How artists land gigs in Hull — what the Adelphi pays an indie 4-piece, who books the East Yorkshire wedding circuit, and why the 60-mile Leeds gap is the best thing that ever happened to local fees.
The GX Index from GIGXCHANGE tracks live UK booking rates — these Kingston upon Hull medians come from Kingston upon Hull artists and venues submitting what they actually charge. Numbers update nightly.
A working musician's view — opportunity, competition, and money. No fluff.
Hull runs the most geographically isolated live economy in Yorkshire — the 60-mile gap to Leeds means no Leeds-rate competition pressuring fees down. The Adelphi Club (200-cap living-room venue, Housemartins/Pulp/Oasis/Radiohead heritage) anchors the indie circuit; the Bonus Arena (~3,500 cap, opened 2018) added genuine touring infrastructure post-City of Culture. Around 18 working acts on GigXchange; 7 specialise in indie or alt — the Adelphi-circuit heritage runs deep.
Hull's geographic isolation works in local bands' favour: most national platforms underweight East Yorkshire availability, defaulting to Leeds-and-up acts who add £100+ in travel costs. New bands typically land first paid pub-circuit slot within 5–9 weeks of starting to apply.
A 4-piece doing 36 dates per year clears around £13,800 gross direct vs £11,000 via 20% agency — £2,800 annual margin retained. Adelphi-circuit indie specialists earn 12–18% premium over generic covers (£500–£900 themed sets vs £220–£400). Sound-check 45 minutes; £30–£50 fees rolled into 88% of bookings.
Typical artist take-home in 2026. Pre-tax, before agency commission if any.
Hull rates sit 12–14% below West Yorkshire averages thanks to geographic isolation. Average artist take-home (after 0–8% platform fee) on a £400 booking is £368–£400. Live medians on the GX Rate Index update nightly.
Kingston upon Hull's gig-circuits cluster by neighbourhood. Where you play shapes who you play to.
The historic Old Town around Trinity Square, the Fruit Market and the Marina — independent pub-and-function venues, Welly Club (legendary indie-night venue), Polar Bear, the Sesh. Bookings £240–£440. Around 6 alt/indie nights weekly between the Adelphi (4–5) and the Welly/Polar Bear/Sesh trio (another 6–8 weekly slots).
The student-and-creative corridor — Princes Avenue's pub-circuit and Newland Avenue's independent venues carry the city's singer-songwriter and folk-circuit booking calendar. £220–£420; dependable rebooking pattern with 5 venues running weekly live nights during University of Hull term (Sep–June).
Tickton Grange, Wood Hall, Cave Castle, Lazaat, Willerby Manor — host around 320 weddings yearly combined, with peak summer Saturdays clearing £1,100–£1,700 for full-evening 5-piece bands. Lead times 4–10 weeks standard; 6–9 months for July–August Saturdays.
University of Hull (~13,000 students) and Cottingham fringe — student-circuit pub gigs, the HUU ents calendar. £220–£400 weeknight-firm during term; the HUU paid slots clear £400–£800. Bonus Arena hospitality calendar adds 35+ evening sets yearly at £400–£800.
What working bands wish they'd known when they started gigging here.
Just starting out? Spend a few weeks at Kingston upon Hull's open mic nights before pitching paid slots — it builds local stage time, gets you in front of promoters who turn up to scout, and warms up your set in front of real audiences.
Who books the venues, what they want, how to get on a roster.
Hull promoter activity clusters around 2 active local promoters covering the Adelphi-circuit and the Welly/Polar Bear/Sesh indie venues, typically charging 12–18% commission. The 2017 City of Culture year permanently strengthened the corporate-event infrastructure — the Bonus Arena hospitality programmer maintains a dedicated approved-supplier list. Encore Musicians and Alive Network handle the East Yorkshire estate-wedding corridor but default to Leeds-based 4-pieces (60 miles). Build a GigXchange profile with verified reviews — local promoters and venue programmers find specialists within 3–5 months.
Turning gigs into a calendar — relationships, follower growth, and venue rebooking patterns. Most Kingston upon Hull acts that fill rooms first cut their teeth at open mic nights, where you bump into the same regulars and promoters week after week.
Hull audiences are venue-loyal more than band-loyal at the city-centre pubs, band-loyal at the Adelphi (the indie scene's dedicated fan base follows individual acts). Around 80% of under-40 audiences hear about gigs through Facebook groups (Hull Live Music, Old Town Gigs). The Adelphi specifically builds the loyalest audiences in East Yorkshire — 60–100 fans per show is typical for an established Adelphi-circuit act.
For Hull-specific specialism (Adelphi-circuit indie, East Yorkshire folk), platform rosters that handle these niches well are scarce. Explore surfaces local specialists agencies miss.
What matters when you're the one trying to land the gig.
| Feature | GigXchange | Encore | GigPig | Alive Network | Lemonrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission taken from your fee | 0–8% | ~20% | Free for artists | ~20% | Free |
| Apply directly to gigs? | Yes — direct application + chat | Mediated | Yes | Mediated | Yes |
| Show your real audio? | Audio + video on profile | Sample clips | Videos | Promo videos | External links only |
| Build verified reviews? | Two-way verified | Client-only | Two-way | Client-only | No reviews |
| Get paid securely? | Stripe escrow | Via agency | Via platform | Via agency | Cash / bank transfer |
| Original music welcome? | All genres — originals welcome | Mostly covers / function | Mixed | Covers / function | Strong original scene |
| Best for | Building a calendar across all gig types | High-budget weddings | Regular pub/bar slots | Large corporate events | Discovery / networking |
Three steps. Profile to first booking inside an evening.
Genre, gear list, availability, audio tracks, video, photos, reviews. Verified profile shows in search and is visible to every Kingston upon Hull-area venue, agent and promoter on the platform.
Filter open slots by venue type, fee, date, distance. Message the booker direct before applying — saves both sides time. Most respond within 24–48 hours.
Fee agreed, digital contract auto-generated, deposit held in Stripe escrow until the gig is done. Funds release automatically. Both sides leave reviews.
Free profile, no card on file. We're keeping it free permanently for the first 250 sign-ups across the UK. Open alpha — you're early.
Booking from the other side?