UK Venue Directory — 2,747 Grassroots Venues

Q: How many grassroots music venues are in the UK?

GigXchange lists 2,747 grassroots music venues across 91 UK cities, making it the most comprehensive structured venue directory available. Each listing includes capacity, backline provision, genres booked, and verification status. The dataset is also available on HuggingFace and Zenodo under CC BY 4.0.

Q: What is a grassroots music venue?

A grassroots music venue is a small to medium-capacity live music space, typically under 600 standing, that regularly hosts original and covers artists. They include pubs with dedicated stages, independent music bars, community arts centres, and small clubs. Music Venue Trust defines them as independently owned spaces that programme emerging and local talent. GigXchange tracks 2,747 of them across the UK.

Q: What equipment do UK grassroots venues provide?

48% of UK grassroots venues provide a PA system. 4% offer full backline including drums, guitar amp, bass amp, and PA. 7% include an in-house sound engineer. Artists playing the grassroots circuit should expect to bring their own gear to most venues. Use the backline filter above to find venues with equipment provided.

Q: How do I find grassroots venues near me?

Use the city filter or search bar on this page to narrow the 2,747 listings by location, capacity, or equipment. Each city has its own venue directory page with local stats and rankings. You can also browse open mic nights at the same venues via the Open Mic Finder.

Q: How do I book a gig at a grassroots venue?

Sign up free on GigXchange to view booking contacts, fee ranges, and submission processes for every venue. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music. The Musicians’ Union publishes recommended minimum fees. See our Rate Calculator for current UK benchmarks.

Q: Can I list my venue for free?

Yes. Submissions are free, take 2 minutes, and are verified within 48 hours. Once approved, claim your listing to self-edit your profile, update equipment, and manage your booking preferences.

Q: How is this different from Music Venue Trust?

Music Venue Trust tracks approximately 800 member venues for advocacy and policy work. GigXchange covers 2,747 venues with structured data including capacity, backline, genres, and booking contacts. MVT focuses on protecting grassroots venues; GigXchange helps artists find and book them.

Q: What does it cost to play at a grassroots venue?

Fees vary widely. Small pub gigs typically pay £100–£250 for a solo act, while mid-size venues may pay £300–£600 for a full band. Some operate on door splits. The GigXchange Rate Calculator shows current UK percentiles by city, band size, and venue type. See also the Musicians’ Union recommended rates.

Live music on stage: a band under the lights

UK Grassroots Venue Directory

2,747 venues across 91 UK cities. Capacity, backline, genres, booking info. The most complete grassroots venue directory in the UK.

Venue directory

Venue directory at a glance UK grassroots venues · 91 UK cities

2,747

Venues

liveGX directory

UK cities

mappednationwide

48%

PA provided

in-houseverified

Full backline

on stageverified

Sound engineer

in-houseverified

Daily

Updated

continuouslyrealtime

The stages behind the gigs — mapped, verified and free to browse

2,747 venues across 91 UK cities
48% provide a PA — 4% full backline
7% include an in-house sound engineer
Seeded from 902 open-mic + 1,845 gig-directory venues
Booking contact and fee data for signed-up artists
Claim your venue to keep it current

Find out more Join free

What is actually ON at these venues — type a city to see its gigs

8,734 upcoming gigs, sorted by date
899 in the next 7 days
Sourced from venues, promoters and artists
Every gig links back to its venue

Find out more Join free

The sibling directory: recurring open mic nights, verified and mapped

1,300+ verified UK open mic nights
Re-verified on a rolling cycle
Filter by night of the week and city
Free stage time for new and gigging acts

Find out more Join free

Every city has its own venue hub — type yours

Venues in 91 UK cities, London to Aberdeen
London leads with 274 venues
Capacity, backline and contact per venue
City hubs link gigs and open mics too

Find out more Join free

Reach artists actively looking for stages in your city

Free listing — no fee, no account needed
Claim an existing page to keep it current
Backline and capacity specs searchable by artists
Booking contact shown to signed-up members
Every venue links its upcoming gigs
Verified before going live

Find out more

Run a venue? Claim your page free — keep specs and contacts current

Last updated: 7 October 2026

2,747 Grassroots Venues Across the UK

2,747

grassroots venues across 91 UK cities, from London to Aberdeen

48% provide a PA system · 4% offer full backline (drums, amps, PA)
7% have an in-house sound engineer included
Booking contact, fee ranges and submission process available to signed-up artists
Seeded from 902 open mic venues + 1,845 gig directory venues, deduplicated

The most comprehensive UK grassroots venue directory: every venue searchable by city, capacity, backline and genres booked. We compile data from the Open Mic Finder, Gig Directory, and public venue listings to give artists the full picture — equipment, contact, and fee data in one place.

