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Cumbria · 34 gigs · next 4 weeks

What's On in Carlisle

13 Nov – 11 Dec

Help keep grassroots venues open in Carlisle

—

A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Carlisle. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.

All Carlisle gigs This month

Updated 13 November 2026

At a glance
34
Gigs in
4 weeks
in Carlisle, 13 Nov – 11 Dec
In detail
Venues with something on6
Venues tracked19
Open mics9
Busiest nightSaturday · 13 gigs

34 gigs listed in Carlisle over the next 28 days across 6 venues. Saturday is the busiest night with 13. In total we track 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mics here.

01 — This weekend
3 gigs
This weekend in Carlisle

3 gigs are on in Carlisle between Friday and Sunday. Highlights include Death of Guitar Pop at Old Fire Station (Friday), One Step Behind (Madness Tribute) at The Brickyard (Saturday) and The Smiths Ltd at Carlisle Old Fire Station (Saturday). Each card is one night at one venue, with the start time and the price where the venue publishes it; the four-week list below covers everything after Sunday.

Starts19:30 Death of Guitar PopOld Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle One Step Behind (Madness Tribute)The Brickyard · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Sat 14 Nov The Smiths LtdCarlisle Old Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Sat 14 Nov
02 — Compared
#3 of 7
How Carlisle compares

Counting every upcoming date, not just the next four weeks, there are 111 gigs listed in and around Carlisle - third of 7 against its nearest places with live music, behind the Edinburgh area (350). Each row counts the gigs, venues and open mics our directories hold in and around that place, refreshed nightly; tap a town for its live music scene.

#PlaceGigs
01Edinburgh area 118 venues · 34 open mics350
02Newcastle area 75 venues · 25 open mics283
03Carlisle area This page 19 venues · 9 open mics111
04Middlesbrough area 27 venues · 11 open mics40
05Stockton-on-Tees area 16 venues · 8 open mics25
06Durham area 17 venues · 10 open mics11
07Sunderland area 23 venues · 13 open mics11
03 — Gigs
34 gigs
Gigs in Carlisle

From 13 Nov to 11 Dec, Carlisle has 34 gigs listed at 6 venues - Saturday is the busiest night. This is the full four-week run, not just the weekend: every gig we hold, in date order.

Starts19:30 Death of Guitar PopOld Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle One Step Behind (Madness Tribute)The Brickyard · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Sat 14 Nov The Smiths LtdCarlisle Old Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Sat 14 Nov Jake Bugg: Acoustic Live Performance + Q&ACarlisle Old Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle 19:00Thu 19 Nov Young Knives Voices of Animals and Men 20th AnniversaryThe Brickyard · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Thu 19 Nov Live at The Lodge - EBB & Whimsical CreatureThe Lodge Arts Collective · Carlisle 19:00Fri 20 Nov Ibiza In SymphonyOld Fire Station · Castle · Carlisle 19:00Fri 20 Nov Foo Fighters GB + Unreal BloodThe Brickyard · Castle · Carlisle 19:30Fri 20 Nov Stars in the makingThe Venue Dumfries · Carlisle 19:00Sat 21 Nov Monster of Rock - Brickyard (Carlisle - 21/11/2026)The Brickyard · Castle · Carlisle 19:00Sat 21 Nov
Search every Carlisle gigEverything upcoming, not just the next four weeks
04 — This week
3 rooms
Where it's on this week

The venues doing the most in Carlisle over the next seven nights, ranked by gigs listed. Use it to spot the rooms worth a walk-in when you have not planned ahead.

#VenueGigs
01Carlisle Old Fire Station 2
02The Brickyard 2
03Old Fire Station 1
05 — Venues
19 rooms
Venues in Carlisle

Carlisle's grassroots venues, all 19 of them, listed whether or not they have something on right now - capacity, backline and hours for each, and a link to its own listings.

