York · the live music guide
Live Music in York
York, North Yorkshire
01 — The short answer
YorkLive music in York
York has 46 venues listing live music, 14 gigs in the next 30 days and 27 open mic nights. 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.
Inside the city walls, York's live music hides in medieval pubs, a Micklegate community venue and a basement under the cinema - folk sessions, touring indie and pub bands within a short walk of each other.
The Fulford Arms is the grassroots room most York bands play first - a pub-sized venue south of the centre that books touring and local acts most weeks. The Crescent on Micklegate is the community stage for reggae soundsystems, folk and comedy as well as bands. In the centre, the Blue Boar on Castlegate runs Friday acoustic sets, Saturday bands and a Sunday open mic, the Snickleway Inn keeps a house guitar and piano for its Tuesday session, and The Dubliner on Tanner's Moat has music every night. Folk players head for the Black Swan Folk Club on Thursdays.
listing live music
| Gigsin the next 30 days · in York | 14 |
| Open micsactive nights · in York | 27 |
02 — The scene
Live Music Scene Score — York100
| Artists | 5 |
| Venues | 4 |
| Gigs 90d | 100 |
| Rates | 50 |
| Heritage | 0 |
| Activity | 0 |
03 — Rooms to know
4 roomsThe rooms to know
Four rooms that carry York's week, from a grassroots stage outside the walls to a Thursday folk club.
| Grassroots venueFulford ArmsYork's dedicated small music room on Fulford Road, booking local openers and touring bands across rock, punk and indie. Books: indie, punk, rock.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Community venueThe CrescentMembers-run gig room and bar on Micklegate hosting touring bands, reggae soundsystems, folk nights and comedy. Books: touring, reggae, folk.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Castlegate pubBlue BoarHistoric pub with Friday acoustic sets, Saturday bands and a Sunday open mic. Books: acoustic, covers.Getting on: Direct with the venue |
| Folk clubBlack Swan Folk ClubLong-running folk club meeting every Thursday at the Black Swan Inn - floor singers and guest performers. Books: folk, traditional.Getting on: Direct with the club |
04 — The week
Every weekLive music nights
Wednesday is the big night in York: 8 venues list live music and 9 open mics run every week. Monday is the quietest, with 5 regular nights. Across the week, 28 venues list regular live nights and 24 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in York.
Regular live music nights in York
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
| Monday4 venues · 1 open mic - Golden Ball |
| Tuesday5 venues · 4 open mics - Snickleway Inn, Blue Boar |
| Wednesday8 venues · 9 open mics - The Basement, Cat In The Wall |
| Thursday9 venues · 8 open mics - The Artful Dodger, Black Swan Folk Club |
| Friday15 venues · 0 open mics |
| Saturday12 venues · 0 open mics |
| Sunday13 venues · 2 open mics - The Hop York, Dusk |
05 — The scene
YorkThe York sound
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in York is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
| MicklegateThe Crescent and the Micklegate Social sit on the hill inside Micklegate Bar - touring bands, soundsystems, folk and comedy, with late bars on the same street. |
| Castlegate, Coney Street and GoodramgateThe centre's pubs carry the week: the Blue Boar's weekend bands, The Habit's Thursday open mic on Goodramgate and The Basement under City Screen for small ticketed shows. |
| Fulford and the south sideThe Fulford Arms books the grassroots circuit just outside the walls, and the Fulfordgate Club runs a Friday artist night in its function lounge. |
| Room sizesSmall rooms under 150: 10 · mid-size up to 500: 4 · bigger stages: 0 - 14 rooms in York with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the York venue directory. |
| The open mic circuit27 open mic nights run in York - The Milton Rooms (Studio Bar) and The Hop York among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times. |
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Harrogate, Leeds and Wakefield.
| NearbyLive music in Harrogate | |
| NearbyLive music in Leeds | |
| NearbyLive music in Wakefield |
06 — Venues
16 roomsWhere live music happens
46 rooms in York put on live music, from Bishopthorpe Sports And Social Club and Black Swan Folk Club to the back rooms of its pubs. Each card shows its size, its kit and its live nights.
