Cambridge · the live music guide
Live Music in Cambridge
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock and Pop lead Cambridge's acts on GigXchange. Of the 17 venues that list their live nights, 9 put on music on Thursdays and 7 on Saturdays. Of the 13 with a known size, 8 are small rooms under 150, 2 hold up to 500 and 3 are bigger halls.
Updated 1 November 2026
01 — The short answer
CambridgeLive music in Cambridge
Cambridge has 27 venues listing live music, 19 gigs in the next 30 days and 17 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.
Cambridge's live music splits between The Junction out at Cherry Hinton, a long-running Chesterton music pub and the Mill Road locals - with an open mic somewhere almost every night.
The Portland Arms on Chesterton Road is the long-running music pub at the heart of Cambridge's band scene, with a full backline and music most nights. The Junction at Cherry Hinton is the flagship venue for touring acts, and the Corn Exchange on Wheeler Street takes the biggest bills. MASH is the city's independent club and live room. For new acts, the open mics run all week: the Cambridge Brew House on Monday, the Boathouse by the Cam on Wednesday, The Blue Moon and The Emperor on Thursday, and The Alma on Sunday. Six Bells off Mill Road has free live music every Saturday.
listing live music
| Gigsin the next 30 days · in Cambridge | 19 |
| Open micsactive nights · in Cambridge | 17 |
| On GigXchangeCambridge acts · with a profile you can browse | 6 |
02 — The scene
Live Music Scene Score — Cambridge100
| Artists | 25 |
| Venues | 4 |
| Gigs 90d | 100 |
| Rates | 50 |
| Heritage | 0 |
| Activity | 0 |
03 — Rooms to know
4 roomsThe rooms to know
Four rooms between Chesterton, Mill Road and Cherry Hinton that carry Cambridge's week.
| Music pubThe Portland ArmsLong-running Chesterton Road music pub with a full backline, bands most nights and a Tuesday open mic. Books: indie, rock, folk.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Flagship venueThe JunctionCherry Hinton's main venue for touring bands and club nights, with a full backline in its rooms. Books: touring, indie, electronic.Getting on: Programmed by the venue |
| Club and live roomMASHCambridge's independent nightclub and live music venue in the city centre. Books: indie, alternative, club.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Mill Road localSix BellsMill Road community local putting bands on free of charge each Saturday, plus regular open mics. Books: covers, acoustic.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
04 — The week
Every weekLive music nights
Thursday is the big night in Cambridge: 9 venues list live music and 7 open mics run every week. Tuesday is the quietest, with 3 regular nights. Across the week, 17 venues list regular live nights and 17 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in Cambridge.
Regular live music nights in Cambridge
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
| Monday1 venue · 3 open mics - Bar -OH, The Cambridge Brew House |
| Tuesday2 venues · 1 open mic - The Portland Arms |
| Wednesday3 venues · 2 open mics - Boathouse, The Geldart |
| Thursday9 venues · 7 open mics - The Tram Depot, Earls of Beaconsfield |
| Friday4 venues · 1 open mic - Golden Hind |
| Saturday7 venues · 0 open mics |
| Sunday4 venues · 3 open mics - Six Bells, The Alma |
05 — The scene
CambridgeThe Cambridge sound
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Cambridge is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
| Chesterton and the riverThe Portland Arms anchors the north side, with the Boathouse's Wednesday open mic on the Cam terrace close by. |
| Mill Road and RomseySix Bells, Earls of Beaconsfield and The Blue Moon make Mill Road the most local-feeling stretch for live music. |
| City centreThe Corn Exchange, MASH, the Cambridge Brew House open mic and Bar -OH's weekend sets cover the middle of town. |
| Cherry HintonThe Junction's main room and smaller spaces bring the touring circuit to the south-east edge of the city. |
| Room sizesSmall rooms under 150: 8 · mid-size up to 500: 2 · bigger stages: 3 - 13 rooms in Cambridge with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Cambridge venue directory. |
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Hitchin, Stevenage and Bedford.
| NearbyLive music in Hitchin | |
| NearbyLive music in Stevenage | |
| NearbyLive music in Bedford |
06 — Venues
16 roomsWhere live music happens
27 rooms in Cambridge put on live music, from Arts Club Cambridge and Bar -OH to the back rooms of its pubs. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights.
Arts Club CambridgeCambridge 
Bar -OHCambridgeHouse PA 70Cap 
BoathouseCambridgeHouse PA Cap tbc 
Cambridge Corn ExchangeCambridge 1,500Cap 
d'Arry's Restaurant, Bar & CheesemongerCambridgeHouse PA Cap tbc 
Earls of BeaconsfieldRomsey · CambridgeHouse PA Cap tbc 
Golden HindCambridgeHouse PA 90Cap 
Hot Numbers CoffeeMill Road · Cambridge Cap tbc 
KikiGuildhall · Cambridge 540Cap Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Cambridge venue directory, see what is booked on the Cambridge gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
| All live music venues in Cambridge |
07 — Gigs
Next 6The next 30 days Cambridge
19 gigs are listed in Cambridge for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory.
