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 Lifeboat
The Lifeboat is a grassroots music venue in Old Town, Margate. PA system and vocal mics are provided; bring your own instruments and amps.
The Lifeboat books Jazz, Blues, Funk acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Margate venue directory.
The Lifeboat (now Floc. The Lifeboat) is a Grade II listed ale & cider house at 1 Market Street in Margate's Old Town, Kent, built in the early 1700s and opened as a bar in 2010. In March 2026 it was taken over by Floc Brewery (near Canterbury), keeping the name and becoming the third Floc venue, so the bar now pours Floc's craft beers plus a deep range of West Country and Kentish ciders, perries, mead, wines and artisan spirits. It runs one of Thanet's busiest grassroots music programmes: a jazz club every Monday, open mic every other Tuesday, blues/funk jams every other Wednesday, live bands on Thursday and Sunday (including 'Sunday Around the Piano' 7–10pm) and vinyl DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. There's a house PA for the regular band and jam nights, and it welcomes original acts and covers across jazz, blues and funk.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Nights The Lifeboat usually has live music — typical start 20:00
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find The Lifeboat
1 Market St, Old Town, Margate, CT9 1EU
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 Lifeboat isn’t in the Margate top 10 yet — these are the front-runners of its 2 ranked rooms,
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Common Questions
Seven things people ask about booking The Lifeboat.
PA system and vocal mics provided. BYO instruments and amps. Need a venue with full backline? Filter Margate venues by backline.
The Lifeboat books Jazz, Blues, Funk. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to view The Lifeboat’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.
Capacity data is pending for The Lifeboat. Sign up to contribute or contact the venue directly.
Open mic information is not currently listed for The Lifeboat. Browse the Margate Open Mic Finder for nearby open mics.
1 Market St, Old Town, Margate, CT9 1EU. See the map below for directions. Browse more Margate venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Margate 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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