2,747 Venues 91 UK Cities 48% PA Provided 4% Full Backline Updated 08 Oct 2026

Want what is on this week rather than the venue list? See what’s on across the UK — live music by city, updated daily.

How to cite this dataset

GigXchange, UK Grassroots Venue Directory. Available at: https://gigxchange.app/gigs/venues. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20184475 · HuggingFace · Kaggle · CC BY 4.0

Search by Location

Explore live music venues near you — or click a city for its full venue list.

91 cities mapped · 2,747 venues · London alone has 274

Browse Venues

Filter all 2,747 venues by capacity, backline or city

Click a filter to narrow the listings below.

Showing 24 of 2,747 venues

1,000

Photo: Google

Claim this venue

Y Plas, Cardiff Students Union

Cardiff › Cathays★★★★★ (—)

Cardiff SU venue with jazz events.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Cardigan › Cilgerran★★★★★ (—)

Concert hall and music venue in the West Wales countryside

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Cardigan's underground music room, free Thursday open mic

Backline2 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
2 vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon08:30–16:00
Tue08:30–16:00
Wed08:30–16:00
Thu08:30–01:00
Fri08:30–01:00
Sat08:30–01:00
Sun08:30–21:00

Country pub near Carlisle with a monthly open mic folk session

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Old Fire Station Carlisle

Carlisle › Cecil Street★★★★★ (—)

indie and live music venue in Carlisle

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Arts bar with open mic sessions, DJs and a gallery

Backline2 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon12:00–02:00
TueClosed
Wed12:00–02:00
Thu12:00–02:00
Fri12:00–02:00
Sat12:00–02:00
Sun12:00–02:00

Carlisle › Scotby★★★★★ (—)

Open mic nights with the Brampton Reivers in a refurbished village pub

Backline2 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Cummersdale village pub with open mic Irish and folk sessions

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
TueClosed
Wed18:00–22:30
Thu18:00–22:30
Fri18:00–22:30
Sat14:00–22:30
Sun14:00–22:30

Carlisle › Fisher Street★★★★★ (—)

320-capacity rock, indie, metal and punk venue.

Backline1 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Carlisle › Town Centre★★★★★ (—)

Large rock venue in Carlisle

Backline2 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon06:30–22:00
Tue06:30–22:00
Wed06:30–22:00
Thu06:30–22:00
Fri06:30–21:00
Sat08:00–16:00
Sun08:00–16:00

Carlisle › Nelson St★★★★★ (—)

Carlisle venue with live entertainment.

Backline3 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
TueClosed
WedClosed
Thu20:00–01:30
Fri20:00–01:30
Sat20:00–01:30
SunClosed

View venue›

Photo: Google

Claim this venue

Lyric Theatre Carmarthen

Carmarthen★★★★★ (—)

Welsh theatre for rock and pop touring shows.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
Tue11:00–15:00
Wed11:00–15:00
Thu11:00–15:00
Fri11:00–15:00
Sat11:00–15:00
SunClosed

Carmarthen's town-centre club, with a Sunday open mic and Saturday cabaret

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon10:00–00:00
Tue10:00–00:00
Wed10:00–00:00
Thu10:00–00:00
Fri10:00–01:00
Sat10:00–01:00
Sun10:00–00:00

View venue›

Photo: Google

Claim this venue

Barn United Social Club

Carrickfergus★★★★★ (—)

Social club with techno and electronic nights.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times—

Mon—
Tue—
Wed—
Thu—
Fri—
Sat—
Sun—

Carshalton pub with a monthly open mic jazz jam

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon11:00–22:00
Tue11:00–23:00
Wed11:00–23:00
Thu11:00–23:00
Fri11:00–23:30
Sat11:00–00:00
Sun12:00–22:00

