Preston · medium venue
Grade II-listed Robinsons real-ale pub on Friargate with weekend live music
About 150 standing, live music 2 nights a week, house PA. Acoustic, Folk, Mixed.
Nearby venuesUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance, Black Horse in Preston is summed up below. It has live music 2 nights a week. It books acoustic, folk and mixed acts.
capacity
| Live music | 2 nights a week |
| TodayClosed | 11:00–00:00Opens in 3h 21m 05s |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Books | Acoustic · Folk · Mixed |
4 photos show the inside of Black Horse, from the stage to the bar. It books acoustic, folk and mixed acts. Tap any photo to open it at full size.
Before you book Black Horse, here are its size, live nights, genres and website. It has live music 2 nights a week. It books acoustic, folk and mixed acts.
| Capacity | about 150 standing |
| Live nights | Sat, Sun |
| Curfew | – |
| Sound limiter | – |
| Genres | AcousticFolkMixed |
| Website | blackhorse-preston.co.uk |
| Status | Being verified |
Black Horse is at 166 Friargate, Preston, PR1 2EJ. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 28 rooms in our Preston venue directory.
Preston PR1 2EJ
The nearest station is Preston (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away.
Black Horse for artists: Black Horse has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.
| Booking email and phone | Locked |
| Fee range per act | Locked |
| How far ahead to book | Locked |
| Payment terms | Locked |
| Rate calculatorWhat should you charge here?Live UK rates by role, city and venue size. |
Black Horse 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 | 11:00–23:00 |
| Tue | 11:00–23:00 |
| Wed | 11:00–23:00 |
| Thu | 11:00–23:00 |
| FriToday | 11:00–00:00 |
| Sat | 10:00–00:00 |
| Sun | 12:00–23:00 |
Black Horse has an in-house PA for visiting acts. 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 | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
This is the background on Black Horse, from the venue and its listings. It books acoustic, folk and mixed acts. It has live music 2 nights a week.
Black Horse is a grassroots music venue in Preston with a standing capacity of about 150. It books Acoustic, Folk, Mixed.
Listing notesThe Black Horse is a Grade II-listed Robinsons Brewery pub at 166 Friargate in the heart of Preston (PR1 2EJ) — famously the only pub in the country with three entrance doors from three streets. It was named CAMRA Lancashire Pub of the Year for 2024 (and local Pub of the Year in 2023 and 2024), reached the national finals of CAMRA's 2024 Pub of the Year as one of the top four pubs in the country, and was featured by The Telegraph in January 2025 as the best pub in Lancashire. It pours ten handpumps, usually four Robinsons beers and four rotating guest ales. Upstairs, the function room runs at weekends as 'Unplugged', a craft and cider bar with live music. The PA-equipped room welcomes both original acts and covers, with a roughly 150-capacity space that makes it a characterful grassroots music spot in the city centre.
It keeps this page true for the next act through the door.
The regular night at Black Horse on GigXchange is its open mic. It has live music 2 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first.
Open mic, every Tuesday - 20:00 · Free entry. More nights out in the wider Preston gig directory.
The Preston league ranks live music venues by the gigs listed over the next 30 days. It refreshes every night, so a busy month moves a room up.
live rooms
| 01 | New Continental | 13 gigs |
| 02 | The Ferret | 9 gigs |
| 03 | 53 Degrees New | 8 gigs |
| 04 | Lea Social Club up1 | 1 gig |
| 05 | Vinyl Tap Preston down2 | 1 gig |
| 06 | Albion Ale House up1 | 0 gigs |
| 07 | Asylum up1 | 0 gigs |
| 08 | Baker Street up1 | 0 gigs |
| 09 | Black Horse This venue up1 | 0 gigs |
| 10 | Cactus Ray's New | 0 gigs |
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.
| 01 | Edit your profile and photos |
| 02 | Set your fee range |
| 03 | Receive artist enquiries |
| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
Black Horse
Grade II-listed Robinsons real-ale pub on Friargate with weekend live music. Capacity about 150.
- c. 150
- Capacity
- 2 nights
- Live music
- 11:00
- Open today
- PA
- Backline
- Acoustic
- Books
- Listed
- Directory status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Black Horse — Quick Facts
Black Horse capacity: about 150 standing. Grade II-listed Robinsons real-ale pub on Friargate with weekend live music. Here are the key facts on Black Horse at a glance.
By size, Black Horse is the joint 5th largest of the 10 venues we list in and around Preston with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: The Ferret (about 150), Lea Social Club (about 170) and Asylum (about 100).
Black Horse's listed capacity is about 150 standing - a medium room on the scale we use for every venue. The middle-sized room we list around Preston holds about 150 - much the same. Rooms of roughly 150 to 500 usually book acts that can bring a crowd of their own - a local headliner, or the support slot on a touring bill - and promoters run many of these nights. We have not verified that figure yet - confirm it with the venue before you plan a show around it.
