Live music on stage: a band under the lights

What's On · UK

What's On in Derby

Q: What live music is on in Derby over the next four weeks?

We currently list 26 gigs in Derby between 21 Sept and 19 Oct, 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 the Derby gig directory or every city we cover.

Q: What is the busiest night for live music in Derby?

Saturday, with 11 gigs listed across the next 28 days. Saturday: 11 gigs · Friday: 9 gigs · Thursday: 4 gigs. Filter by This week or This weekend above to narrow it down.

Q: Which Derby venues have the most on?

Right now: a43c3736-3394-4f16-be01-04b307f9c695, 57e14cd2-4b3c-4ae4-af58-1e185e41a997, e1b558b1-dd19-421c-9a4a-07537d87c1ac. In total we track 31 grassroots venues in Derby, of which 6 have something listed in this window. Capacity, backline and opening times for each are on the Derby venue directory.

Q: Where can I find open mic nights in Derby?

Derby has 15 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 Derby open mic finder, or the UK-wide finder.

Live music in Derby over the next four weeks — 21 Sept – 19 Oct. 26 gigs listed in Derby over the next 28 days across 6 venues. Saturday is the busiest night with 11. In total we track 31 grassroots venues and 15 regular open mics here.

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

Help keep grassroots venues open in Derby

—

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 Derby. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.

Every grassroots gig we hold for Derby between 21 Sept and 19 Oct.

Saturday is the busiest night — 11 gigs
Saturday: 11 gigs
Friday: 9 gigs
Most listed genres: Tribute Act (5), Rock (5), Pop (3), Metal (2)
Average ticket price: £20.00
Imported daily from Ticketmaster, Skiddle and direct submissions

See the listings All upcoming gigs

6 different Derby venues have something on in the next 28 days.

The Flowerpot — 10 gigs
The Hairy Dog — 6 gigs
The Bless — 1 gig
The Top Bar @ The Queens Head — 1 gig
25 more tracked venues with nothing listed yet
Capacity, backline and opening times on every card

See the listings Derby venues

15 regular open mic nights running in Derby. Turn up, put your name down, play.

Weekly and fortnightly nights across the city
Most are free to attend and free to play
Re-verified on a rolling cycle

See the listings Derby open mics

Everything the Derby scene has beyond tonight's listings.

City guide: Derby venues, promoters and bookers
Local rate benchmarks before you book or quote
Members near you on GigXchange

See the listings Browse every city

What’s on near you, wherever you are — the same page for every city we track.

Gigs, venues and open mics per city
One email a week with live music near you
Free to browse — no account needed

See the listings Browse every city

Updated daily · 26 gigs in Derby over the next four weeks

Last updated: 21 September 2026

Support grassroots music in Derby

Grassroots venues are where every act you have ever paid to see started out. Derby still has 31 of them.

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 shut for good. Those are the rooms where new acts learn to hold an audience, where a first support slot happens, and where a Tuesday night can still turn into something.

This page exists to make them easy to find. It lists 26 gigs across Derby over the next four weeks, pulled from the venues themselves and updated daily — alongside the 31 grassroots venues and 15 regular open mic nights we track in the city. No algorithm decides what you see: it is simply everything we know is on.

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 above sends Derby listings straight to your inbox. If you run a venue here, claim your page so people can find you.

Gigs in Derby

Every grassroots gig we hold for Derby in the next four weeks — 21 Sept – 19 Oct. Updated daily.

Showing 2 of 26 gigs · page 2 of 2

OCT

Blondied

The Flowerpot·Darley, Derby

Saturday, 17 October 2026 · 21:00–23:00

Entry—
TicketsAvailable
AgeAll ages
GenreTribute Act

View details›

OCT

The BJC presents Emily Masser & Alex Clarke together in Belper.

No.28·Belper North, Derby

Sunday, 18 October 2026 · 19:00–21:30

Entry—
TicketsAvailable
AgeAll ages
GenreJazz

View details›

See every upcoming gig in Derby →

Venues in Derby

Where live music actually happens in Derby.