Chatham › Princes Park, Chatham★★★★★ (—)

Chatham pub with drum & bass nights.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon11:30–22:30
Tue11:30–22:30
Wed11:30–22:30
Thu11:30–23:30
Fri11:30–00:00
Sat11:30–00:00
Sun11:30–22:00

Cheadle And Gatley Conservative Club

Cheadle★★★★★ (—)

Conservative club with DJ and social nights.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon18:00–23:30
Tue18:00–23:30
WedClosed
Thu18:00–23:30
Fri18:00–23:30
Sat12:00–00:30
Sun12:00–23:30

Intimate basement bar near the train station.

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
TueClosed
Wed22:00–03:00
Thu22:00–03:00
Fri22:00–04:00
Sat22:00–04:00
SunClosed

Chelmsford cocktail bar with live music and a monthly open mic

Backline2 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
2 vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
TueClosed
Wed16:00–23:30
Thu16:00–23:30
Fri15:00–00:30
Sat15:00–00:30
Sun12:00–19:00

Chelmsford's not-for-profit grassroots music venue

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon17:00–23:00
Tue17:00–23:00
Wed17:00–00:00
Thu17:00–00:00
Fri16:00–01:00
Sat14:00–01:30
Sun14:00–21:00

Hylands Park Chelmsford

Chelmsford › Widford★★★★★ (—)

Historic Chelmsford estate and festival parkland hosting major outdoor concerts

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon07:30–20:00
Tue07:30–20:00
Wed07:30–20:00
Thu07:30–20:00
Fri07:30–20:00
Sat07:30–20:00
Sun07:30–20:00

View venue›

Photo: Google

Claim this venue

Mettle Works Warehouse

Chelmsford › 6 Russell Way★★★★★ (—)

Creative warehouse venue for the cultural industries of Chelmsford

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon09:00–01:00
Tue09:00–01:00
Wed09:00–01:00
Thu09:00–03:00
Fri09:00–05:00
Sat09:00–05:00
Sun09:00–01:00

Craft beer taproom and rock & metal live music venue under the railway arches

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

MonClosed
Tue15:00–23:00
Wed15:00–23:00
Thu15:00–23:00
Fri15:00–02:00
Sat12:00–02:00
Sun14:00–21:00

Country pub with a monthly open mic folk night at Littley Green

Backline0 of 7

PA system
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer

Opening times7 of 7

Mon12:00–23:00
Tue12:00–23:00
Wed12:00–23:00
Thu12:00–23:00
Fri12:00–23:00
Sat12:00–23:00
Sun12:00–23:00

View venue›

Browse by City

Jump straight to a city for the full local list.

London274 Manchester135 Glasgow134 Liverpool92 Edinburgh80 Leeds77 Sheffield73 Brighton72 Newcastle59 Birmingham58 Nottingham58 Bristol56 Cardiff55 Southampton44 Blackpool43 Belfast42 Wolverhampton40 Bradford39 Exeter37 York36 Coventry34 Derby31 Leicester31 Margate31 Wrexham31 Norwich30 Oxford28 Plymouth28 Reading28 Swansea28 Dundee27 Portsmouth27 Cambridge26 Hull26 Ipswich26 Bath25 Cheltenham25 Inverness25 Hereford24 Hastings23 Middlesbrough23 Northampton23 Aberdeen22 Lincoln22 Stoke-on-Trent22 Basildon21 Watford21 Maidstone20 Preston20 Bournemouth19 Rawtenstall19 Sunderland19 Telford19 Carlisle18 Newquay18 Peterborough18 Gloucester17 Milton Keynes17 Durham16 Doncaster15 Scarborough15 Stockton-on-Tees15 Bedford14 Derry14 Egham14 High Wycombe14 Weymouth14 Chelmsford13 Crawley13 Epsom13 Luton13 Woking13 Aldershot12 Boston11 Swindon11 Broxbourne10 Grimsby10 Waterlooville10 Blackburn9 Sutton9 Tunbridge Wells9 Accrington8 Aberystwyth7 Billericay5 Cirencester5 Dublin4 Farnborough4 Horley4 Newry3 Welshpool3 Worthing1

UK Grassroots Venue Scene in Numbers

Live statistics from 2,747 grassroots music venues across 91 UK cities. Updated daily.

