Here is The Donkey in Leicester at a glance. It has live music 3 nights a week. It books soul, funk and covers acts. The figures below set out its size, live nights, kit and genres.
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Standing capacity
grassroots room
In detail
Live music
3 nights a week
Today·Closed
12:00–23:30Opens in 5h 51m 21s
Backline
TBC
Books
Soul · Funk · Covers
01 — Inside the room
4 photos
4 photos show the inside of The Donkey. It books soul, funk and covers acts. Tap any photo to open it at full size. Venue owners can claim this page and add their own photos.
You will find The Donkey at 203 Welford Road, Leicester, LE2 6BH. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 39 rooms in our Leicester venue directory.
Nobody from The Donkey is on GigXchange yet, so members vote to bring the venue on. It books soul, funk and covers acts. Once the venue joins, members can send it booking requests in the app.
The Donkey publishes its opening times for 7 of the 7 days. These are the venue's own opening hours, not the gig start times. Check the venue's own website before travelling on a bank holiday.
Mon
12:00–23:30
Tue
12:00–23:30
Wed
12:00–01:00
Thu
12:00–01:00
Fri
12:00–01:00
Sat
12:00–01:00
SunToday
12:00–23:30
06 — What's on stage
TBC
The stage kit at The Donkey is not confirmed yet. The list below shows the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about. Played here and the kit was different? Tell us and we will update it.
PA system
TBC
Drum kit
TBC
Guitar amp
TBC
Bass amp
TBC
Keys / keyboard
TBC
Vocal mics
TBC
In-house engineer
TBC
07 — About
Leicester
About The Donkey
Here is the story of The Donkey in Leicester so far. It books soul, funk and covers acts. It has live music 3 nights a week.
The Donkey is a grassroots music venue in Leicester. It books Soul, Funk, Covers, Rock, Brass; originals and covers are both welcome.
Listing notes
The Donkey is a Victorian-style pub on Welford Road, a short walk south of the university, and it bills itself as Leicester's historic live music venue. Over the years it has had some surprisingly big names through the door - Fun Lovin' Criminals among them - but day to day it's a community local that happens to take its music seriously.
The current programme mixes evening gigs and club nights - the Deptford Northern Soul Club is a regular visitor - with Sunday Sessions, afternoon shows from 3pm with bands like King Brasstards and The Cheeze. There's a big beer garden out the back for the summer months.
If you want a gig here, drop the team a line at the email on their website or message them on Instagram or Facebook with your links. It's open seven days, late on Wednesdays to Saturdays.
Played here before?One tap
Was the backline right?
It keeps this page true for the next act through the door.
08 — What's on
Nothing listed
Nothing is listed at The Donkey on GigXchange right now. It has live music 3 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first.
Not seeing your venue? This ranking counts gigs listed in the next 30 days. Create a page free or add your gigs - it ranks on the next nightly refresh.
Run The Donkey? Claim your page free — keep specs current
Last updated: 21 October 2026
The Donkey — Quick Facts
Leicester's long-running live music pub on Welford Road, with Sunday afternoon sessions. Here are the key facts on The Donkey at a glance. It has live music 3 nights a week.
✓ Verified openLast verified
SizeGrassrootsvenueCapacity to confirm
Live music3nights a weekFri · Sat · Sun
BacklineAskthe venueEquipment details still being checked
BooksSoul+4 moreOriginals and covers
CapacityNot listed yetNo capacity listed yet - the venue can add it by claiming the page.
Member votes0votes to get The Donkey on GigXchangeGigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails - every vote tells the venue artists want to book it here.
The stage kit at The Donkey is not confirmed yet. The list below shows the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about. Played here and the kit was different? Tell us and we will update it.
PA system · TBC
Drum kit · TBC
Guitar amp · TBC
Bass amp · TBC
Keys / keyboard · TBC
Vocal mics · TBC
In-house engineer · TBC
About The Donkey
The Donkey is a grassroots music venue in Leicester. Contact the venue for their technical specification and backline.
The Donkey books Soul, Funk, Covers, Rock, Brass acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Leicester venue directory.
