Oxford Gig and Club Venues RSS feed
or or Wheelchair Friendly Wifi Access    

This page is intended as a helpful guide for people putting on live music events in Oxford.
Please click here to see what gigs are on in Oxford at the moment. See also our Concert Venues Guide and Halls for Hire page.
Is something wrong or missing from this page? Please tell us: venues@dailyinfo.co.uk / 01865 241133. Thanks!
A 
A1 Pool Hall
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 80

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Map
10 Crown Street
OX4 1QG
Tel: 01865 244300 after 6.30pm  
Pool hall/bar, also available for private hire (£50 - £100, licence till midnight). Free pool on a Sunday afternoon 3-6pm. Available for private parties. Late licence till 12.


What a great little pool club!I play at A1 a couple of times a week, and have been very impressed by the standard to which the... read more

 
No music equipment atm. Awaiting entertainment licence from the Council, after which there are plans to get a PA system. 
ark T Arts Centre
Cowley Road Area

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Map
Crowell Road
Cowley
Oxford
OX4 3LN
Tel: 01865 396778
www.ark-t.org
mail[at]ark-t.org 
Intimate yet lofty venue with a pleasingly floaty acoustic. Some very minimal parking. Wheelchair friendly.

 
 
B
Baby Love
Central

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3 King Edward Street
Oxford
OX1 4HS
Tel: 01865 200011
www.baby-bar.co.uk
drumbabydrum@hotmail.co.uk 
Trendy central bar playing electronica, drum & bass, etc. Large cocktail selection. Sister bar on the Cowley Road. Cocktails. Dress Code. Wheelchair friendly.


An intriguing bar with a great atmosphere, the bartenders were surprisingly knowledgeable, and the music (a mix of funky beats... read more

 
 
Baby Simple
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 220

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213 Cowley Rd
Oxford
OX4 1XF
Tel: 01865 202506 / 07803 078033
www.babysimple.co.uk  
'Art bar' and live venue. Upper bar mezzanine (Trees Lounge) hosts works by local artists, plus occasional live music gigs. Ground floor comprises cocktail bar, dance floor with a new lighting and sound system and an external smoking booth with seating. Dance floor area is free to hire and they welcome new promoters - details on website. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly.


The Hammer and Tongue poetry slam nights that used to happen here until v recently were ace: everyone crammed into the upstairs... read more

 
Basic essentials of a sound system. 
The Old Bookbinder's Arms
Jericho
Capacity: 120

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Map
17-18 Victor Street
OX2 6BT
Tel: 01865 553549  
Friendly nook-and-cranny-filled pub known for its real ale and boardgames. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Wifi Access. Late licence till 12.


Alas no peanuts in a barrel any more. But it is still a great place to drink, with good - and sometimes great - beer despite the... read more

 
In-house PA and preamp 
The Bridge
Central

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6-9 Hythe Bridge Street
Oxford
0X1 2EW
Tel: 01865 242526
www.bridgeoxford.co.uk
info@bridgeoxford.co.uk 
Classier alternative to Park End et al. Commercial dance, RnB, Old School, etc. Themed student nights (including International night, Weds) & live local radio broadcasts. See website for full info. Lounge Bar has waitress service & table reservations. Sister bar is Anuba on Park End St. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 2.

 
 
The Bullingdon Arms
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 250-280

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Map
162 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1UE
Tel: 01865 244516  
Gig & comedy venue with a small bar on the front. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 2.


Travelled with 3 mates from the Malt Shovel Tavern in Northampton this week to see Rob Tognoni. Great evening/ great act/ great... read more

 
Own equipment, do enquire. 
C
The Cellar
Central
Capacity: 250

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Frewin Court, off Cornmarket St.
Tel: 01865 244761 / 07769 690177
www.cellarmusic.co.uk  
DJs &/or live bands every night. One of Oxford's best venues for live music (and more recently, comedy), catering for a wide range of musical tastes, having an emphasis on hiphop, funk, D&B, Latin jazz & indie. Previously heavily DJ-orientated, recently moving more toward live gigs & flourishing with a tight new soundsystem. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Late licence till 3.