Starts19:30 The ProclaimersCambridge Corn Exchange · Market · Cambridge 
Gipsy Kings by André ReyesCambridge Corn Exchange · Market · Cambridge 19:00Thu 5 Nov 
Chopsuey, Slip-NOT, A7XperienceMASH · Market · Cambridge 17:30Sat 7 Nov 
American AquariumMASH · Market · Cambridge 19:00Tue 10 Nov 
Yard Act, Do NothingCambridge Junction · Coleridge · Cambridge 19:00Wed 18 Nov 
BellowheadCambridge Corn Exchange · Cambridge 19:00Thu 19 Nov Every listing is a real Cambridge date, rebuilt nightly from the Cambridge gig directory. See the Cambridge venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
| All Cambridge gigs | |
| What's on in Cambridge this weekthe weekly gig guide, by email |
08 — Next step
Pick yoursYour next step in Cambridge
Whoever you are, Cambridge 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 Cambridge this weekthe Cambridge gig guide, by email | |
| ArtistsHow to get gigspay, venues that book, how to pitch | |
| ArtistsOpen mics in Cambridgefree stage time, night by night | |
| BookersBook live musicprices, steps, licensing | |
| BookersBooking live entertainment in Cambridgebirthdays, weddings, private parties | |
| VenuesLive music venues in Cambridgeclaim yours free and keep it current |
09 — 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 Cambridgethe booking guide - every act size and event type | |
| What gigs pay in Cambridgethe artist guide - the pay ladder and how to pitch | |
| The GX Indexevery UK fee table, open data |
10 — Compare
Nearest scenesHow Cambridge compares
The Cambridge area ranks first of 7 for live music venues against its 6 nearest city scenes - Peterborough, Milton Keynes, Luton, Bedford, Chelmsford and Broxbourne. 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 | Cambridge This city 17 open mics · 43 upcoming gigs | 31 |
| 02 | Peterborough 11 open mics · 29 upcoming gigs | 22 |
| 03 | Milton Keynes 9 open mics · 40 upcoming gigs | 18 |
| 04 | Luton 7 open mics · 23 upcoming gigs | 16 |
| 05 | Bedford 10 open mics · 20 upcoming gigs | 15 |
| 06 | Chelmsford 8 open mics · 8 upcoming gigs | 13 |
| 07 | Broxbourne 5 open mics · 31 upcoming gigs | 10 |
11 — Questions9 answersFrequently asked questions
12 — Keep exploring
CambridgeMore of Cambridge
More live music resources for Cambridge and the rest of the UK: fee guides, venue lists, open mic finders and how-to guides, all read from the same live directory.
| Find a Band in CambridgeThe booking-side view — what venues and private clients pay, how the platform compares to agencies. | |
| How to Book Live MusicVenue guide — local rates, genre fit, licensing, and a step-by-step booking walkthrough for Cambridge. | |
| Upcoming Gigs in CambridgeThe full Cambridge gig calendar — touring shows, festivals, and venues hiring acts across the region. | |
| Open Mics in CambridgeOpen mic nights near Cambridge — directions, dates, and the grass-roots route into paid bookings. | |
| Cambridge Rate BenchmarkWhat UK bands actually charge by city and gig type. Median fees from the live GigXchange Index. |
Everything live in Cambridge — venues, open mics and upcoming gigs. Step-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Cambridge. Artists and bands available around Cambridge.
| GigsUpcoming gigs in Cambridge — sorted by dateWhat's on in Cambridge — the local gig directory. Upcoming gigs in Cambridge, 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.Cambridge gigs · UK gig directory |
| VenuesGrassroots venues, pubs and stages in CambridgeCapacity, backline and booking contacts for Cambridge venues. Grassroots venues, pubs and stages in Cambridge. Capacity and backline specs where known. Re-verified on a rolling cycle. Claim your venue to keep it current.Cambridge venues · For venues |
| Open MicsFree stage time — Cambridge open mic nightsJust starting out? Cambridge open mic nights, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Weekly open mic nights across Cambridge. Filter by night of the week. Free stage time — walk in, sign up, play. The grassroots pipeline to paid gigs.Cambridge open mics · UK open mic finder |
| GuidesHow to get gigs and book live music in CambridgeStep-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Cambridge. How to get gigs. How to book live music. Find a band in Cambridge. Written for working musicians and venues.How to get gigs · How to book · Find a band |
| RatesWhat live acts earn in CambridgeLive Cambridge 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 |
Forest venue for outdoor soul, R&B and hip-hop.
| Every UK city scenethe city guides, A to Z |
Ready to play Cambridge?
