Blackburn · the live music guide
Live Music in Blackburn
Blackburn, Lancashire
Blackburn's live music centres on King George's Hall for the big rock nights, with an arts centre and a micropub keeping open mics going in town and Darwen's venues just down the road.
Updated 1 November 2026
01 — The short answer
BlackburnLive music in Blackburn
Blackburn has 3 venues listing live music, 5 gigs in the next 30 days and 5 open mic nights. 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.
King George's Hall on Northgate is the town's big hall, taking touring bands and the town's biggest nights. For local players, the Bureau Centre for the Arts runs a Friday open mic and The Drummer's Arms, a town-centre micropub, holds one on the first Sunday of the month. Nearby in Darwen, The Sound Lounge puts on tribute nights at weekends, The Crown hosts a fortnightly Sunday open mic and Coopers has a Thursday session.
listing live music
| Gigsin the next 30 days · in Blackburn | 5 |
| Open micsactive nights · in Blackburn | 5 |
| On GigXchangeBlackburn acts · with a profile you can browse | 2 |
02 — The scene
Live Music Scene Score — Blackburn100
| Artists | 5 |
| Venues | 0 |
| Gigs 90d | 48 |
| Rates | 50 |
| Heritage | 0 |
| Activity | 0 |
03 — Rooms to know
4 roomsThe rooms to know
Blackburn's big hall, its two open mic rooms and a tribute venue next door in Darwen.
| Large venueKing George's HallNorthgate's large rock and live music hall. Books: rock, touring, tribute.Getting on: Programmed by the venue |
| Arts centreThe Bureau Centre for the ArtsTown-centre arts centre with a Friday open mic. Books: open mic, acoustic.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| MicropubThe Drummer's ArmsTown-centre micropub with a first-Sunday open mic. Books: acoustic, folk.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Tribute venue (Darwen, nearby)The Sound Lounge DarwenDarwen venue for tribute nights on Fridays and Saturdays. Books: tribute, covers.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
04 — The scene
BlackburnThe Blackburn sound
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Blackburn is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
| NorthgateKing George's Hall brings the touring rock and the big shows to the top of the town centre. |
| Town centreThe Bureau Centre for the Arts and The Drummer's Arms give new acts their open mic nights. |
| Darwen (nearby)The Sound Lounge, The Crown and Coopers add tribute nights and open mics a few miles south. |
| The open mic circuit5 open mic nights run in Blackburn - The Drummer's Arms and The Crown among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times. |
| The gig calendar5 gigs are listed in Blackburn in the next 30 days. See them by date in the gig directory, or get what's on this week by email. |
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Accrington, Rawtenstall and Preston.
| NearbyLive music in Accrington | |
| NearbyLive music in Rawtenstall | |
| NearbyLive music in Preston |
05 — Venues
3 roomsWhere live music happens
3 rooms in Blackburn put on live music, from King George's Hall and The Bureau Centre for the Arts to the back rooms of its pubs. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights.
Photo: Google 2,000 cap King George's HallNorthgate · BlackburnHouse PAEngineer 
The Bureau Centre for the ArtsTown Centre · BlackburnHouse PA Cap tbc 
The Drummer's ArmsTown Centre · Blackburn Cap tbc Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Blackburn venue directory, see what is booked on the Blackburn gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
| All live music venues in Blackburn |
06 — Gigs
Next 5The next 30 days Blackburn
5 gigs are listed in Blackburn for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory.
Starts19:00 ElvanaKing George's Hall · Blackburn Central · Blackburn 
INXS GB A Tribute to INXSThe Sound Lounge Darwen · Blackburn 19:30Sat 7 Nov 
Shed SevenKing George's Hall · Blackburn Central · Blackburn 19:00Mon 16 Nov 
The Oasis Experience LiveFat Bird · Wigan Central · Blackburn 19:00Fri 20 Nov 
Freakshow for cancerThe Sound Lounge Darwen · Blackburn 19:00Sat 28 Nov Every listing is a real Blackburn date, rebuilt nightly from the Blackburn gig directory. See the Blackburn venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
| All Blackburn gigs | |
| What's on in Blackburn this weekthe weekly gig guide, by email |
07 — Next step
Pick yoursYour next step in Blackburn
Whoever you are, Blackburn 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 Blackburn this weekthe Blackburn gig guide, by email | |
| FansUpcoming gigs in Blackburnevery listing, sorted by date | |
| ArtistsHow to get gigspay, venues that book, how to pitch | |
| ArtistsOpen mics in Blackburnfree stage time, night by night | |
| BookersBook live musicprices, steps, licensing | |
| VenuesLive music venues in Blackburnclaim 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 Blackburnthe booking guide - every act size and event type | |
| What gigs pay in Blackburnthe artist guide - the pay ladder and how to pitch | |
| The GX Indexevery UK fee table, open data |
09 — Compare
Nearest scenesHow Blackburn compares
The Blackburn area ranks seventh of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Bradford, Preston, Rawtenstall and Accrington. 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 | Manchester 59 open mics · 806 upcoming gigs | 164 |
| 02 | Liverpool 27 open mics · 475 upcoming gigs | 130 |
| 03 | Blackpool 22 open mics · 75 upcoming gigs | 46 |
| 04 | Bradford 18 open mics · 127 upcoming gigs | 41 |
| 05 | Preston 17 open mics · 82 upcoming gigs | 27 |
| 06 | Rawtenstall 9 open mics · 33 upcoming gigs | 22 |
| 07 | Blackburn This city 5 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs | 11 |
| 08 | Accrington 7 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs | 11 |
10 — Questions8 answersFrequently asked questions
11 — Keep exploring
BlackburnMore of Blackburn
More live music resources for Blackburn 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 Blackburn. | |
| Upcoming Gigs in BlackburnThe full Blackburn gig calendar — touring shows, festivals, and venues hiring acts across the region. | |
| Open Mics in BlackburnOpen mic nights near Blackburn — directions, dates, and the grass-roots route into paid bookings. | |
| Blackburn Rate BenchmarkWhat UK bands actually charge by city and gig type. Median fees from the live GigXchange Index. |
Everything live in Blackburn — venues, open mics and upcoming gigs. Step-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Blackburn. Artists and bands available around Blackburn.
