Equipment and backline available at this venue. We verify and update this section regularly.
PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
3 vocal mics
In-house engineer
About The Old Duke
The Old Duke is a grassroots music venue in Old City, Bristol with a standing capacity of approximately 120. Full backline is on stage including drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, PA and vocal mics, plus an in-house sound engineer — so you can travel light.
The Old Duke books Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Bristol venue directory.
The Old Duke is a world-famous traditional and New Orleans jazz pub on cobbled King Street in Bristol's Old City (45 King Street, BS1 4ER), housed in one of the city's oldest buildings (c.1775) and named after Duke Ellington. It stages live music every single night — jazz classics Mondays, Fridays and Sunday lunchtimes, weekend showcases on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, and midweek roots, blues, funk and modern soul Tuesday through Thursday — and hosts an annual Jazz Festival over the August bank holiday. With roughly 120 capacity, a full backline including piano and an in-house engineer, it's a true musicians' room. Entry is always free; a hat goes round for the band.
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Nights The Old Duke usually has live music
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find The Old Duke
45 King Street, Old City, Bristol, BS1 4ER
What should you charge for a gig here? Check live UK rates by role, city and venue size. Based on 3,798 verified rate observations.
The Old Duke isn’t in the Bristol top 10 yet — these are the front-runners of its 20 ranked rooms,
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Common Questions
Seven things people ask about booking The Old Duke.
Full backline: drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, PA and vocal mics. In-house sound engineer included. Bring your own instrument and pedals. Looking for other venues with full backline? Browse Bristol venues and filter by backline.
The Old Duke books Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to view The Old Duke’s booking contact, fee range, and submission process. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music or EPK. Check current UK fee benchmarks before quoting.
The Old Duke has a standing capacity of approximately 120, classed as a small venue. See all Bristol venues for size comparisons.
Yes — The Old Duke hosts open mic nights. Check the listing for day, time, and signup details on the Bristol Open Mic Finder.
45 King Street, Old City, Bristol, BS1 4ER. See the map below for directions. Browse more Bristol venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Bristol vary by event type, band size, and whether the deal is a flat fee or door split. The GigXchange Rate Calculator shows current UK percentiles.
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