Listing notes
The Donkey is a Victorian-style pub on Welford Road, a short walk south of the university, and it bills itself as Leicester's historic live music venue. Over the years it has had some surprisingly big names through the door - Fun Lovin' Criminals among them - but day to day it's a community local that happens to take its music seriously.
The current programme mixes evening gigs and club nights - the Deptford Northern Soul Club is a regular visitor - with Sunday Sessions, afternoon shows from 3pm with bands like King Brasstards and The Cheeze. There's a big beer garden out the back for the summer months.
If you want a gig here, drop the team a line at the email on their website or message them on Instagram or Facebook with your links. It's open seven days, late on Wednesdays to Saturdays.
Playing The Donkey: what to know
The Donkey usually has live music on Fri, Sat, Sun. Its listed genres start with soul. It takes both original music and covers. Its kit is not confirmed yet, so ask what is on stage before you load in. The Donkey isn't on GigXchange yet - vote to bring it on, and have a short EPK and a live clip ready, since that is what most venues ask for first. For the rest of the circuit, read how to get gigs in Leicester.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Nights The Donkey usually has live music
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find The Donkey
You will find The Donkey at 203 Welford Road, Leicester, LE2 6BH. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 39 rooms in our Leicester venue directory.
The nearest station is Leicester (rail station), about 25 minutes' walk away. The Donkey is in Leicester — use LE2 6BH for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Before you travel, check the night’s start time and what’s on in Leicester this week, or see which Leicester bands are free this weekend if you book the music.
Nothing is listed at The Donkey on GigXchange right now. It has live music 3 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first. Or browse the wider Leicester venue directory.
No gigs listed yetThe Donkey
Nothing on the calendar here right now. Check the venue's own website or socials for its next night.
Every upcoming listing across the Leicester directory, sorted by date.
The busiest live music rooms in the Leicester directory right now, by gigs on the calendar: 2Funky Complex, 2Funky Music Cafe, Duffys Bar, Leicester and 4 more.
Rooms with gigs coming up in the Leicester directory
The Donkey is #26 of 39 Leicester venues for live music
— ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly. Only gigs in the GigXchange directory count.
Not seeing your venue? This ranking counts gigs listed in the next 30 days.
If your room has no page here yet, create
one free and it joins the directory. If it is already listed, add your
gigs and it will rank on the next nightly refresh.
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
These are the 9 questions people ask most about booking and visiting The Donkey. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page. Can't see your question? Send it to us with a correction.
10 — Small print9 answersCommon questions
These are the 9 questions people ask most about booking and visiting The Donkey. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page. Can't see your question? Send it to us with a correction.
The Donkey has not listed its kit yet — check with the venue before you book. For venues with gear listed, see the Leicester venue directory.
The Donkey books Soul, Funk, Covers, Rock, Brass. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to see the booking details The Donkey has shared — contact, fee range and how to submit, where listed. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music or EPK. Check current UK fee benchmarks before quoting.
Capacity data is pending for The Donkey. Sign up to contribute or contact the venue directly.
Open mic information is not currently listed for The Donkey. Browse the Leicester Open Mic Finder for nearby open mics.
203 Welford Road, Leicester, LE2 6BH. See the map below for directions. Browse more Leicester venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Leicester 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.
The nearest station is Leicester (rail station), about 25 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is LE2 6BH. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. The Donkey hasn't claimed its page yet — vote to bring it on, or claim it free if you run it.
From the GigXchange directory
Venues Near The Donkey
16 other venues are close to The Donkey in Leicester. Each one has its own page with its size, kit and live nights. Use them to plan a night out or a run of local gigs.
More live music venues: The Old Horse, The Shed, The Western Pub and 9 more - each with its own page of size, kit and nights where we have them.
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The Donkey in brief. Set in Leicester, The Donkey is a live music room that books soul, funk and covers. The live music is mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Nearby rooms: The Emporium, The Old Horse and The Shed - or browse the full Leicester venue directory.
Booking or playing in Leicester? The GX Index publishes what UK gigs actually
pay, by city, band size and venue type, and the GX Index reports set out the methodology and the sample behind
every figure. Both are free to read and free to cite.
We list 39 grassroots music venues in Leicester. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.
We list 39 grassroots music venues in Leicester. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.
