Equipment and backline available at this venue. We verify and update this section regularly.
PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer
About The Emperor
The Emperor is a grassroots music venue in Cambridge, Cambridge with a standing capacity of approximately 80. PA system and vocal mics are provided; bring your own instruments and amps.
The Emperor books Covers, Acoustic, Rock acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Cambridge venue directory.
The Emperor is a friendly real-ale pub on Hills Road in Cambridge, within easy walking distance of the railway station and the city centre. It pairs cask and keg beers with a modern Latin American tapas menu, plus darts, a pool table, board games and giant Jenga. Music is a regular fixture: live bands play at the weekend, Thursday evenings host an open-mic session from 8.30pm, and alternate-month Wednesdays bring comedy nights. The upstairs function room — available for hire and used for gigs — holds 40-45 seated or 65-70 standing, giving an intimate, well-sized stage room for grassroots acts. Both original music and covers are welcome.
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Nights The Emperor usually has live music — typical start 20:30
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find The Emperor
21 Hills Rd, Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1NW
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 Emperor isn’t in the Cambridge top 10 yet — these are the front-runners of its 4 ranked rooms,
by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly.
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Common Questions
Seven things people ask about booking The Emperor.
PA system and vocal mics provided. BYO instruments and amps. Need a venue with full backline? Filter Cambridge venues by backline.
The Emperor books Covers, Acoustic, Rock. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to view The Emperor’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 Emperor has a standing capacity of approximately 80 (45 seated), classed as a small venue. See all Cambridge venues for size comparisons.
Yes — The Emperor hosts open mic nights. Check the listing for day, time, and signup details on the Cambridge Open Mic Finder.
21 Hills Rd, Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1NW. See the map below for directions. Browse more Cambridge venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Cambridge 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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