York · grassroots venue · Verified open

The Red Lion

Historic city-centre pub with live music and a large beer garden

Capacity to be confirmed, house PA.

Nearby venues

The Rook & Gaskill The Stone Roses Bar The Terrace

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Updated 12 November 2026

At a glance

Checked 11 Aug 2026

At a glance, The Red Lion in York is summed up below. There is an in-house PA. The figures below set out its size, live nights, kit and genres.

–

Standing
capacity

grassroots room

In detail

Live music	Varies
TodayClosed	12:00–00:00Opens in 4h 11m 28s
Backline	PA provided
Books	Mixed

01 — Inside the room

4 photos

4 photos show the inside of The Red Lion, from the stage to the bar. Tap any photo to open it at full size. Venue owners can claim this page and add their own photos.

Photos: Google

129

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Views Booking & Hours What's on

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02 — The details

Before you book

Everything you need to know

Before you book The Red Lion, here are its size, live nights, genres and website. Members can vote to bring this venue onto GigXchange. Spotted something out of date? Send us a correction from this page.

Member votes

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The facts

Capacity	–
Live nights	Contact venue
Curfew	–
Sound limiter	–
Website	instagram.com

The check

Status	Verified open
Last checked	11 Aug 2026
Checked against	Music directory

03 — Find The Red Lion

York

Getting there

The Red Lion is at 2 Merchantgate, York, YO1 9TU. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 48 rooms in our York venue directory.

2 Merchantgate,
York YO1 9TU

Directions Open in maps

The nearest station is York (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away.

York venues Open mics Music scene

Upcoming gigs Rate calculator UK venues

04 — Booking

Want to play here?

The Red Lion for artists: The Red Lion has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.

The open micEvery Tuesday20:00 · Free entry

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.

05 — Opening times

Open 7 of 7

The Red Lion publishes its opening times for 7 of the 7 days. These are the venue's own opening hours, not the gig start times.

Mon	12:00–23:00
Tue	12:00–23:00
Wed	12:00–23:00
Thu	12:00–23:00
FriToday	12:00–00:00
Sat	12:00–00:00
Sun	12:00–23:00

06 — What's on stage

2 provided · 5 TBC

The Red Lion 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
2 vocal mics	Provided
In-house engineer	TBC

07 — About

York

About The Red Lion

This is the background on The Red Lion, from the venue and its listings. The notes below sum up what the venue and its listings say.

The Red Lion is a grassroots music venue in York.

Listing notes

The ‌‌‍Red Lion is a historic 13th-century timber-framed pub tucked away on Merchantgate in York, with roaring open fires and original wooden beams. It frequently hosts live music in its atmospheric sunken yard, where musicians perform in the evenings, and it has a long-running open mic tradition welcoming solo acoustic acts, acoustic bands, spoken word, comedy and magic at a mellow, intimate volume. A characterful little spot for grass-roots performers in the city centre.

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

Open mic

The regular night at The Red Lion on GigXchange is its open mic. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first. The York gig directory lists what is on across the area tonight.

Open mic, every Tuesday - 20:00 · Free entry. More nights out in the wider York gig directory.

York gigs Open mics Next 4 weeks

09 — York league

Next 30 days

The York 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.

#40

of 48
live rooms

Ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly.

01	The Crescent	7 gigs
02	Fulford Arms up1	2 gigs
03	York Acorn RLC down1	2 gigs
04	Bishopthorpe Sports And Social Club up1	0 gigs
05	Black Swan Folk Club up1	0 gigs
06	Blue Boar up1	0 gigs
07	Brass Castle Brewery Taphouse up1	0 gigs
08	Cat In The Wall up1	0 gigs
09	Dusk up1	0 gigs
10	Eagle & Child 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.

Run this room?

This page - and this ranking - is yours.

What you get

01	Edit your profile and photos
02	Set your fee range
03	Receive artist enquiries
04	Update backline and capacity

Claim this venue Free account · no card · 30 seconds

Live music on stage: a band under the lights

York · Grassroots

The Red Lion

Historic city-centre pub with live music and a large beer garden

–
Capacity: Varies
Live music: 12:00
Open today: PA
Backline: Mixed
Books: Verified
Directory status

Nearby venues The Rook & Gaskill The Stone Roses Bar The Terrace The Three Tuns All York ›

People are already finding this page. Here is what they came for — and how to take it over.