Photo: Google Drovers RestCarlisle Old Fire Station CarlisleCecil Street · CarlisleHouse PA 420Cap Open MindCarlisleHouse PA Cap tbc Royal Oak, ScotbyScotby · CarlisleHouse PA Cap tbc Spinners ArmsCarlisle Cap tbc The BrickyardFisher Street · CarlisleHouse PA 350Cap The Sands CentreTown Centre · CarlisleHouse PAEngineer 1,800Cap The SourceNelson St · CarlisleHouse PA 180Cap Easterbrook HallThe Crichton, Dumfries · Dumfries 1,600Cap Hawick Town HallTown Centre · HawickHouse PAEngineer 450Cap
All 19 Carlisle venuesCapacity, backline and opening times
06 — Open mics
9 nights
Open mics in Carlisle

9 regular open mics run around Carlisle on a fixed night each week or month - no tickets, just turn up. Cards show the sign-up time, the slot length and any fee.

VariesSun Kick-off20:00 Royal Oak, ScotbyScotby Village · CarlisleNo feeHouse PADates vary Drovers RestMonkhill, Burgh-by-Sands · CarlisleNo fee1st Tue of the month 20:00Tue Spinners ArmsCummersdale · CarlisleNo feeFortnightly TBCWed Open Mind75 English Street · CarlisleNo feeHouse PADates vary 20:00Thu The SourceNelson St · CarlisleNo feeHouse PA 20:00Thu The John Peel TheatreTown Centre · WigtonNo feeHouse PA1st Fri of the month 19:30Fri Kirkgate CentreKirkgate · CockermouthNo fee2nd Sun of the month 14:00Sun The Pocket Cafe BarLake Road · KeswickNo fee 20:00Mon The Crafty BaaBank Street · KeswickNo fee 20:00Thu
All 9 Carlisle open micsSign-up times, slots and kit for every night
07 — Support grassroots
Support grassroots music in Carlisle

Grassroots venues are where every act you have ever paid to see started out. Carlisle still has 19 of them.

Carlisle's music runs through The Brickyard on Fisher Street, the Old Fire Station on Cecil Street, The Source on Nelson Street and the Sands Centre, with folk sessions in the village pubs around it.

In the year to July 2025, 78 UK grassroots venues stopped putting on live music and 30 closed outright, while pubs shut at about two a day in early 2026. Each one was somewhere a band played its first paid gig or a songwriter tried a new song on a room of strangers.

Think of this as the city's noticeboard: 34 gigs across Carlisle in the next four weeks, alongside 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mic nights, updated daily from the rooms that host them. There is no algorithm and no paid placement. Old Fire Station, The Brickyard and The Source Collective have the most on, and the sound leans rock and tribute act.

The single most useful thing anyone can do is turn up. Buy a ticket, buy a drink at the bar, and go to a night you have not been to before. If you would rather be told than remember, the sign-up below sends Carlisle listings straight to your inbox. If you run a venue here, claim your page so people can find you. The The Source open mic on Thursdays is an easy first night out.

Go to one this month

34 gigs listed in Carlisle over the next four weeks, with 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mic nights. Pick one you have not been to before - a ticket and a round at the bar is the most useful thing anyone can do for a room like these. If you only go out once, Saturdays have the most choice.

Help keep grassroots venues open in Carlisle

—

A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Carlisle. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.

What lands in your inbox. Every Monday at noon, one email of Carlisle gigs for the week ahead - out of roughly 9 a week here, never more than two on the same night, so a packed Saturday does not crowd out the quieter evenings. A quiet week in Carlisle widens it to the next fortnight rather than sending you nothing.

Why sign up. Old Fire Station has the most coming up here, with 13 dates - the email means you see them in time to go. Right now Carlisle leans rock and tribute act. One click unsubscribes, any time.

Planning ahead? Gigs in Carlisle come and go each week; festivals are planned months ahead. One festival timeline holds the UK music festivals we have date-checked, by month, region and genre, and flags clashing weekends.