Derby pub with live events and gallery.

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
Tue12:00–23:00
Wed12:00–23:00
Thu12:00–23:00
Fri12:00–23:00
Sat12:00–23:00
Sun12:00–18:00

Derby pub with food, drinks and live music.

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon12:00–01:00
Tue12:00–01:00
Wed12:00–02:00
Thu12:00–02:00
Fri12:00–03:00
Sat12:00–03:00
Sun12:00–02:00

View venue›

Photo: Google

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The Top Bar @ The Queens Head

Belper★★★★★ (—)

Acton Street pub top bar with events.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon16:00–23:00
Tue16:00–23:00
Wed16:00–23:00
Thu16:00–23:00
Fri16:00–23:00
Sat12:00–23:00
Sun12:00–23:00

Punk and electronic pub venue.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Derby › Arboretum★★★★★ (—)

Derby pub with gig room for hire.

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon09:30–22:00
Tue09:30–22:00
Wed09:30–22:00
Thu09:30–22:00
Fri09:30–22:30
Sat09:30–22:30
Sun12:00–21:30

View venue›

Photo: Google

Claim this venue

The White Horse Derby

Derby › Morledge, City Centre★★★★★ (—)

Morledge pub with reggae and ska nights.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times5 of 7

Mon09:30–00:00
Tue09:30–00:00
Wed09:30–00:00
Thu09:30–00:00
Fri09:30–00:00
Sat—
Sun—

Derby › Derby city centre (Becketwell)★★★★★ (—)

Derby's home of live entertainment events.

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

View venue›

All 31 Derby venues →

Open mics in Derby

Turn up, put your name down, play. Most are free.

Starts 15:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 19:00

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 19:00

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 19:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

View details›

EVERY

Tue

The Creaky Floorboard

Kedleston Road, Derby

Starts 19:30

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 20:00

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 19:30

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

View details›

Derby's music institution

Starts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
BacklineFull
Open tomusic

Starts 19:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

St Peter's Quarter, Derby

Starts 20:00

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

Starts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryFree
PAProvided
Backline—
Open tomusic

View details›

All 15 Derby open mics →

What's on in Derby — FAQs

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

What live music is on in Derby over the next four weeks?

We currently list 26 gigs in Derby between 21 Sept and 19 Oct, 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 the Derby gig directory or every city we cover.

Are there free gigs in Derby?

None of the Derby gigs currently listed are marked free entry, though many venues do not publish a price at all. Derby open mic nights are your reliable free option — most charge nothing to watch or to play.

What is the busiest night for live music in Derby?

Saturday, with 11 gigs listed across the next 28 days. Saturday: 11 gigs · Friday: 9 gigs · Thursday: 4 gigs. Filter by This week or This weekend above to narrow it down.

Which Derby venues have the most on?

Right now: a43c3736-3394-4f16-be01-04b307f9c695, 57e14cd2-4b3c-4ae4-af58-1e185e41a997, e1b558b1-dd19-421c-9a4a-07537d87c1ac. In total we track 31 grassroots venues in Derby, of which 6 have something listed in this window. Capacity, backline and opening times for each are on the Derby venue directory.

Where can I find open mic nights in Derby?

Derby has 15 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 Derby open mic finder, or the UK-wide finder.

How much does a gig cost in Derby, and what should an artist be paid?

Where a Derby venue publishes a price, the average ticket is £20.00. 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.

Why do grassroots venues in Derby matter?

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. Derby still has 31 on our list. Music Venue Trust campaigns for them nationally; venues themselves navigate PRS licensing and 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.

How do I get a Derby gig or venue listed on GIGXCHANGE?

Listing is free and takes about two minutes — submit through the Derby gig directory and it is verified within 48 hours. 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.

Go to one this month

26 gigs listed in Derby over the next four weeks, across 31 grassroots venues and 15 open mic nights. Buy a ticket, buy a drink at the bar, and go to a night you have not been to before — it is the single most useful thing anyone can do for a room like these.

Help keep grassroots venues open in Derby

—

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 Derby. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.