Wakefield · the live music guide
Live Music in Wakefield
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Of the 8 venues that list their live nights, 5 put on music on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. Of the 7 with a known size, 4 are small rooms under 150, 2 hold up to 500 and 1 is a bigger hall.
Updated 31 October 2026
01 — The short answer
WakefieldLive music in Wakefield
Wakefield has 13 venues listing live music, 75 gigs in the next 30 days and 34 open mic nights (both in and around Leeds). Below: the rooms to start with, the gigs on now, what acts are paid and where to go next, all read live from the same directory.
Wakefield's music lives in its pubs and clubs - The Hop, a Horbury local with four music nights a week, a Westgate pub founded in 1818 and a social-club folk night.
The Hop is Wakefield's live music pub, with bands on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. The Black Horse, an award-winning Westgate pub from 1818, has live vocalists at weekends, and The Red Shed (Wakefield Labour Club) has Saturday music. In Horbury, The Cherry Tree runs open mic, bands and acoustic sessions Thursday to Sunday, and The Cricketers Arms has Sundays. Wrenthorpe Social Club holds a weekly folk club open mic on Tuesdays.
listing live music
| Gigsin the next 30 days · in and around Leeds | 75 |
| Open micsactive nights · in and around Leeds | 34 |
| On GigXchangeWakefield act · with a profile you can browse | 1 |
02 — The scene
Live Music Scene Score — Wakefield100
| Artists | 58 |
| Venues | 12 |
| Gigs 90d | 100 |
| Rates | 50 |
| Heritage | 70 |
| Activity | 0 |
03 — Rooms to know
4 roomsThe rooms to know
Two city pubs, a Horbury local and a folk club.
| Music pubThe HopLive music Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Books: rock, covers, indie.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Westgate pubThe Black Horse WakefieldAward-winning 1818 pub with weekend live vocalists. Books: covers, soul.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Village pub (Horbury)The Cherry Tree HorburyOpen mic, bands and acoustic sessions four nights a week. Books: acoustic, covers, open mic.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Social clubWrenthorpe Social ClubWeekly Tuesday folk club open mic. Books: folk, acoustic.Getting on: Direct with the club |
04 — The week
Every weekLive music nights
Saturday is the big night in Wakefield: 5 venues list live music and 1 open mic runs every week. Monday is the quietest, with 1 regular night. Across the week, 8 venues list regular live nights and 9 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in Wakefield.
Regular live music nights in Wakefield
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
| Monday1 venue · 0 open mics |
| Tuesday1 venue · 1 open mic - Wrenthorpe Social Club |
| Wednesday0 venues · 4 open mics - Elliotts Bar, The Counting House |
| Thursday3 venues · 2 open mics - The Jam Lounge, The Cherry Tree Horbury |
| Friday2 venues · 0 open mics |
| Saturday5 venues · 1 open mic - The Red Shed - Wakefield Labour Club |
| Sunday4 venues · 1 open mic - The Cricketers Arms |
05 — The scene
WakefieldThe Wakefield sound
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Wakefield is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
| City centreThe Hop, the Black Horse and The Red Shed fill the weekend. |
| HorburyThe Cherry Tree and The Cricketers Arms bring four nights of music to the village. |
| The clubsWrenthorpe's Tuesday folk club keeps an old tradition running. |
| Room sizesSmall rooms under 150: 4 · mid-size up to 500: 2 · bigger stages: 1 - 7 rooms in Wakefield with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Wakefield venue directory. |
| The open mic circuit34 open mic nights run in and around Leeds - Foundry Project and Hales Bar among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times. |
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Leeds, Barnsley and Brighouse.
| NearbyLive music in Leeds | |
| NearbyLive music in Barnsley | |
| NearbyLive music in Brighouse |
06 — Venues
13 roomsWhere live music happens
Live music in Wakefield happens across 13 listed venues - Calder And Hops and Counting House among them. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights.
Photo: Google Calder And HopsWakefield 
Counting HouseWakefieldHouse PA 120Cap 
Elliotts BarWakefieldHouse PA Cap tbc 
The Black Horse WakefieldWakefieldHouse PA Cap tbc 
The Cherry Tree HorburyHorbury · WakefieldHouse PA 80Cap 
The Cricketers ArmsHorbury · WakefieldHouse PA 100Cap 
The HopWakefieldHouse PA 80Cap 
The Jam LoungeWakefieldHouse PA 150Cap 
The Red Shed - Wakefield Labour ClubWakefieldHouse PA Cap tbc 
Tingley Athletic FCEast Ardsley · Wakefield Cap tbc Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Wakefield venue directory, see what is booked on the Wakefield gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
| All live music venues in Wakefield |
07 — Gigs
Next 6The next 30 days Wakefield
75 gigs are listed in and around Leeds for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory.