Black Horse this week
Black Horse for artists: Black Horse has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.
Black Horse hasn’t claimed its page yet, so nobody from the venue is on GigXchange to message. Vote to bring it on - free account, no card, 30 seconds.
Claim your listing to update details, respond to artists, and manage bookings.
Closed, changed capacity, different backline? Let us know. We review corrections within 7 days.
What’s on in Preston this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
Inside Black Horse
Black Horse has an in-house PA for visiting acts. The room holds about 150. It has live music 2 nights a week. Below: the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about, what we know about the room, and its regular live nights.
Black Horse is a grassroots music venue in Preston with a standing capacity of about 150. Black Horse provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Black Horse books Acoustic, Folk, Mixed acts. This listing is part of the Preston venue directory.
The Black Horse is a Grade II-listed Robinsons Brewery pub at 166 Friargate in the heart of Preston (PR1 2EJ) — famously the only pub in the country with three entrance doors from three streets. It was named CAMRA Lancashire Pub of the Year for 2024 (and local Pub of the Year in 2023 and 2024), reached the national finals of CAMRA's 2024 Pub of the Year as one of the top four pubs in the country, and was featured by The Telegraph in January 2025 as the best pub in Lancashire. It pours ten handpumps, usually four Robinsons beers and four rotating guest ales. Upstairs, the function room runs at weekends as 'Unplugged', a craft and cider bar with live music. The PA-equipped room welcomes both original acts and covers, with a roughly 150-capacity space that makes it a characterful grassroots music spot in the city centre.
Nights Black Horse usually has live music
Live nights at Black Horse are usually Sat, Sun. It lists acoustic among the genres it books. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in. Black Horse hasn't joined GigXchange yet; vote to bring it on, and in the meantime keep a short EPK and a live clip ready - it is what most venues ask for first.
By size, Black Horse is the joint 5th largest of the 10 venues we list in and around Preston with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: The Ferret (about 150), Lea Social Club (about 170) and Asylum (about 100).
Find Black Horse
Black Horse is at 166 Friargate, Preston, PR1 2EJ. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 28 rooms in our Preston venue directory.
The nearest station is Preston (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away. You'll find Black Horse in Preston; PR1 2EJ is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the start time before you set off, and see what else is on in Preston this week, or book a Preston band for a night of your own.
Cactus Ray's, Molly O'Malleys, Ships and Giggles and The Ferret
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
What's On at Black Horse
The regular night at Black Horse on GigXchange is its open mic. It has live music 2 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first. Or browse the wider Preston venue directory.
- Sign-up19:30
- Slots12 min
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The Preston League
Black Horse is #9 of 28 Preston venues for live music — ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly. Only gigs in the GigXchange directory count.
- #1 – New Continental 13 gigs
- #2 – The Ferret 9 gigs
- #3 NEW 53 Degrees 8 gigs
- #4 ▲1 Lea Social Club 1 gig
- #5 ▼2 Vinyl Tap Preston 1 gig
- #6 ▲1 Albion Ale House 0 gigs
- #7 ▲1 Asylum 0 gigs
- #8 ▲1 Baker Street 0 gigs
- #9 ▲1 Black Horse This venue 0 gigs
- #10 NEW Cactus Ray's 0 gigs
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Claim This VenueNot 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 Black Horse. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page. Can't see your question? Send it to us with a correction.
These are the 9 questions people ask most about booking and visiting Black Horse. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page. Can't see your question? Send it to us with a correction.
Venues Near Black Horse
16 other venues are close to Black Horse in Preston. 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.
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Black Horse in brief. Black Horse is a mid-sized room (150 to 499) in Preston that books acoustic, folk and mixed. The live nights are most often Saturdays and Sundays. There’s also an open mic (every Tuesday). Rooms nearby include Cactus Ray's, Molly O'Malleys and Ships and Giggles; the Preston venue directory has the rest.
Booking or playing in Preston? 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.
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.
We list 28 grassroots music venues in Preston. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.
More rooms near Black Horse: The Northern Way Preston, The Station, Vinyl Tap Preston, 53 Degrees, Baker Street, Chew's Yard, Foxtails Chorley, Guild Ale House, Hopwoods Tap House, Hopworks Brew Co. Tap, Lea Social Club and New Continental.
Preston has 28 rooms in the UK grassroots venue directory - why we built it, and what the data shows.
Rankings like this run across GigXchange: the national Hardest Working Rooms table, the Pint Index and UK market statistics - all built from the same directory.
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More Preston venues
We list 28 grassroots music venues in Preston. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.