All Carlisle gigsEverything upcoming, sorted by date
Carlisle venues19 grassroots rooms
Carlisle open mics9 regular nights
The Carlisle sceneVenues, promoters, local rates and members near you
Every city we coverThe same page for every city, updated daily
UK gig directoryEvery upcoming grassroots gig
UK open mic finderStage time near you
UK venue directoryThe rooms behind the gigs
08 — Questions10 answersWhat's on in Carlisle
3 gigs in Carlisle this weekend (Fri 13 Nov – Sun 15 Nov) - including Death of Guitar Pop at Old Fire Station (Friday), One Step Behind (Madness Tribute) at The Brickyard (Saturday), The Smiths Ltd at Carlisle Old Fire Station (Saturday). The full Friday-to-Sunday list is in This Weekend above, and every gig over the next 28 days is below it.
Counting every upcoming date, there are 111 gigs listed in and around Carlisle - third of 7 against its nearest places with live music, behind the Edinburgh area (350).
We currently list 34 gigs in Carlisle between 13 Nov and 11 Dec, across 6 venues. The listings above are the full set, sorted by date and refreshed daily from the venues themselves — no algorithm decides what you see. For everything beyond this window, browse every upcoming gig in Carlisle in the gig directory or every city we cover.
None of the Carlisle gigs currently listed are marked free entry, though many venues do not publish a price at all. Carlisle open mic nights are your reliable free option — most charge nothing to watch or to play.
Saturday, with 13 gigs listed across the next 28 days. Saturday: 13 gigs · Friday: 8 gigs · Thursday: 8 gigs. Filter by This week or This weekend above to narrow it down.
Right now: Old Fire Station, The Brickyard, The Source Collective. In total we track 19 grassroots venues in Carlisle, of which 6 have something listed in this window. Capacity, backline and opening times for each are on the Carlisle venue directory.
Carlisle has 9 regular open mic nights that we verify on a rolling cycle. Each listing carries the sign-up time, slot length, entry fee and whether a PA and backline are provided — see the Carlisle open mic finder, or the UK-wide finder.
Most Carlisle venues in our listings do not publish a ticket price in advance. Grassroots entry is typically a few pounds on the door, and many nights are free. On the other side of the transaction, the Musicians' Union publishes national gig rates as the recognised floor for live engagements, and the ISM publishes guidance for self-employed musicians. Our own UK gig rate benchmarks show what artists are actually being paid by region and act type.
Grassroots rooms are where every act you have paid to see learned to hold an audience. Two pubs a day closed across the UK in the first quarter of 2026, and over the year to July 2025 78 grassroots music venues stopped putting on live music — 30 of them for good. Carlisle still has 19 on our list. Music Venue Trust campaigns for them nationally; venues themselves hold TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS and navigate local authority licensing to keep putting music on. The single most useful thing anyone can do is turn up and buy a drink at the bar.
Listing is free and takes about two minutes — submit through the Carlisle gig directory and it is reviewed before it goes live. No account is needed and there is no listing fee. If you run a venue here, claim your venue page to keep its capacity, backline and contact details current. Promoters and venues booking acts can also post paid work or find artists directly.
Every What's On page, A–Z140 pages

What's On across the UKNearby:  Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, Lancaster

All 139 other cities, A–ZGigs
A
Aberdeen27Accrington7AldershotAmershamAylesburyAyr
B
BarnsleyBasildon11Bath23Bedford9Belfast95BerkhamstedBillericay2Birmingham188Blackburn3Blackpool25BoltonBorehamwoodBournemouth22BracknellBradford39BridgendBrighouseBrighton85Bristol105Broxbourne9Bushey
C
Cambridge17CannockCanterburyCardiff64Chelmsford6Cheltenham8CheshamCheshuntChesterColchesterCoventry29Crawley
D
Derby37DerryDoncaster3Dundee12DunfermlineDurham2
E
EastbourneEdinburgh121Egham6Epsom10Exeter15
F
Farnborough6Frome
G
GatesheadGlasgow298Gloucester2GrimsbyGuildford
H
HalifaxHarpendenHarrogateHastings12HatfieldHemel HempsteadHereford3HertfordHigh Wycombe13HitchinHoddesdonHuddersfieldHull35
I
Inverness16Ipswich12
L
LancasterLeeds89Leicester22Leigh-on-SeaLincoln7Liverpool180London520Luton8
M
Maidstone11Manchester310Margate4MarlowMiddlesbrough18Milton Keynes13
N
NewburyNewcastle109Newquay13Newry2Northampton18Norwich19Nottingham93Nuneaton
O
Oxford21
P
PaisleyPerthPeterborough11Plymouth8Portsmouth14Potters BarPreston31
R
Rawtenstall17Reading12RickmansworthRochdale
S
Scarborough14Sheffield57ShrewsburySouthampton55SouthportSt AlbansStevenageStirlingStockportStockton-on-Tees9Stoke-on-Trent16Sunderland3Sutton10Swansea9Swindon2
T
Telford7TorquayTringTunbridge Wells8
W
WakefieldWalsallWaterlooville4Watford16Welwyn Garden CityWeymouth3WhitbyWidnesWoking9Wolverhampton36WorcesterWorthingWrexham21
Y
York14
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Live music on stage: a band under the lights
What's On · Cumbria