2,747

Total Venues

Across 91 UK cities from London to Aberdeen

48%

PA Provided

48% of UK grassroots venues provide at least a PA system

Full Backline

4% offer full backline (drums, guitar amp, bass amp, PA)

In-House Engineer

7% of venues include an in-house sound engineer

Venues by City

Top 16 UK cities ranked by grassroots venue count

50%+ of top 20–49% <20%

How many grassroots music venues are there in the UK? GigXchange’s Venue Directory lists 2,747 grassroots music venues across 91 UK cities, making it the most comprehensive structured venue database available. London leads with the most venues, followed by Glasgow, Manchester, and Liverpool.

Do UK grassroots venues provide equipment? 48% of UK grassroots venues provide a PA system, but only 4% offer full backline (drums, guitar amp, bass amp, PA). 7% include an in-house sound engineer. Artists playing the grassroots circuit should expect to bring their own gear to most venues. Data from GigXchange’s verified UK Venue Directory, updated daily.

UK Venue Rankings

Top UK cities ranked by venue count and equipment provision.

Most Venues

#	City	Count
1	London	274	274
2	Manchester	135	135
3	Glasgow	134	134
4	Liverpool	92	92
5	Edinburgh	80	80
6	Leeds	77	77
7	Sheffield	73	73
8	Brighton	72	72
9	Newcastle	59	59
10	Birmingham	58	58

Best Backline

#	City	Rate
1	London	11%	11%
2	Manchester	7%	7%
3	Sheffield	7%	7%
4	Glasgow	6%	6%
5	Leeds	6%	6%
6	Brighton	6%	6%
7	Birmingham	5%	5%
8	Liverpool	2%	2%
9	Newcastle	2%	2%
10	Edinburgh	1%	1%

Venue Directory FAQs

How many grassroots music venues are in the UK?

GigXchange lists 2,747 grassroots music venues across 91 UK cities, making it the most comprehensive structured venue directory available. Each listing includes capacity, backline provision, genres booked, and verification status. The dataset is also available on HuggingFace and Zenodo under CC BY 4.0.

What is a grassroots music venue?

A grassroots music venue is a small to medium-capacity live music space, typically under 600 standing, that regularly hosts original and covers artists. They include pubs with dedicated stages, independent music bars, community arts centres, and small clubs. Music Venue Trust defines them as independently owned spaces that programme emerging and local talent. GigXchange tracks 2,747 of them across the UK.

What equipment do UK grassroots venues provide?

48% of UK grassroots venues provide a PA system. 4% offer full backline including drums, guitar amp, bass amp, and PA. 7% include an in-house sound engineer. Artists playing the grassroots circuit should expect to bring their own gear to most venues. Use the backline filter above to find venues with equipment provided.

How do I find grassroots venues near me?

Use the city filter or search bar on this page to narrow the 2,747 listings by location, capacity, or equipment. Each city has its own venue directory page with local stats and rankings. You can also browse open mic nights at the same venues via the Open Mic Finder.

How do I book a gig at a grassroots venue?

Sign up free on GigXchange to view booking contacts, fee ranges, and submission processes for every venue. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music. The Musicians’ Union publishes recommended minimum fees. See our Rate Calculator for current UK benchmarks.

Can I list my venue for free?

Yes. Submissions are free, take 2 minutes, and are verified within 48 hours. Once approved, claim your listing to self-edit your profile, update equipment, and manage your booking preferences.

How is this different from Music Venue Trust?

Music Venue Trust tracks approximately 800 member venues for advocacy and policy work. GigXchange covers 2,747 venues with structured data including capacity, backline, genres, and booking contacts. MVT focuses on protecting grassroots venues; GigXchange helps artists find and book them.

What does it cost to play at a grassroots venue?

Fees vary widely. Small pub gigs typically pay £100–£250 for a solo act, while mid-size venues may pay £300–£600 for a full band. Some operate on door splits. The GigXchange Rate Calculator shows current UK percentiles by city, band size, and venue type. See also the Musicians’ Union recommended rates.

Run a grassroots venue? List it free.

2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach thousands of artists actively looking for gigs.

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