · 229 upcoming gigs | 73 |
| 05 | Dundee 18 open mics · 48 upcoming gigs | 33 |
| 06 | Carlisle 9 open mics · 8 upcoming gigs | 18 |
| 07 | Derry 6 open mics · 21 upcoming gigs | 14 |
| 08 | Newry 3 open mics · 7 upcoming gigs | 5 |
10 — Questions8 answersFrequently asked questions
11 — Keep exploring
AyrMore of Ayr
More live music resources for Ayr and the rest of the UK: fee guides, venue lists, open mic finders and how-to guides, all read from the same live directory.
| How to Book Live MusicVenue guide — local rates, genre fit, licensing, and a step-by-step booking walkthrough for Ayr. | |
| Upcoming Gigs in AyrThe full Ayr gig calendar — touring shows, festivals, and venues hiring acts across the region. | |
| Open Mics in AyrOpen mic nights near Ayr — directions, dates, and the grass-roots route into paid bookings. | |
| Ayr Rate BenchmarkWhat UK bands actually charge by city and gig type. Median fees from the live GigXchange Index. |
Everything live in Ayr — venues, open mics and upcoming gigs. Step-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Ayr. Artists and bands available around Ayr.
| GigsUpcoming gigs in Ayr — sorted by dateWhat's on in Ayr — the local gig directory. Upcoming gigs in Ayr, by date. One-off gigs at indie venues and community stages. Sorted by date, refreshed continuously. Free and ticketed shows both listed. Every gig links its venue.Ayr gigs · UK gig directory |
| VenuesGrassroots venues, pubs and stages in AyrCapacity, backline and booking contacts for Ayr venues. Grassroots venues, pubs and stages in Ayr. Capacity and backline specs where known. Re-verified on a rolling cycle. Claim your venue to keep it current.Ayr venues · For venues |
| Open MicsFree stage time — Ayr open mic nightsJust starting out? Ayr open mic nights, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Weekly open mic nights across Ayr. Filter by night of the week. Free stage time — walk in, sign up, play. The grassroots pipeline to paid gigs.Ayr open mics · UK open mic finder |
| GuidesHow to get gigs and book live music in AyrStep-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Ayr. How to get gigs. How to book live music. Find a band, city by city. Written for working musicians and venues.How to get gigs · How to book · Find a band |
| RatesWhat live acts earn in AyrLive Ayr rate benchmarks from the GigXchange Index. Median fees by act size and event type. City-level benchmarks, updated nightly. Never a misleading average — real percentiles. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0.GigXchange Index · Pay-rate guide |
5 piece eclectic rock band with country and blues undertones
| Every UK city scenethe city guides, A to Z |
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Live Music in Ayr
Ayr has the biggest stages on the Ayrshire coast - a revived seafront pavilion, a 350-capacity Printhouse and Venue38 - plus an indie room and a pub open mic.
Last updated: 31 October 2026
Live Music in Ayr: the Short Answer
Ayr has 6 venues listing live music, 249 gigs in the next 30 days and 44 open mic nights (both in and around Glasgow). Below: the rooms to start with, the gigs on now, what acts are paid and where to go next, all read live from the same directory.
The Ayr Pavilion on the seafront is back as a venue for rock and tribute shows. In the town centre, Venue38 is Ayr's largest grassroots music and events space and the Printhouse is a 350-capacity music venue. The Iris books indie and live music, Ayr Town Hall hosts rock, blues and soul nights, and Wellington's Bar runs a regular Thursday open mic.
The Ayr Rooms to Know
Three big rooms and a bar open mic. Each card below names the room, the nights it runs live music, what it tends to book and the way acts usually get on the bill.
The Ayr Sound and Where It Happens
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Ayr is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
The Ayr Pavilion brings rock and tribute shows back to the front.
Venue38, the Printhouse and The Iris carry the gig nights.
Wellington's Bar is where new Ayr players get a Thursday stage.
Small rooms under 150: 1 · mid-size up to 500: 1 · bigger stages: 2 - 4 rooms in Ayr with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Ayr venue directory.
44 open mic nights run in and around Glasgow - The Old Toll Bar and The Allison Arms among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times.
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Paisley, Glasgow and Stirling.
Where Live Music Happens in Ayr
The Ayr circuit runs through 6 venues, Ayr Town Hall and Printhouse Ayr included. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights. Browse by area or by night, then open a room to see its upcoming gigs.
Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Ayr venue directory, see what is booked on the Ayr gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
The Next 30 Days in Ayr
249 gigs are listed in and around Glasgow for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory. Every listing links to the gig's own page, with the date, the doors time and where to buy a ticket.
Every listing is a real Ayr date, rebuilt nightly from the Ayr gig directory. See the Ayr venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
Your Next Step in Ayr
Whoever you are, Ayr has a page built for your next step: artists find rooms and open mics, venues and promoters find acts, and everyone sees what gigs actually pay. Pick yours.
What Acts Earn in Ayr
One figure from the GX Index - what acts are actually paid, the UK median where it rests on 20+ fees. The full prices and the pay guide are one click away.
How Ayr Compares
Ayr's scene, counted with the Glasgow area, ranks first of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Edinburgh, Newcastle, Belfast, Dundee, Carlisle, Derry and Newry. Each row is a city's wider area in our directory, nearby towns included: venues that list live music, weekly open mics and upcoming gigs, refreshed nightly.
- #1 Ayr (Glasgow area) This city 44 open mics · 726 upcoming gigs 167
- #2 Edinburgh 34 open mics · 317 upcoming gigs 117
- #3 Newcastle 25 open mics · 246 upcoming gigs 75
- #4 Belfast 17 open mics · 229 upcoming gigs 73
- #5 Dundee 18 open mics · 48 upcoming gigs 33
- #6 Carlisle 9 open mics · 8 upcoming gigs 18
- #7 Derry 6 open mics · 21 upcoming gigs 14
- #8 Newry 3 open mics · 7 upcoming gigs 5
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to play Ayr?
Ayrshire venues, hotels and couples find acts on GigXchange - get your free profile. Make a free profile in a few minutes, add your sound and the dates you are free, and let Ayr bookers find you.