I think most people in Oxford are familiar with The Cellar. They've managed to hold on to their identity and precious independence... read more

 
Good PA, good monitoring, very good engineer. 
Chester Arms
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 100

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19 Chester Street
Oxford
OX4 1SN
Tel: 01865 243203
www.chesterarmsoxford.co.uk  
Spacious, pleasant venue in quiet residential street near Iffley Fields nature reserve. Occasional pool table (!). Live music Weds, Fri, Sat; quiz Thu. Large grassy garden great in summer. Car park too. Cocktails. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly.


Very good locals' pub in an off-the-beaten-track location. Almost certainly the largest collection of board games in any Oxford... read more

 
Own PA, generally just for vocals. Piano! 
Clementines
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 250

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15 St Clements
Oxford
OX4 1AB
Tel: 01865 247214
www.clemsoxford.com  
Cosy, stylish venue with a continental bias, playing R&B and chart/cheese. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Sofas. Available for private parties. Late licence till 3.

 
Nightlub - not a live music venue. 
The Coven II
Central
Capacity: 450

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Oxpens Road
Oxford
OX1 1RX
Tel: 01865 242770
www.covenoxford.com/  
Hard dance music from the dirtier end of the market interspersed with Abba infused gay nights. Great for DnB, hardhouse, trance and hiphop. Manages to attract decent DJ's for Oxford.
Stand Out Nights: Baraka Oxford's attempt at a full on psy-trance mayhem. Not at all bad although has suffered hugely from the demolition of The Coven's chillout room - once a fuzzy smokers' paradise, compete with beanbags and nitrous oxide. Currently reduced to just one big room, the club only really caters for those who want it banging all night. The proposed construction of a new chillout room has sadly been delayed due to the folly of spending their entire budget on a new soundsystem. This gives them the boasting rights to having apparently the most powerful rig in Oxfordshire even if it is far too powerful for the venue - when turned up it apparently causes water to come in the ceiling. Loveshack Friday night's gay night. Check it out if you enjoy enthusiastic renditions of Steps' dance routines.

 
 
E
East Oxford Community Centre
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 150

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44b Princes Street (corner of Cowley Rd)
Oxford
OX4 1DD
Tel: 01865 792168
www.eocc.co.uk
east_oxford_cc@yahoo.co.uk 
Community venue for classes, worship, meetings, gigs and more. There are several rooms available for hire, the largest of which (downstairs hall) can accommodate 150 people. 2 door security must be arranged for live music events. Gig bookings are generally only accepted for Saturday nights. Available for private parties.

 
 
F
Far From The Madding Crowd
Central
Capacity: 150

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Friar's Entry
(off Magdalen St)
Oxford
OX1 2BY
Tel: 01865 240900
www.maddingcrowd.co.uk  
Nice pub, tucked away but very close to the centre. Free Wifi. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Wifi Access.


Just had a fish 'n' chips as Sunday lunch. Impressive mash & peas and crispy fish. Friendly staff show you many options... read more

 
Generally open mics & acoustic bands provided by different promoters. Regulars Delicious Music have a nice setup. 
Filth
Central

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Map
Westgate Centre
Enter via Pennyfarthing Place (next to Sainsbury's)
OX1
www.hustleatfilth.com/
info@hustleatfilth.com 
One of Oxford's more infamous clubs went through a series of owners without being able to shake the nickname "Filth", possibly due to the fact it was the only club in town with carpeted floors. Eventually, they gave up and accepted the title. Very central, very busy, very noisy. Occasional dress code. Late licence till 3.

 
 
Folly Bridge Inn
Abingdon Road

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38 Abingdon Road
Oxford
OX1 4PD
Tel: 01865 790106  
Welcoming family run pub with basic pub food at lunchtimes and 6-9. For all music events contact Guy, 07769 608124 or PontMusic@aol.com. Other events can be arranged directly with the management.
The Folly Bridge Inn Quiz Night has received some rave reviews - read them here Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly.


