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The Polar Bear

Q: What genres does The Polar Bear book?

The Polar Bear books Indie, Rock, Alternative, Electronic. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.

Q: What is the capacity of The Polar Bear?

The Polar Bear has a standing capacity of approximately 200, classed as a medium venue. See all Hull venues for size comparisons.

Hull's Monday-night free open mic at 229 Spring Bank, HU3 1LR — long-running music pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.

Venue at a glance The Polar Bear · Hull

c. 200

Capacity

standingmedium

2 nights

Live music

Tue · Satper week

20:00

Start time

doorsnightly

Full

Backline

on stagegear

Indie

Books

originals+3 more

Verified

Directory status

openGX directory

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Last updated: 4 June 2026

The Polar Bear — Quick Facts

Hull's Monday-night free open mic at 229 Spring Bank, HU3 1LR — long-running music pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.

View The Polar Bear open mic nights

✓ Verified openLast verified 04 Jun 2026

The Details

Everything you need before you book

Capacityc. 200 standing

Live nightsTue, Sat

Curfew–

Sound limiter–

Outdoor stageNo

OriginalsYes

Websitethepolarbearmusic.com

Photo: Google

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Where

The Polar Bear 229 Spring Bank
City Centre
Hull HU3 1LR

Genres

Indie

Rock

Alternative

Electronic

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Booking Information

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Booking email & phone
Fee range per act
How far ahead to book
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What's on Stage

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 Polar Bear

The Polar Bear is a grassroots music venue in City Centre, Hull with a standing capacity of approximately 200. 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 Polar Bear books Indie, Rock, Alternative, Electronic acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Hull venue directory.

The ‌‌‍Polar Bear Music Club at 229 Spring Bank (HU3 1LR) is one of Hull's most beloved grassroots music venues — a Grade II listed former Victorian pub, complete with original stained-glass windows, that reopened in 2021 as a Community Interest Company after closing during the pandemic. Its anchor night is the legendary 'The Sesh', a free-entry live music night every Tuesday from 8pm showcasing local, national and international acts, with a live DJ taking over every Saturday from 10.30pm. The venue is dedicated to emerging talent and runs a full backline with an in-house sound engineer, making it an easy, well-supported stage for both original bands and cover acts. Free entry, late licence and a genuine community ethos make it a cornerstone of the Hull music scene.

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Nights The Polar Bear usually has live music — typical start 20:00

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Find The Polar Bear

229 Spring Bank, City Centre, Hull, HU3 1LR

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The Hull League

The Polar Bear isn’t in the Hull top 10 yet — these are the front-runners of its 11 ranked rooms, by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly.

#1 – ORILEYS LIVE MUSIC VENUE 9 gigs
#2 – Connexin Live 2 gigs
#3 – Dirty Dicks 2 gigs
#4 – Adelphi Club 1 gig
#5 – Cottingham Civic Hall 1 gig
#6 NEW Driffield School, North Building 1 gig
#7 ▼1 Rio Music Bar 1 gig
#8 ▼1 Service Station 1 gig
#9 NEW The Back Room 1 gig
#10 ▼2 The Haworth Arms Hull 1 gig

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Rankings like this run across GigXchange: the national Hardest Working Rooms table tracks the UK's busiest grassroots stages week on week, the Pint Index prices a gig ticket in pints city by city, and UK market statistics covers what live music pays. All of it is built from the same directory this page lives in.

Common Questions

Seven things people ask about booking The Polar Bear.

What equipment does The Polar Bear provide?

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 Hull venues and filter by backline.

What genres does The Polar Bear book?

The Polar Bear books Indie, Rock, Alternative, Electronic. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.

How do I book a gig at The Polar Bear?

Sign up free on GigXchange to view The Polar Bear’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.

What is the capacity of The Polar Bear?

The Polar Bear has a standing capacity of approximately 200, classed as a medium venue. See all Hull venues for size comparisons.

Does The Polar Bear have open mic nights?

Yes — The Polar Bear hosts open mic nights. Check the listing for day, time, and signup details on the Hull Open Mic Finder.

Where is The Polar Bear?

229 Spring Bank, City Centre, Hull, HU3 1LR. See the map below for directions. Browse more Hull venues nearby.

What are typical fees at The Polar Bear?

Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Hull 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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Keep exploring: the UK gig directory for what's coming up, the venue directory for rooms that book live music, the open mic finder for recurring stage time, and what's on across the UK this week. The blog covers pricing, contracts and getting booked, and about GigXchange explains who runs it and why. Something not right on this page? Tell us — or start on the home page.

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