Starts14:00 Après Ski with Woody CookBAR Events Leeds · Beeston & Holbeck · Leeds 
Jalen NgondaProject House · Little London & Woodhouse · Leeds 19:00Tonight 
Alien Ant FarmStylus · Little London & Woodhouse · Leeds 19:00Tue 3 Nov 
Cootie CatcherLending Rooms · Little London & Woodhouse · Leeds 19:30Tue 3 Nov 
Tom RowleyThe Attic · Hunslet & Riverside · Leeds 19:30Tue 3 Nov 
Nick HakimBrudenell Social Club · Headingley & Hyde Park · Leeds 19:30Tue 3 Nov Every listing is a real Wakefield date, rebuilt nightly from the Wakefield gig directory. See the Wakefield venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
| All Wakefield gigs | |
| What's on in Wakefield this weekthe weekly gig guide, by email |
08 — Next step
Pick yoursYour next step in Wakefield
Whoever you are, Wakefield has a page built for your next step: artists find rooms and open mics, venues and promoters find acts, and everyone sees what gigs actually pay. Pick yours.
| FansWhat's on in Wakefield this weekthe Wakefield gig guide, by email | |
| FansUpcoming gigs in Leedsevery listing, sorted by date | |
| ArtistsHow to get gigspay, venues that book, how to pitch | |
| ArtistsOpen mics in Leedsfree stage time, night by night | |
| BookersBook live musicprices, steps, licensing | |
| VenuesLive music venues in Leedsclaim yours free and keep it current |
09 — Pay
GX IndexWhat acts earn
One figure from the GX Index - what acts are actually paid, the UK median where it rests on 20+ fees. The full prices and the pay guide are one click away.
| What it costs to book live music in Wakefieldthe booking guide - every act size and event type | |
| What gigs pay in Wakefieldthe artist guide - the pay ladder and how to pitch | |
| The GX Indexevery UK fee table, open data |
10 — Compare
Nearest scenesHow Wakefield compares
Wakefield's scene, counted with the Leeds area, ranks third of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Manchester, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Rawtenstall, Doncaster and Accrington. Each row is a city's wider area in our directory, nearby towns included: venues that list live music, weekly open mics and upcoming gigs, refreshed nightly.
| # | Area | Venues |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Manchester 59 open mics · 678 upcoming gigs | 159 |
| 02 | Sheffield 38 open mics · 166 upcoming gigs | 94 |
| 03 | Wakefield (Leeds area) This city 34 open mics · 229 upcoming gigs | 91 |
| 04 | York 27 open mics · 30 upcoming gigs | 49 |
| 05 | Bradford 18 open mics · 98 upcoming gigs | 39 |
| 06 | Rawtenstall 9 open mics · 31 upcoming gigs | 21 |
| 07 | Doncaster 12 open mics · 6 upcoming gigs | 15 |
| 08 | Accrington 7 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs | 10 |
11 — Questions9 answersFrequently asked questions
12 — Keep exploring
WakefieldMore of Wakefield
More live music resources for Wakefield and the rest of the UK: fee guides, venue lists, open mic finders and how-to guides, all read from the same live directory.
| How to Book Live MusicVenue guide — local rates, genre fit, licensing, and a step-by-step booking walkthrough for Wakefield. | |
| Upcoming Gigs in WakefieldThe full Wakefield gig calendar — touring shows, festivals, and venues hiring acts across the region. | |
| Open Mics in WakefieldOpen mic nights near Wakefield — directions, dates, and the grass-roots route into paid bookings. | |
| Wakefield Rate BenchmarkWhat UK bands actually charge by city and gig type. Median fees from the live GigXchange Index. |
Everything live in Wakefield — venues, open mics and upcoming gigs. Step-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Wakefield. Artists and bands available around Wakefield.
| GigsUpcoming gigs in Wakefield — sorted by dateWhat's on in Wakefield — the local gig directory. Upcoming gigs in Wakefield, by date. One-off gigs at indie venues and community stages. Sorted by date, refreshed continuously. Free and ticketed shows both listed. Every gig links its venue.Wakefield gigs · UK gig directory |
| VenuesGrassroots venues, pubs and stages in WakefieldCapacity, backline and booking contacts for Wakefield venues. Grassroots venues, pubs and stages in Wakefield. Capacity and backline specs where known. Re-verified on a rolling cycle. Claim your venue to keep it current.Wakefield venues · For venues |
| Open MicsFree stage time — Wakefield open mic nightsJust starting out? Wakefield open mic nights, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Weekly open mic nights across Wakefield. Filter by night of the week. Free stage time — walk in, sign up, play. The grassroots pipeline to paid gigs.Wakefield open mics · UK open mic finder |
| GuidesHow to get gigs and book live music in WakefieldStep-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in Wakefield. How to get gigs. How to book live music. Find a band, city by city. Written for working musicians and venues.How to get gigs · How to book · Find a band |
| RatesWhat live acts earn in WakefieldLive Wakefield rate benchmarks from the GigXchange Index. Median fees by act size and event type. City-level benchmarks, updated nightly. Never a misleading average — real percentiles. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0.GigXchange Index · Pay-rate guide |
🎤 Aspiring singer from West Yorkshire. Lover of live music, acoustic covers and crowd favourites. Currently building my…
| Every UK city scenethe city guides, A to Z |
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Live Music in Wakefield
Wakefield's music lives in its pubs and clubs - The Hop, a Horbury local with four music nights a week, a Westgate pub founded in 1818 and a social-club folk night.