Capacity, backline and PA
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Opening times

7 of 7 days listed

Mon 12:00–23:00
Tue 12:00–23:00
Wed 12:00–23:00
Thu 12:00–23:00
FriToday 12:00–00:00
Sat 12:00–00:00
Sun 12:00–23:00

Booking What a free account unlocks

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Live UK fee benchmarks
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Open mics and gigs nearby
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Gigs at this venue ride the What's On rail below — here's the wider picture

York's live gigs, sorted by date
Free and ticketed shows
Every gig links its venue
Refreshed continuously

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Sign-up times, slot lengths and fees
Filter by night of the week
Most are free entry
Re-verified on a rolling cycle

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Set your fee range
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Update backline and capacity

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Run The Red Lion? Claim your page free — keep specs current

Last updated: 12 November 2026

The Red Lion — Quick Facts

Historic city-centre pub with live music and a large beer garden. Here are the key facts on The Red Lion at a glance. They cover its size, live nights, kit, hours and how to get there.

Venue status Last verified 11 Aug 2026

How sure we are

Verified open

Checked against the venue’s own listing View The Red Lion open mic nights →

Capacity Not listed yet No capacity listed yet - the venue can add it by claiming the page.

Know how many it holds?

Today12:00–00:00Opens in 4h 11m 28s

Directory statusVerified open

This pageNot yet claimed

Websiteinstagram.com

SizeGrassrootsvenueCapacity to confirm

Live musicVariesnight to nightNights vary - check the listings

BacklinePAPA + micsThe Red Lion provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.

BooksMixedlive actsGenres listed by the venue

Opening times

The Red Lion this week

Mon 12:00–23:00

Tue 12:00–23:00

Wed 12:00–23:00

Thu 12:00–23:00

Fri· today 12:00–00:00

Sat 12:00–00:00

Sun 12:00–23:00

The Red Lion for artists: The Red Lion has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.

Member votes 0 votes to get The Red Lion on GigXchange GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails - every vote tells the venue artists want to book it here.

Want to play here?Sign up free to vote →

The Red Lion 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.

Is this your venue?Claim This Venue →

Claim your listing to update details, respond to artists, and manage bookings.

Spotted something wrong?

Closed, changed capacity, different backline? Let us know. We review corrections within 7 days.

Private hire at The Red Lion: we're still gathering The Red Lion's hire details from the venue itself - to play a gig at The Red Lion, choose Booking information.

Private hire Hire details on the way We're gathering The Red Lion's private hire details from the venue itself - the rooms, how many each holds and what comes with them.

Spaces and capacityWe're working on it

Which rooms can be hired, and for how many people.

Good forWe're working on it

Parties, weddings, work events - what the venue takes.

IncludedWe're working on it

What comes with the room: sound, staff, food and drink.

Run The Red Lion?Add your hire details →

Claim the page free and the hire details come straight from you.

What’s on in York this week — or see what’s on across the UK.

Inside The Red Lion

The Red Lion has an in-house PA for visiting acts. Below: the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about and what we know about the room.

PA systemProvided

Drum kitTBC

Guitar ampTBC

Bass ampTBC

Keys / keyboardTBC

2 vocal micsProvided

In-house engineerTBC

About The Red Lion

The Red Lion is a grassroots music venue in York. The Red Lion provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.

This listing is part of the York venue directory.

Listing notes

What to know

There are no fixed live nights listed for The Red Lion - the gigs in the rail below show when it actually runs shows. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in. The Red Lion 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.

Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.

Find The Red Lion

The Red Lion is at 2 Merchantgate, York, YO1 9TU. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 48 rooms in our York venue directory.

Address2 Merchantgate

AreaYork

PostcodeYO1 9TU

DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →

Getting there

The nearest station is York (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away. You'll find The Red Lion in York; YO1 9TU is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the start time before you set off, and see what else is on in York this week.

More York venues

The Rook & Gaskill, The Stone Roses Bar, The Terrace and The Three Tuns

Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).