What's On in Carlisle

Live music in Carlisle over the next four weeks — 13 Nov – 11 Dec. 34 gigs listed in Carlisle over the next 28 days across 6 venues. Saturday is the busiest night with 13. In total we track 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mics here.

Two pubs a day are closing, and last year 78 grassroots venues stopped putting on live music. Get Carlisle gigs in your inbox — and go to one.

Help keep grassroots venues open in Carlisle

—

A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Carlisle. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.

Updated daily · 34 gigs in Carlisle over the next four weeks

Last updated: 13 November 2026

This Weekend in Carlisle

3 gigs are on in Carlisle between Friday and Sunday. Highlights include Death of Guitar Pop at Old Fire Station (Friday), One Step Behind (Madness Tribute) at The Brickyard (Saturday) and The Smiths Ltd at Carlisle Old Fire Station (Saturday). Each card is one night at one venue, with the start time and the price where the venue publishes it; the four-week list below covers everything after Sunday.

NOV
13
Death of Guitar Pop
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Friday, 13 November 2026 · 19:30–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenrePop, Ska
View details›
NOV
14
One Step Behind (Madness Tribute)
The Brickyard·Castle, Carlisle
Saturday, 14 November 2026 · 19:30–23:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreTribute Act
View details›
NOV
14
The Smiths Ltd
Carlisle Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Saturday, 14 November 2026 · 19:30–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • Genre—
View details›

How Carlisle Compares

Counting every upcoming date, not just the next four weeks, there are 111 gigs listed in and around Carlisle - third of 7 against its nearest places with live music, behind the Edinburgh area (350). Each row counts the gigs, venues and open mics our directories hold in and around that place, refreshed nightly; tap a town for its live music scene.

  1. #1 Edinburgh area 118 venues · 34 open mics 350
  2. #2 Newcastle area 75 venues · 25 open mics 283
  3. #3 Carlisle area This page 19 venues · 9 open mics 111
  4. #4 Middlesbrough area 27 venues · 11 open mics 40
  5. #5 Stockton-on-Tees area 16 venues · 8 open mics 25
  6. #6 Durham area 17 venues · 10 open mics 11
  7. #7 Sunderland area 23 venues · 13 open mics 11

Gigs in Carlisle

From 13 Nov to 11 Dec, Carlisle has 34 gigs listed at 6 venues - Saturday is the busiest night. This is the full four-week run, not just the weekend: every gig we hold, in date order.