Last updated: 31 October 2026
Live Music in Wakefield: the Short Answer
Wakefield has 13 venues listing live music, 75 gigs in the next 30 days and 34 open mic nights (both in and around Leeds). Below: the rooms to start with, the gigs on now, what acts are paid and where to go next, all read live from the same directory.
Of the 8 venues that list their live nights, 5 put on music on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. Of the 7 with a known size, 4 are small rooms under 150, 2 hold up to 500 and 1 is a bigger hall.
The Hop is Wakefield's live music pub, with bands on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. The Black Horse, an award-winning Westgate pub from 1818, has live vocalists at weekends, and The Red Shed (Wakefield Labour Club) has Saturday music. In Horbury, The Cherry Tree runs open mic, bands and acoustic sessions Thursday to Sunday, and The Cricketers Arms has Sundays. Wrenthorpe Social Club holds a weekly folk club open mic on Tuesdays.
The Wakefield Rooms to Know
Two city pubs, a Horbury local and a folk club. Each card below names the room, the nights it runs live music, what it tends to book and the way acts usually get on the bill.
Open mic, bands and acoustic sessions four nights a week.
Live Music Nights in Wakefield
Saturday is the big night in Wakefield: 5 venues list live music and 1 open mic runs every week. Monday is the quietest, with 1 regular night. Across the week, 8 venues list regular live nights and 9 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in Wakefield. How the UK gig week compares.
Regular live music nights in Wakefield
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
- Mon 1 1 venue
0 open mics - Tue 2 1 venue
1 open mic Wrenthorpe Social Club - Wed 4 0 venues
4 open mics Elliotts BarThe Counting House - Thu 5 3 venues
2 open mics The Jam LoungeThe Cherry Tree Horbury - Fri 2 2 venues
0 open mics - Sat 6 5 venues
1 open mic The Red Shed - Wakefield Labour Club - Sun 5 4 venues
1 open mic The Cricketers Arms
The Wakefield Sound and Where It Happens
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in Wakefield is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
The Hop, the Black Horse and The Red Shed fill the weekend.
The Cherry Tree and The Cricketers Arms bring four nights of music to the village.
Wrenthorpe's Tuesday folk club keeps an old tradition running.
Small rooms under 150: 4 · mid-size up to 500: 2 · bigger stages: 1 - 7 rooms in Wakefield with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the Wakefield venue directory.
34 open mic nights run in and around Leeds - Foundry Project and Hales Bar among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times.
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Leeds, Barnsley and Brighouse.
Where Live Music Happens in Wakefield
Live music in Wakefield happens across 13 listed venues - Calder And Hops and Counting House among them. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights. Browse by area or by night, then open a room to see its upcoming gigs.
Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the Wakefield venue directory, see what is booked on the Wakefield gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
The Next 30 Days in Wakefield
75 gigs are listed in and around Leeds for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory. Every listing links to the gig's own page, with the date, the doors time and where to buy a ticket.
Every listing is a real Wakefield date, rebuilt nightly from the Wakefield gig directory. See the Wakefield venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
Your Next Step in Wakefield
Whoever you are, Wakefield has a page built for your next step: artists find rooms and open mics, venues and promoters find acts, and everyone sees what gigs actually pay. Pick yours.
What Acts Earn in Wakefield
One figure from the GX Index - what acts are actually paid, the UK median where it rests on 20+ fees. The full prices and the pay guide are one click away.
How Wakefield Compares
Wakefield's scene, counted with the Leeds area, ranks third of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Manchester, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Rawtenstall, Doncaster and Accrington. Each row is a city's wider area in our directory, nearby towns included: venues that list live music, weekly open mics and upcoming gigs, refreshed nightly.
- #1 Manchester 59 open mics · 678 upcoming gigs 159
- #2 Sheffield 38 open mics · 166 upcoming gigs 94
- #3 Wakefield (Leeds area) This city 34 open mics · 229 upcoming gigs 91
- #4 York 27 open mics · 30 upcoming gigs 49
- #5 Bradford 18 open mics · 98 upcoming gigs 39
- #6 Rawtenstall 9 open mics · 31 upcoming gigs 21
- #7 Doncaster 12 open mics · 6 upcoming gigs 15
- #8 Accrington 7 open mics · 15 upcoming gigs 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to play Wakefield?
Wakefield pubs and clubs book their weekend acts on GigXchange - list yourself free. Make a free profile in a few minutes, add your sound and the dates you are free, and let Wakefield bookers find you.