| GigsUpcoming gigs in Blackburn — sorted by dateWhat's on in Blackburn — the local gig directory. Upcoming gigs in Blackburn, 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.Blackburn gigs · UK gig directory |
| VenuesGrassroots venues, pubs and stages in BlackburnCapacity, backline and booking contacts for Blackburn venues. Grassroots venues, pubs and stages in Blackburn. Capacity and backline specs where known. Re-verified on a rolling cycle. Claim your venue to keep it current.Blackburn venues · For venues |
| Open MicsFree stage time — Blackburn open mic nightsJust starting out? Blackburn open mic nights, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Weekly open mic nights across Blackburn. Filter by night of the week. Free stage time — walk in, sign up, play. The grassroots pipeline to paid gigs.Blackburn open mics · UK open mic finder |
| GuidesHow to get gigs and book live music in BlackburnStep-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Blackburn. 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 BlackburnLive Blackburn 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 |
Wigan's smallest venue - band nights, open mics, tributes, comedy and burlesque over two floors
I’m an acoustic singer who loves bringing upbeat, feel-good covers to life across generations. My setlist pulls from tim…
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Live Music in Blackburn
Blackburn's live music centres on King George's Hall for the big rock nights, with an arts centre and a micropub keeping open mics going in town and Darwen's venues just down the road.
Last updated: 1 November 2026
Live Music in Blackburn: the Short Answer
Blackburn has 3 venues listing live music, 5 gigs in the next 30 days and 5 open mic nights. 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.
King George's Hall on Northgate is the town's big hall, taking touring bands and the town's biggest nights. For local players, the Bureau Centre for the Arts runs a Friday open mic and The Drummer's Arms, a town-centre micropub, holds one on the first Sunday of the month. Nearby in Darwen, The Sound Lounge puts on tribute nights at weekends, The Crown hosts a fortnightly Sunday open mic and Coopers has a Thursday session.
The Blackburn Rooms to Know
Blackburn's big hall, its two open mic rooms and a tribute venue next door in Darwen. 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.
Darwen venue for tribute nights on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Blackburn Sound and Where It Happens
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Blackburn is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
King George's Hall brings the touring rock and the big shows to the top of the town centre.
The Bureau Centre for the Arts and The Drummer's Arms give new acts their open mic nights.
The Sound Lounge, The Crown and Coopers add tribute nights and open mics a few miles south.
5 open mic nights run in Blackburn - The Drummer's Arms and The Crown among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times.
5 gigs are listed in Blackburn in the next 30 days. See them by date in the gig directory, or get what's on this week by email.
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Accrington, Rawtenstall and Preston.
Where Live Music Happens in Blackburn
3 rooms in Blackburn put on live music, from King George's Hall and The Bureau Centre for the Arts to the back rooms of its pubs. 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 Blackburn venue directory, see what is booked on the Blackburn gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
The Next 30 Days in Blackburn
5 gigs are listed in Blackburn 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 Blackburn date, rebuilt nightly from the Blackburn gig directory. See the Blackburn venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
Your Next Step in Blackburn
Whoever you are, Blackburn 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 Blackburn
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 Blackburn Compares
The Blackburn area ranks seventh of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Bradford, Preston, Rawtenstall and Accrington. 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 Manchester 59 open mics · 806 upcoming gigs 164
- #2 Liverpool 27 open mics · 475 upcoming gigs 130
- #3 Blackpool 22 open mics · 75 upcoming gigs 46
- #4 Bradford 18 open mics · 127 upcoming gigs 41
- #5 Preston 17 open mics · 82 upcoming gigs 27
- #6 Rawtenstall 9 open mics · 33 upcoming gigs 22
- #7 Blackburn This city 5 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs 11
- #8 Accrington 7 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs 11
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to play Blackburn?
East Lancashire clubs, halls and couples book acts on GigXchange - your act page is free. Make a free profile in a few minutes, add your sound and the dates you are free, and let Blackburn bookers find you.