Photo: Google Bishopthorpe Sports And Social ClubBishopthorpe · York 
Black Swan Folk ClubYorkHouse PA 50Cap 
Blue BoarYorkHouse PA Cap tbc 
Cat In The WallYorkHouse PA Cap tbc 
DuskYorkHouse PA Cap tbc 
Eagle & ChildYorkHouse PA Cap tbc 
Evil EyeYorkHouse PA Cap tbc 
FortyFive Vinyl CafeYork Cap tbc 
Fulford ArmsYork 150Cap 
Fulfordgate Club And InstituteFulford & Heslington · York Cap tbc Each card carries capacity, backline and opening hours. Browse them all on the York venue directory, see what is booked on the York gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
| All live music venues in York |
07 — Gigs
Next 6The next 30 days York
14 gigs are listed in York for the next 30 days, from free pub sets to ticketed shows - rebuilt nightly from the gig directory.
Starts19:30 Tracey NelsonFulford Arms · Fishergate · York 
Lene Lovich, Stigmata PresentsFulford Arms · Fishergate · York 19:00Wed 4 Nov 
ColaThe Crescent · Micklegate · York 19:30Wed 4 Nov 
The RosadocsThe Crescent · Micklegate · York 19:30Fri 6 Nov 
El Pony PisadorThe Crescent · Micklegate · York 19:30Sun 8 Nov 
Baron Crâne (Paris) + Mumbles (Manchester) + Yutaniii (Leeds)Fulfordgate Club And Institute · York 19:00Tue 10 Nov Every listing is a real York date, rebuilt nightly from the York gig directory. See the York venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
| All York gigs | |
| What's on in York this weekthe weekly gig guide, by email |
08 — Next step
Pick yoursYour next step in York
Whoever you are, York 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 York this weekthe York gig guide, by email | |
| FansUpcoming gigs in Yorkevery listing, sorted by date | |
| ArtistsHow to get gigspay, venues that book, how to pitch | |
| ArtistsOpen mics in Yorkfree stage time, night by night | |
| BookersBook live musicprices, steps, licensing | |
| VenuesLive music venues in Yorkclaim 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 Yorkthe booking guide - every act size and event type | |
| What gigs pay in Yorkthe artist guide - the pay ladder and how to pitch | |
| The GX Indexevery UK fee table, open data |
10 — Compare
Nearest scenesHow York compares
The York area ranks third of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Scarborough and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 | Sheffield 38 open mics · 175 upcoming gigs | 94 |
| 02 | Leeds 34 open mics · 282 upcoming gigs | 92 |
| 03 | York This city 27 open mics · 32 upcoming gigs | 49 |
| 04 | Bradford 18 open mics · 127 upcoming gigs | 41 |
| 05 | Middlesbrough 11 open mics · 40 upcoming gigs | 27 |
| 06 | Doncaster 12 open mics · 7 upcoming gigs | 19 |
| 07 | Scarborough 11 open mics · 57 upcoming gigs | 17 |
| 08 | Stockton-on-Tees 8 open mics · 27 upcoming gigs | 16 |
11 — Questions9 answersFrequently asked questions
12 — Keep exploring
YorkMore of York
More live music resources for York 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 York. | |
| Upcoming Gigs in YorkThe full York gig calendar — touring shows, festivals, and venues hiring acts across the region. | |
| Open Mics in YorkOpen mic nights near York — directions, dates, and the grass-roots route into paid bookings. | |
| York Rate BenchmarkWhat UK bands actually charge by city and gig type. Median fees from the live GigXchange Index. |
Everything live in York — venues, open mics and upcoming gigs. Step-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in York. Artists and bands available around York.
| GigsUpcoming gigs in York — sorted by dateWhat's on in York — the local gig directory. Upcoming gigs in York, 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.York gigs · UK gig directory |
| VenuesGrassroots venues, pubs and stages in YorkCapacity, backline and booking contacts for York venues. Grassroots venues, pubs and stages in York. Capacity and backline specs where known. Re-verified on a rolling cycle. Claim your venue to keep it current.York venues · For venues |
| Open MicsFree stage time — York open mic nightsJust starting out? York open mic nights, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Weekly open mic nights across York. Filter by night of the week. Free stage time — walk in, sign up, play. The grassroots pipeline to paid gigs.York open mics · UK open mic finder |
| GuidesHow to get gigs and book live music in YorkStep-by-step playbooks for gigging and booking in York. 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 YorkLive York 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 |
City Screen basement venue.
| Every UK city scenethe city guides, A to Z |
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Live Music in York
Inside the city walls, York's live music hides in medieval pubs, a Micklegate community venue and a basement under the cinema - folk sessions, touring indie and pub bands within a short walk of each other.