Showing 10 of 34 gigs · page 2 of 2
NOV
29
Orchestra Mambo International
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Sunday, 29 November 2026 · 19:30–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreJazz, Latin
View details›
DEC
3
Tony Christie The Great Farewell
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Thursday, 3 December 2026 · 19:00–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • Genre—
View details›
DEC
3
When Rivers Meet
The Brickyard·Castle, Carlisle
Thursday, 3 December 2026 · 19:00–22:30
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreRock
View details›
DEC
4
Glass Bridges + echochamber
The Source Collective·Denton Holme, Carlisle
Friday, 4 December 2026 · 19:30–23:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreRock, Chamber Music
View details›
DEC
5
PorkPie Live plus Pretty Green (The Jam)
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Saturday, 5 December 2026 · 19:00–23:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • Genre—
View details›
DEC
5
YOU Problem! + Someone Elses Radio + Botanys Sinister Sister
The Source Collective·Denton Holme, Carlisle
Saturday, 5 December 2026 · 19:00–23:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreRock, Punk Rock
View details›
DEC
5
Kings Of Lyon plus The UK Strokes
The Brickyard·Castle, Carlisle
Saturday, 5 December 2026 · 19:30–23:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreTribute Act
View details›
DEC
6
Jesus Jones
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Sunday, 6 December 2026 · 19:30–22:30
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreRock, DJ / Electronic
View details›
DEC
9
Zutons' Dave McCabe with very special guest James Jay Lewis
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Wednesday, 9 December 2026 · 19:30–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • Genre—
View details›
DEC
10
Lindisfarne
Old Fire Station·Castle, Carlisle
Thursday, 10 December 2026 · 19:00–22:00
  • Entry—
  • Tickets—
  • AgeAll ages
  • GenreRock, Folk
View details›

See every upcoming gig in Carlisle →

Where It's On This Week

The venues doing the most in Carlisle over the next seven nights, ranked by gigs listed. Use it to spot the rooms worth a walk-in when you have not planned ahead.

  1. #1 Carlisle Old Fire Station 2
  2. #2 The Brickyard 2
  3. #3 Old Fire Station 1

All 19 Carlisle venues →   All 9 open mics →

Venues in Carlisle

Carlisle's grassroots venues, all 19 of them, listed whether or not they have something on right now - capacity, backline and hours for each, and a link to its own listings.

Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Drovers Rest
Carlisle★★★★★ (—)
Country pub near Carlisle with a monthly open mic folk session
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
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  • Thu—
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  • Sat—
  • Sun—
View venue›
420
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Old Fire Station Carlisle
Carlisle › Cecil Street★★★★★ (—)
indie and live music venue in Carlisle
Private hire up to 420 standing
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
  • Fri—
  • Sat—
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View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Open Mind
Carlisle★★★★★ (—)
Arts bar with open mic sessions, DJs and a gallery
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • 1 vocal mic
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon12:00–02:00
  • TueClosed
  • Wed12:00–02:00
  • Thu12:00–02:00
  • Fri12:00–02:00
  • Sat12:00–02:00
  • Sun12:00–02:00
View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Royal Oak, Scotby
Carlisle › Scotby★★★★★ (—)
Open mic nights with the Brampton Reivers in a refurbished village pub
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • 1 vocal mic
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
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  • Sat—
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View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Spinners Arms
Carlisle★★★★★ (—)
Cummersdale village pub with open mic Irish and folk sessions
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • MonClosed
  • TueClosed
  • Wed18:00–22:30
  • Thu18:00–22:30
  • Fri18:00–22:30
  • Sat14:00–22:30
  • Sun14:00–22:30
View venue›
350
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Brickyard
Carlisle › Fisher Street★★★★★ (—)
320-capacity rock, indie, metal and punk venue.
Private hire
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
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View venue›
c. 1,800
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Sands Centre
Carlisle › Town Centre★★★★★ (—)
Large rock venue in Carlisle
Private hire up to 1,800 standing
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp
  • Bass amp
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer
  • Mon06:30–22:00
  • Tue06:30–22:00
  • Wed06:30–22:00
  • Thu06:30–22:00
  • Fri06:30–21:00
  • Sat08:00–16:00
  • Sun08:00–16:00
View venue›
c. 180
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Source
Carlisle › Nelson St★★★★★ (—)
Carlisle venue with live entertainment.
Private hire
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • MonClosed
  • TueClosed
  • WedClosed
  • Thu20:00–01:30
  • Fri20:00–01:30
  • Sat20:00–01:30
  • SunClosed
View venue›
c. 1,600
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Easterbrook Hall
Dumfries › The Crichton, Dumfries★★★★★ (—)
Dumfries' Art Deco hall on the Crichton estate.
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon09:00–16:30
  • Tue09:00–16:30
  • Wed09:00–16:30
  • Thu09:00–16:30
  • Fri09:00–16:30
  • Sat09:00–16:30
  • Sun09:00–16:30
View venue›
c. 450
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Hawick Town Hall
Hawick › Town Centre★★★★★ (—)
Mid-size folk venue in Hawick
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp
  • Bass amp
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
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View venue›
c. 200
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
Penrith Playhouse
Penrith › Town Centre★★★★★ (—)
Folk and live music venue in Penrith
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp
  • Bass amp
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
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  • Thu—
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  • Sat—
  • Sun—
View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Crafty Baa
Keswick › Bank Street★★★★★ (—)
The Crafty Baa in Keswick hosts an open mic every Thursday at 8pm.
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
  • Fri—
  • Sat—
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View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Drunken Duck
Ambleside★★★★★ (—)
Newcastle pub with live music.
  • PA system
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • 2 vocal mics
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
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  • Thu—
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  • Sat—
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View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The John Peel Theatre
Wigton★★★★★ (—)
Free open mic on the first Friday of the month in a 90-seat theatre
Private hire up to 90 seated
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp
  • Bass amp
  • Keys / keyboard
  • 2 vocal mics
  • In-house engineer
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
  • Fri—
  • Sat—
  • Sun—
View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Kirkgate Centre
Cockermouth★★★★★ (—)
Cockermouth's community arts venue on the edge of the Lakes
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
  • Fri—
  • Sat—
  • Sun—
View venue›
Photo: Google
Claim this venue
The Lodge Arts Collective
Lockerbie › Johnstonebridge★★★★★ (—)
Intimate pop-up music venue in a former hotel at Johnstonebridge, near Lockerbie
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
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  • Sun—
View venue›
Photo: Google
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The Pocket Cafe Bar
Keswick › Lake Road★★★★★ (—)
The Pocket Cafe Bar in Keswick hosts an open mic every Monday at 8pm.
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • Mon—
  • Tue—
  • Wed—
  • Thu—
  • Fri—
  • Sat—
  • Sun—
View venue›
c. 60
Photo: Google
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Upfront Arts
Penrith › Unthank, near Penrith★★★★★ (—)
Penrith gallery and arts venue in Cumbria.
  • PA system (TBC)
  • Drum kit (TBC)
  • Guitar amp (TBC)
  • Bass amp (TBC)
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • MonClosed
  • TueClosed
  • Wed10:00–16:30
  • Thu10:00–16:30
  • Fri10:00–16:30
  • Sat10:00–16:30
  • Sun10:00–16:30
View venue›
350
Photo: Google
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Venue, Dumfries
Dumfries★★★★★ (—)
Independent grassroots venue since 1999.
  • PA system
  • Drum kit
  • Guitar amp
  • Bass amp
  • Keys / keyboard (TBC)
  • Vocal mics (TBC)
  • In-house engineer (TBC)
  • MonClosed
  • TueClosed
  • WedClosed
  • ThuClosed
  • Fri23:00–03:00
  • Sat21:00–03:00
  • SunClosed
View venue›

All 19 Carlisle venues →

Open mics in Carlisle

9 regular open mics run around Carlisle on a fixed night each week or month - no tickets, just turn up. Cards show the sign-up time, the slot length and any fee.

OTHER
Sun
Royal Oak, Scotby
Scotby Village, Carlisle
Starts 20:00
  • Sign-up19:30
  • Slots10 min
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PAProvided
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
1ST
Tue
Drovers Rest
Monkhill, Burgh-by-Sands, Carlisle
Next Tue 1 DecStarts 20:00
  • Sign-up—
  • Slots—
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PA—
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
2-WK
Wed
Spinners Arms
Cummersdale, Carlisle
Time to be confirmed
  • Sign-up—
  • Slots—
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PA—
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
OTHER
Thu
Open Mind
75 English Street, Carlisle
Starts 20:00
  • Sign-up19:30
  • Slots10 min
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PAProvided
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians, Poets
View details›
EVERY
Thu
The Source
Nelson St, Carlisle
Next Thu 19 NovStarts 20:00
  • Sign-up19:30
  • Slots12 min
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PAProvided
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
2ND
Sun
Kirkgate Centre
Kirkgate, Cockermouth
Next Sun 13 DecStarts 14:00
  • Sign-up—
  • Slots—
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PA—
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
EVERY
Mon
The Pocket Cafe Bar
Lake Road, Keswick
Next Mon 16 NovStarts 20:00
  • Sign-up—
  • Slots—
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PA—
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
EVERY
Thu
The Crafty Baa
Bank Street, Keswick
Next Thu 19 NovStarts 20:00
  • Sign-up—
  • Slots—
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PA—
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians
View details›
1ST
Fri
The John Peel Theatre
Town Centre, Wigton
Next Fri 4 DecStarts 19:30
  • Sign-up19:30
  • Slots12 min
  • EntryNo fee listed
  • PAProvided
  • Backline—
  • Open toMusicians, Poets
View details›