This is a fine example of a proper pub complete with resident dog, good atmosphere, boisterous but friendly, family run with the... read more

 
PA available most nights and by prior arrangement. It's a 150W five input Peavey. Other equipment (bass amp, 4xPAC56 light rig, 120mW colour laser and odds and ends of band equipment) are available for hire. 
Freud
Jericho
Capacity: 200 seated + 40 standing

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119 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AH
Tel: 01865 311171
www.freudliving.co.uk/cgi-bin/shop/page.cgi?user_id=12265&file=bars.html  
Converted church with art exhibitions, soaring classical architecture, occasional live music of a jazz/blues orientation/DJs on weekends. Cocktails and snacky grub. Small sun terrace at front for summer posing. Cocktails. Occasional dress code. Available for private parties. Late licence till 2.


Cocktails were great. The girlfriend and I spoke to the guy behind the bar at length about the large selection. We tried about... read more

 
None 
I
The Isis Farmhouse
Iffley / Rose Hill
Capacity: 160

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Haystacks Corner
The Towing Path
Iffley Lock
Oxford
OX4 4EL
Tel: 01865 243854, 07973 801297
enquiries@theisis.co.uk 
Characterful free house undergoing constant refurbishment. Homemade cakes and cream teas, local beers, limited home-made hot meals (call to check). Venue for hire. Canoe hire and boat storage. CASH PAYMENT ONLY - no cards accepted.


Ah, the lemon polenta cake - even moister today then ever. No-one makes it better. The last owners had turned the poor place into... read more

 
In-house PA, 16 channel mixing desk, indoor & outdoor ('Tree')stages & some equipment (mics, stands) for live gigs (in the Barn). No soundman (you will need to bring your own & set up the room for use from scratch before each use). PA & small desk for djing in front bar (also requires setup). 
J
The Jericho Tavern
Jericho
Capacity: 150

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56 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AZ
Tel: 01865 311775
www.thejericho.co.uk  
Excellent sound system and in-house engineer in the upstairs gig venue; good continental beers on draught; spacious patio garden. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Wifi Access. Late licence till 12.


Just a word of warning on the Jericho's much-feted music venue: very nice indeed, and certainly intimate and atmospheric, but... read more

 
In-house PA with monitors. Good engineer. 
K
Kiss Bar
Central

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37 Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1JD
Tel: 01865 200555  
Smartish themed bar with silver walls, giant lips and hundreds of different kinds of flavoured vodka. Cocktails. Sofas. Dress Code. Late licence till 12.


Kiss have started opening on Mondays and they where keen to tell me they intend to do the same on Wednesdays too. These nights... read more

 
 
L
Lava & Ignite
Central

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Cantay House
Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1JD
Tel: 01865 250181
www.lavaignite.com/oxford  
'5 room, 5 night clubbing experience'. Regular DJs and themed party nights, including the infamous Oxford Brookes student night, 'Sex'. Cloakroom. Late licence till 1.

 
 
O
O2 Academy Oxford
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 1350 in total, with approx. 1000 of that downstairs.

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190 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1UE
Tel: Box Office: 0844 477 2000 / Info: 0905 020 3999 (25p/min)
www.oxford-academy.co.uk  
Oxford's biggest live music venue (bar Brookes Student Union) and part of the national touring indie bands circuit. Live music every night during university term from 7.30-10ish, followed by a selection of regular and specialist club nights. Main venue is downstairs, with a street-front bar which can be closed off to become another small venue; upstairs is a smaller venue and bar. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 4.


Music wise it’s a great venue, every band I've wanted to see has been great, and I look forward to seeing some bands again and... read more

 
Full kit for playing through the in-house system; in-house engineers of varying quality; state-of-the-art lighting rigs. All new in autumn 2007. 
P
Po Na Na
Central
Capacity: 195

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13-15 Magdalen Street
Oxford
OX1 3AE
Tel: 249171
www.oxfordponana.com
OxfordPNN@ponana.com 
Basement club/bar with glittery Arabic-style architecture. Cheesy yet impressive in a Casablanca-ish kind of way. Can get very hot and sticky in summer. Occasional live gigs. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Sofas. Available for private parties.


