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 Castle Tap
The Castle Tap is a grassroots music venue in Reading, Reading with a standing capacity of approximately 40. PA system and vocal mics are provided; bring your own instruments and amps.
The Castle Tap books Folk, Acoustic, Sea shanty acts. Both original music and covers are welcome. This listing is part of the Reading venue directory.
The Castle Tap is a small, well-regarded craft-beer pub at 120 Castle Street, a short walk from Reading town centre (RG1 7RJ). It punches above its size on live music, hosting a broad variety of acts most weekends. Each month brings a recurring rhythm of grassroots sessions: an open mic (every 4th Monday — musicians, poets, comedians and storytellers welcome in a laid-back, friendly room), a sea-shanty evening and a folk night, plus community events and social clubs. Opening hours run Mon–Thu 16:00–23:00, Fri 14:00–24:00, Sat 12:00–24:00 and Sun 12:00–22:30. The intimate, acoustic-leaning setting suits singer-songwriters and traditional players over loud full bands.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Nights The Castle Tap usually has live music
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find The Castle Tap
120 Castle St, Reading, Reading, RG1 7RJ
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 Castle Tap isn’t in the Reading top 10 yet — these are the front-runners of its 5 ranked rooms,
by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly.
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
Seven things people ask about booking The Castle Tap.
PA system and vocal mics provided. BYO instruments and amps. Need a venue with full backline? Filter Reading venues by backline.
The Castle Tap books Folk, Acoustic, Sea shanty. Both original music and covers are welcome. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to view The Castle Tap’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 Castle Tap has a standing capacity of approximately 40, classed as a small venue. See all Reading venues for size comparisons.
Yes — The Castle Tap hosts open mic nights. Check the listing for day, time, and signup details on the Reading Open Mic Finder.
120 Castle St, Reading, Reading, RG1 7RJ. See the map below for directions. Browse more Reading venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Reading 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.
Keep up with Reading
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps rooms like this one full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Reading
—
A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room
open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Reading. Unsubscribe any
time. Privacy.
Booking or playing in Reading? 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.
