Live music and festivals in Britain

Londen

• Royal Albert Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Concert hall. Its site refused our automated reader, so check it directly for what is on.^[1]
• Barbican (official site, opens in new tab): Arts centre in the City with classical and contemporary music programmes alongside theatre, film and art.^[2]
• Southbank Centre (official site, opens in new tab): Arts centre. Its site refused our automated reader, so check it directly for what is on.^[3]
• Wigmore Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Concert hall. Its site refused our automated reader, so check it directly for what is on.^[4]
• Ronnie Scott's (official site, opens in new tab): Jazz club. Its site refused our automated reader, so check it directly for what is on.^[5]
• Roundhouse (official site, opens in new tab): Music and arts venue in Camden, open since the 1960s, with gigs and club nights.^[6]

Plan the rest: our London guide.

Manchester

• The Bridgewater Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Concert hall and home of the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic, with rock, pop, jazz and world music as well as classical.^[7]
• Band on the Wall (official site, opens in new tab): Historic live music venue, promoter and learning centre, programming music from around the world.^[8]

Plan the rest: our Manchester guide · what’s on in Manchester.

Liverpool

• The Cavern Club (official site, opens in new tab): Club at 10 Mathew Street linked to the Beatles, with live shows sold through its own site.^[9]
• Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; concerts and visit information on its site.^[10]

Plan the rest: our Liverpool guide · what’s on in Liverpool.

Glasgow

• Barrowland Ballroom (official site, opens in new tab): Live music venue established in 1921, with its own gig list.^[11]
• Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Concert hall run by Glasgow Life; tickets through the Glasgow Life box office site.^[12]
• King Tut's Wah Wah Hut (official site, opens in new tab): Small live music venue with a long what’s-on list of touring bands.^[13]

Plan the rest: our Glasgow guide · what’s on in Glasgow.

Edinburgh

• Usher Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Concert hall on Lothian Road for classical music, rock, pop, dance and spoken word.^[14]
• The Queen's Hall (official site, opens in new tab): Independent venue and charity covering classical, jazz, folk and roots, rock, pop and Americana.^[15]

Plan the rest: our Edinburgh guide · what’s on in Edinburgh.

Birmingham

• Symphony Hall and Town Hall (B:Music) (official site, opens in new tab): Both halls are run by the music charity B:Music, which publishes one what’s-on list.^[16]

Bristol

• Bristol Beacon (official site, opens in new tab): Music charity and concert venue in the city centre.^[17]

Plan the rest: our Bristol guide · what’s on in Bristol.

Belfast

• Ulster Hall (official site, opens in new tab): City-centre hall for music, comedy and family events.^[18]

Plan the rest: our Northern Ireland guide.

Questions

How do I find gigs on the dates I am in Britain?

Start with the venue lists on this page: each links to the venue’s own what’s-on page, which is the most current source. Our events pages and the this-week page list dated events we have checked in our destinations.

Where should I buy concert and festival tickets?

From the venue, the festival or the seller the official site links to. Many festivals use registration or set sale dates, so read the official ticket page well before you travel.