College ents officers, Mill Road landlords and couples all search GigXchange. Put your act where they look - it costs nothing.
Sign up free
Live Music in Cambridge
Cambridge's live music splits between The Junction out at Cherry Hinton, a long-running Chesterton music pub and the Mill Road locals - with an open mic somewhere almost every night.
Last updated: 1 November 2026
Live Music in Cambridge: the Short Answer
Cambridge has 27 venues listing live music, 19 gigs in the next 30 days and 17 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.
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock and Pop lead Cambridge's acts on GigXchange. Of the 17 venues that list their live nights, 9 put on music on Thursdays and 7 on Saturdays. Of the 13 with a known size, 8 are small rooms under 150, 2 hold up to 500 and 3 are bigger halls.
The Portland Arms on Chesterton Road is the long-running music pub at the heart of Cambridge's band scene, with a full backline and music most nights. The Junction at Cherry Hinton is the flagship venue for touring acts, and the Corn Exchange on Wheeler Street takes the biggest bills. MASH is the city's independent club and live room. For new acts, the open mics run all week: the Cambridge Brew House on Monday, the Boathouse by the Cam on Wednesday, The Blue Moon and The Emperor on Thursday, and The Alma on Sunday. Six Bells off Mill Road has free live music every Saturday.
The Cambridge Rooms to Know
Four rooms between Chesterton, Mill Road and Cherry Hinton that carry Cambridge's week. 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.
Long-running Chesterton Road music pub with a full backline, bands most nights and a Tuesday open mic.
Cherry Hinton's main venue for touring bands and club nights, with a full backline in its rooms.
Live Music Nights in Cambridge
Thursday is the big night in Cambridge: 9 venues list live music and 7 open mics run every week. Tuesday is the quietest, with 3 regular nights. Across the week, 17 venues list regular live nights and 17 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in Cambridge. How the UK gig week compares.
Regular live music nights in Cambridge
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
- Mon 4 1 venue
3 open mics Bar -OHThe Cambridge Brew House - Tue 3 2 venues
1 open mic The Portland Arms - Wed 5 3 venues
2 open mics BoathouseThe Geldart - Thu 16 9 venues
7 open mics The Tram DepotEarls of Beaconsfield - Fri 5 4 venues
1 open mic Golden Hind - Sat 7 7 venues
0 open mics - Sun 7 4 venues
3 open mics Six BellsThe Alma
The Cambridge Sound and Where It Happens
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Cambridge is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
The Portland Arms anchors the north side, with the Boathouse's Wednesday open mic on the Cam terrace close by.
Six Bells, Earls of Beaconsfield and The Blue Moon make Mill Road the most local-feeling stretch for live music.
The Corn Exchange, MASH, the Cambridge Brew House open mic and Bar -OH's weekend sets cover the middle of town.
The Junction's main room and smaller spaces bring the touring circuit to the south-east edge of the city.
Small rooms under 150: 8 · mid-size up to 500: 2 · bigger stages: 3 - 13 rooms in Cambridge with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Cambridge venue directory.
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Hitchin, Stevenage and Bedford.
Where Live Music Happens in Cambridge
27 rooms in Cambridge put on live music, from Arts Club Cambridge and Bar -OH 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 Cambridge venue directory, see what is booked on the Cambridge gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
The Next 30 Days in Cambridge
19 gigs are listed in Cambridge 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 Cambridge date, rebuilt nightly from the Cambridge gig directory. See the Cambridge venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
Your Next Step in Cambridge
Whoever you are, Cambridge 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 Cambridge
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 Cambridge Compares
The Cambridge area ranks first of 7 for live music venues against its 6 nearest city scenes - Peterborough, Milton Keynes, Luton, Bedford, Chelmsford and Broxbourne. 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 Cambridge This city 17 open mics · 43 upcoming gigs 31
- #2 Peterborough 11 open mics · 29 upcoming gigs 22
- #3 Milton Keynes 9 open mics · 40 upcoming gigs 18
- #4 Luton 7 open mics · 23 upcoming gigs 16
- #5 Bedford 10 open mics · 20 upcoming gigs 15
- #6 Chelmsford 8 open mics · 8 upcoming gigs 13
- #7 Broxbourne 5 open mics · 31 upcoming gigs 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to play Cambridge?
College ents officers, Mill Road landlords and couples all search GigXchange. Put your act where they look - it costs nothing. Make a free profile in a few minutes, add your sound and the dates you are free, and let Cambridge bookers find you.