All 9 Carlisle open mics →

Support grassroots music in Carlisle

Grassroots venues are where every act you have ever paid to see started out. Carlisle still has 19 of them.

Carlisle's music runs through The Brickyard on Fisher Street, the Old Fire Station on Cecil Street, The Source on Nelson Street and the Sands Centre, with folk sessions in the village pubs around it.

In the year to July 2025, 78 UK grassroots venues stopped putting on live music and 30 closed outright, while pubs shut at about two a day in early 2026. Each one was somewhere a band played its first paid gig or a songwriter tried a new song on a room of strangers.

Think of this as the city's noticeboard: 34 gigs across Carlisle in the next four weeks, alongside 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mic nights, updated daily from the rooms that host them. There is no algorithm and no paid placement. Old Fire Station, The Brickyard and The Source Collective have the most on, and the sound leans rock and tribute act.

The single most useful thing anyone can do is turn up. Buy a ticket, buy a drink at the bar, and go to a night you have not been to before. If you would rather be told than remember, the sign-up below sends Carlisle listings straight to your inbox. If you run a venue here, claim your page so people can find you. The The Source open mic on Thursdays is an easy first night out.

Go to one this month

34 gigs listed in Carlisle over the next four weeks, with 19 grassroots venues and 9 regular open mic nights. Pick one you have not been to before - a ticket and a round at the bar is the most useful thing anyone can do for a room like these. If you only go out once, Saturdays have the most choice.

Help keep grassroots venues open in Carlisle

—

A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Carlisle. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.

What lands in your inbox. Every Monday at noon, one email of Carlisle gigs for the week ahead - out of roughly 9 a week here, never more than two on the same night, so a packed Saturday does not crowd out the quieter evenings. A quiet week in Carlisle widens it to the next fortnight rather than sending you nothing.

Why sign up. Old Fire Station has the most coming up here, with 13 dates - the email means you see them in time to go. Right now Carlisle leans rock and tribute act. One click unsubscribes, any time.

Planning ahead? Gigs in Carlisle come and go each week; festivals are planned months ahead. One festival timeline holds the UK music festivals we have date-checked, by month, region and genre, and flags clashing weekends.

What's on in Carlisle — FAQs

Common questions about live music in Carlisle, answered with this week's live data.