Venues York venuesevery room we list, with size and kit Gigs Upcoming gigs in Yorkevery listing, sorted by date Open mics Open mics in Yorkfree stage time, night by night The scene Live music in Yorkthe venues, the gigs and where it happens Fees What should you charge?live UK rates by role, city and venue size UK All UK venuesthe full grassroots venue directory

The York League

The Red Lion is #40 of 48 York venues for live music — ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly. Only gigs in the GigXchange directory count.

# Move Venue Gigs
#1 – The Crescent 7 gigs
#2 ▲1 Fulford Arms 2 gigs
#3 ▼1 York Acorn RLC 2 gigs
#4 ▲1 Bishopthorpe Sports And Social Club 0 gigs
#5 ▲1 Black Swan Folk Club 0 gigs
#6 ▲1 Blue Boar 0 gigs
#7 ▲1 Brass Castle Brewery Taphouse 0 gigs
#8 ▲1 Cat In The Wall 0 gigs
#9 ▲1 Dusk 0 gigs
#10 NEW Eagle & Child 0 gigs

Run this room? This page, and this ranking, is yours to take over.

Claim This Venue

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 Red Lion. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page.

What equipment does The Red Lion provide?

The Red Lion provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue. For venues with gear listed, see the York venue directory.

What genres does The Red Lion book?

Contact the venue for genre preferences. Most York grassroots venues book a mix of rock, pop, folk, and acoustic acts.

How do I book a gig at The Red Lion?

Sign up free on GigXchange to see the booking details The Red Lion 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.

What is the capacity of The Red Lion?

Capacity data is pending for The Red Lion. Sign up to contribute or contact the venue directly.

Does The Red Lion have open mic nights?

Yes — The Red Lion hosts an open mic. Day, time and signup details are on its open mic listing.

Where is The Red Lion?

2 Merchantgate, York, YO1 9TU. See the map below for directions. Browse more York venues nearby.

What are typical fees at The Red Lion?

Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in York 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.

What's the nearest station to The Red Lion?

The nearest station is York (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is YO1 9TU. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)

How do I contact The Red Lion?

GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. The Red Lion hasn't claimed its page yet — vote to bring it on, or claim it free if you run it.

Venues Near The Red Lion

16 other venues are close to The Red Lion in York. 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 Rook & Gaskill, The Stone Roses Bar, The Terrace and 9 more - size, kit and live nights where listed.

From the York venue directory

11 — Keep up with York

One email a week. Gigs near you.

Our free weekly email brings live music in York straight to your inbox. It keeps rooms like The Red Lion full and costs you nothing.

Keep up with York

Our free weekly email brings live music in York straight to your inbox. It keeps rooms like The Red Lion full and costs you nothing.

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See what’s on in York over the next four weeks →

The Red Lion in brief. The Red Lion is a live music room in York. It hosts an open mic too (every Tuesday). Other rooms nearby: The Rook & Gaskill, The Stone Roses Bar and The Terrace, or browse the York venue directory.

Booking or playing in York? 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.

12 — More York venues

All ›

We list 48 grassroots music venues in York. 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 The Red Lion: Valhalla York, White Horse, Black Swan Folk Club, Blue Boar, Cat In The Wall, Dusk, Eagle & Child, Evil Eye, FortyFive Vinyl Cafe, Fulford Arms, Hole In The Wall, The Crescent and York Acorn RLC.

York venues All UK venues

York has 48 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 York venues

We list 48 grassroots music venues in York. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.

For Artists For Venues For Agents For Promoters For Organisers For Fans

ForArtistsGet booked. Get paid. ForVenuesFill the calendar. ForAgentsRun your roster. ForPromotersBuild the bill. ForOrganisersBook acts for your event. ForFansFind tonight’s gigs.

Spaces and capacity	We're working on it
Good for	We're working on it
Included	We're working on it

The Red Lion

The Red Lion — Quick Facts

The Red Lion this week

Inside The Red Lion

Find The Red Lion

What's On at The Red Lion

The York League

Common Questions

Venues Near The Red Lion

Keep up with York

Help keep grassroots venues open in York

More York venues