Last updated: 1 November 2026
Live Music in York: the Short Answer
York has 46 venues listing live music, 14 gigs in the next 30 days and 27 open mic nights. 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 28 venues that list their live nights, 15 put on music on Fridays and 13 on Sundays. Of the 14 with a known size, 10 are small rooms under 150 and 4 hold up to 500.
The Fulford Arms is the grassroots room most York bands play first - a pub-sized venue south of the centre that books touring and local acts most weeks. The Crescent on Micklegate is the community stage for reggae soundsystems, folk and comedy as well as bands. In the centre, the Blue Boar on Castlegate runs Friday acoustic sets, Saturday bands and a Sunday open mic, the Snickleway Inn keeps a house guitar and piano for its Tuesday session, and The Dubliner on Tanner's Moat has music every night. Folk players head for the Black Swan Folk Club on Thursdays.
The York Rooms to Know
Four rooms that carry York's week, from a grassroots stage outside the walls to a Thursday 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.
York's dedicated small music room on Fulford Road, booking local openers and touring bands across rock, punk and indie.
Members-run gig room and bar on Micklegate hosting touring bands, reggae soundsystems, folk nights and comedy.
Historic pub with Friday acoustic sets, Saturday bands and a Sunday open mic.
Long-running folk club meeting every Thursday at the Black Swan Inn - floor singers and guest performers.
Live Music Nights in York
Wednesday is the big night in York: 8 venues list live music and 9 open mics run every week. Monday is the quietest, with 5 regular nights. Across the week, 28 venues list regular live nights and 24 open mics run on a fixed night - for what is on this week, see what's on in York. How the UK gig week compares.
Regular live music nights in York
Venues that list live music on that night, plus open mics that run on it every week.
- Mon 5 4 venues
1 open mic Golden Ball - Tue 9 5 venues
4 open mics Snickleway InnBlue Boar - Wed 17 8 venues
9 open mics The BasementCat In The Wall - Thu 17 9 venues
8 open mics The Artful DodgerBlack Swan Folk Club - Fri 15 15 venues
0 open mics - Sat 12 12 venues
0 open mics - Sun 15 13 venues
2 open mics The Hop YorkDusk
The York Sound and Where It Happens
Every venue, gig and open mic we list in York is on the map - zoom in to see where each part of the scene plays, then read what each area is known for.
The Crescent and the Micklegate Social sit on the hill inside Micklegate Bar - touring bands, soundsystems, folk and comedy, with late bars on the same street.
The centre's pubs carry the week: the Blue Boar's weekend bands, The Habit's Thursday open mic on Goodramgate and The Basement under City Screen for small ticketed shows.
The Fulford Arms books the grassroots circuit just outside the walls, and the Fulfordgate Club runs a Friday artist night in its function lounge.
Small rooms under 150: 10 · mid-size up to 500: 4 · bigger stages: 0 - 14 rooms in York with a known capacity. Every room's size and kit is on the York venue directory.
27 open mic nights run in York - The Milton Rooms (Studio Bar) and The Hop York among them. The way in for new acts: every night, with sign-up times.
Acts travel, and the next scene is one city over - Harrogate, Leeds and Wakefield.
Where Live Music Happens in York
46 rooms in York put on live music, from Bishopthorpe Sports And Social Club and Black Swan Folk Club to the back rooms of its pubs. 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 York venue directory, see what is booked on the York gig directory, or check what the city pays in the GX Index.
The Next 30 Days in York
14 gigs are listed in York 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 York date, rebuilt nightly from the York gig directory. See the York venues hosting them, or what these gigs pay in the GX Index.
Your Next Step in York
Whoever you are, York 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 York
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 York Compares
The York area ranks third of 8 for live music venues against its 7 nearest city scenes - Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Scarborough and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Sheffield 38 open mics · 175 upcoming gigs 94
- #2 Leeds 34 open mics · 282 upcoming gigs 92
- #3 York This city 27 open mics · 32 upcoming gigs 49
- #4 Bradford 18 open mics · 127 upcoming gigs 41
- #5 Middlesbrough 11 open mics · 40 upcoming gigs 27
- #6 Doncaster 12 open mics · 7 upcoming gigs 19
- #7 Scarborough 11 open mics · 57 upcoming gigs 17
- #8 Stockton-on-Tees 8 open mics · 27 upcoming gigs 16
Frequently Asked Questions
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