3 gigs in Carlisle this weekend (Fri 13 Nov – Sun 15 Nov) - including Death of Guitar Pop at Old Fire Station (Friday), One Step Behind (Madness Tribute) at The Brickyard (Saturday), The Smiths Ltd at Carlisle Old Fire Station (Saturday). The full Friday-to-Sunday list is in This Weekend above, and every gig over the next 28 days is below it.
Counting every upcoming date, there are 111 gigs listed in and around Carlisle - third of 7 against its nearest places with live music, behind the Edinburgh area (350).
We currently list 34 gigs in Carlisle between 13 Nov and 11 Dec, across 6 venues. The listings above are the full set, sorted by date and refreshed daily from the venues themselves — no algorithm decides what you see. For everything beyond this window, browse every upcoming gig in Carlisle in the gig directory or every city we cover.
None of the Carlisle gigs currently listed are marked free entry, though many venues do not publish a price at all. Carlisle open mic nights are your reliable free option — most charge nothing to watch or to play.
Saturday, with 13 gigs listed across the next 28 days. Saturday: 13 gigs · Friday: 8 gigs · Thursday: 8 gigs. Filter by This week or This weekend above to narrow it down.
Right now: Old Fire Station, The Brickyard, The Source Collective. In total we track 19 grassroots venues in Carlisle, of which 6 have something listed in this window. Capacity, backline and opening times for each are on the Carlisle venue directory.
Carlisle has 9 regular open mic nights that we verify on a rolling cycle. Each listing carries the sign-up time, slot length, entry fee and whether a PA and backline are provided — see the Carlisle open mic finder, or the UK-wide finder.
Most Carlisle venues in our listings do not publish a ticket price in advance. Grassroots entry is typically a few pounds on the door, and many nights are free. On the other side of the transaction, the Musicians' Union publishes national gig rates as the recognised floor for live engagements, and the ISM publishes guidance for self-employed musicians. Our own UK gig rate benchmarks show what artists are actually being paid by region and act type.
Grassroots rooms are where every act you have paid to see learned to hold an audience. Two pubs a day closed across the UK in the first quarter of 2026, and over the year to July 2025 78 grassroots music venues stopped putting on live music — 30 of them for good. Carlisle still has 19 on our list. Music Venue Trust campaigns for them nationally; venues themselves hold TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS and navigate local authority licensing to keep putting music on. The single most useful thing anyone can do is turn up and buy a drink at the bar.
Listing is free and takes about two minutes — submit through the Carlisle gig directory and it is reviewed before it goes live. No account is needed and there is no listing fee. If you run a venue here, claim your venue page to keep its capacity, backline and contact details current. Promoters and venues booking acts can also post paid work or find artists directly.
Every What's On page, A–Z140 pages

What's On across the UKNearby:  Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, Lancaster

All 139 other cities, A–ZGigs
A
Aberdeen27Accrington7AldershotAmershamAylesburyAyr
B
BarnsleyBasildon11Bath23Bedford9Belfast95BerkhamstedBillericay2Birmingham188Blackburn3Blackpool25BoltonBorehamwoodBournemouth22BracknellBradford39BridgendBrighouseBrighton85Bristol105Broxbourne9Bushey
C
Cambridge17CannockCanterburyCardiff64Chelmsford6Cheltenham8CheshamCheshuntChesterColchesterCoventry29Crawley
D
Derby37DerryDoncaster3Dundee12DunfermlineDurham2
E
EastbourneEdinburgh121Egham6Epsom10Exeter15
F
Farnborough6Frome
G
GatesheadGlasgow298Gloucester2GrimsbyGuildford
H
HalifaxHarpendenHarrogateHastings12HatfieldHemel HempsteadHereford3HertfordHigh Wycombe13HitchinHoddesdonHuddersfieldHull35
I
Inverness16Ipswich12
L
LancasterLeeds89Leicester22Leigh-on-SeaLincoln7Liverpool180London520Luton8
M
Maidstone11Manchester310Margate4MarlowMiddlesbrough18Milton Keynes13
N
NewburyNewcastle109Newquay13Newry2Northampton18Norwich19Nottingham93Nuneaton
O
Oxford21
P
PaisleyPerthPeterborough11Plymouth8Portsmouth14Potters BarPreston31
R
Rawtenstall17Reading12RickmansworthRochdale
S
Scarborough14Sheffield57ShrewsburySouthampton55SouthportSt AlbansStevenageStirlingStockportStockton-on-Tees9Stoke-on-Trent16Sunderland3Sutton10Swansea9Swindon2
T
Telford7TorquayTringTunbridge Wells8
W
WakefieldWalsallWaterlooville4Watford16Welwyn Garden CityWeymouth3WhitbyWidnesWoking9Wolverhampton36WorcesterWorthingWrexham21
Y
York14

Play or put on gigs in Carlisle?

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Naumaan Zahid
Founder & Builder

Live gigs across the UK, kept fresh. Spot something wrong or missing? Let me know and I’ll fix it.

Did you know? The UK is one of the world’s largest music markets, behind only the US and Japan.
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