Went there for Hallowe'en. There was a good-sized crowd, attractive people all wanting to have fun. Music unfortunately conflicted... read more

 
No in-house kit for live bands. 
The Port Mahon
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 80

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82 St Clements
Oxford
OX4 1AW
Tel: 01865 790970
Portmahonmusic@yahoo.co.uk 
Cosy split-level venue with 1st floor bar, ground floor sports bar and gig nights held in its upstairs room (also with small bar). Said room is available for hire. Available for private parties. Late licence till 1.


This pub has dramatically improved. Not only has the interior benefitted from a much needed redecoration, they are now doing GREAT... read more

 
Full PA (inc. monitors), 2 mics and stands, DI box, cables (2010). Room hire £50 
The Purple Turtle
Central

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Frewin Court (off Cornmarket Street)
Oxford
OX1 3JB
Tel: 01865 247007
www.purpleturtlebar.com  
Part of the old Oxford Union cellars. The music is filtered throughout the series of caverns by the jukebox. There is a dance floor, table football and the walls can get sweaty. Cocktails. Occasional dress code.


Watch your watches, they thieve them in here. But great posters on the walls.... read more

 
 
R
The Regal
Cowley Road Area

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Map
300 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1US
Tel: 01865 241261
www.the-regal.com
jason@the-regal.com 
Big phat nightclub based in art-deco, Grade II listed former cinema/bingo hall. Live music, dance lessons & community events too. Venue comprises small upper bar, huge main room and upper balcony (seated). For our feature on the history of The Regal see here. Cocktails. Cloakroom. Sofas. Occasional dress code. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 4.


I was at the Reg Hunter show and my seat was fine. The venue probably could have had more air conditioning but I feel that way... read more

 
2009: new Funktion-One soundsystem, professional projection facilities, in-house sound engineer & PA for live shows, substantial green room. Please enquire for full specs. 
Rusty Bicycle
Cowley Road Area
Capacity: 70

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28 Magdalen Road
Oxford
OX4 1RB
Tel: 01865 204842
www.arkells.com/pubs_more2.php?id=609  
Smallish pub with charm, refurbished & reinvented in 2009. Sandwiches served all day. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Wifi Access.


What a great pub. I liked it almost immediately the first time I went in, it has pub charm but is also fresh and clean. The second... read more

 
They have a PA; anything else you must bring yourself. 
T
Thirst Bar
Central
Capacity: 200

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7-8 Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1HH
Tel: 01865 242044 (5-9pm)
www.thirstbar.com/oxford/index2_oxford.html
oxford@thirstbar.com 
Large, lively, trendy cocktail bar with constant DJ action. Surprisingly large & pleasant courtyard at rear. Stupid hours & happy hours daily. Cocktails list on website. Dead centre of Oxford's 'west end' clubbing area. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 3.


This place is amazing! Friendly service every time, always charming, and no doubt if you do experience bad service it's because... read more

 
DJ events only 
Thirst Lodge
Central
Capacity: 400

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Pennyfarthing Place
St. Ebbes
Oxford
OX1 1QS
Tel: 01865 721312
www.thirstbar.com/lodge/index2_lodge.html
lodge@thirstbar.com 
Live DJs every night, guest list, free party bookings and private areas available. Regular drinks promotions. Cocktails. Sofas. Available for private parties. Wheelchair friendly. Late licence till 3.


I see no review has been added in a while. I would like to be the first to comment on the place as a gentlemen's club. On entering... read more

 
tbc 
W
The Wheatsheaf
Central
Capacity: 100

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129 High Street
Oxford
OX1 4DF
Tel: 01865 721156  
Smallish venue with emphasis on local rock & indie bands and top quality jazz. Stand out nights include The Spin Jazz Club (Thu): one of the best live contemporary jazz nights in the country, the club won the PRS Foundation Award for new music in 2002 & 2003. Klub Kakofanney (first Fri of each month): a psychedelic box of treats hosted by local legends Redox. Cocktails. Available for private parties. Late licence till 12.


The Wheatsheaf has now established itself as Oxford's leading small music venue. The 150 capacity venue hosts live music... read more

 
Monitors, mixing desk with good in-house engineer, stands, some leads, etc. 
Wytham Village Hall
North of the ring road

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Wytham
nr Wolvercote
Tel: 07761 561345
wythambookings@yahoo.co.uk