The best venues for live music in Brighton & Hove
On the prowl for a memorable night out? Well, you’ve come to the right city. If you’re looking for a club night that’ll stay with you for years to come, Brighton has you covered.
If it’s more “loud guitars and heavy drums”, Brighton music venues are a different breed altogether. The city welcomes all who are here for a good time and know how to party.
These live music venues are the cream of the crop for those of you who are new to Brighton and a reminder that even locals haven’t seen everything the local music scene has to offer.
The Prince Albert
(North Laine)
The Prince of Albert, for Brighton music heritage
@theprincealbertbrighton / 48 Trafalgar Street, Brighton
When I’m planning a night out, and I’m scouting out pubs with live music in Brighton, The Prince Albert is usually the first to spring to mind. Instantly recognisable by its massive mural with over 25 portraits of iconic musical legends.
The Prince Albert is incredibly diverse; if you’re looking for a quiet one with your mates and a seat to watch the world go by, this is the place.
On the other hand, if you head upstairs, you’ll find one of the best live music venues Brighton has to offer. Hundreds of student and independent bands pass through here on their way to fortune and glory. Also, their beer garden is one of the nicer gardens in the city, very peaceful and very spacious.
Local verdict
“Gorgeous pub and music venue with a great range of local beer and friendly staff.” – Google review, November 2025
Patterns
(Kemptown)
Patterns, for electronic music and DJs
@patternsbtn / 10 Marine Parade, Kemptown
Patterns is one of the best live music bars in Brighton. You could spend your entire night at this music venue and not feel the urge to move on to the next bar along.
Just a stone’s throw away from Brighton Pier, you could start your evening on the terrace, sipping on cocktails, looking out to sea. Then, head down to the basement for the main event.
Patterns has hosted a huge number of household names like Sam Fender and Ezra Collective, who knows who you might find down there on your visit.
To finish things off, make your way upstairs for last call at the bar and to enjoy the tunes being spun on the decks. Patterns is a great place to start, continue, and finish your night out.
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Brighton Dome
(North Laine)
The Brighton Dome, one of the city’s most important cultural venues
@brighton_dome / Church Street, Brighton
“The Dome”, as all the cool kids call it, is one of the most culturally important and vibrant venues in the country, let alone in Brighton.
The Corn Exchange, The Concert Hall, and The Pavilion Theatre make up what we know as The Brighton Dome. It really is multifaceted in the best possible way. You could rock out to The Vaccines the same week that the BBC Concert Orchestra performs the best-known movie soundtracks of all time.
When the month of May comes around, The Dome is the place to be. Brighton Festival takes over the city, and HQ is always this eccentric venue. I’ve always enjoyed my time here, and it’s usually pretty easy on the wallet.
Green Door Store
(City centre)
GDS, for underground and alternative music
@greendoorstore / 2, 3, 4 Trafalgar Arches, Brighton Railway Station
The Green Door Store was actually the first Brighton venue I ever went to. Not much has changed from all those years ago; there are still old-school drinks lights littered across the walls, the same countless band stickers strewn across the venue, friendly faces behind the bar, and the best live music Brighton has to offer.
The venue itself is actually pretty spacious for a predominantly grassroots music space, but it doesn’t lose the intimacy that only venues like GDS can offer you.
Club nights at Green Door Store are outrageously good, hosted in the same cobbled-floored space as the live music.
Clubbing in GDS consists of 80’s vs 90’s, band vs band, and local DJs with unmatched music taste. It’s good stuff.
Local verdict
“Absolutely brilliant venue, quite small, completely uneven dance floor and definitely a bit rough around the edges ~ absolutely loved it” – Google review, May 2026
Komedia Brighton
(North Laine)
Komedia Brighton, for eclectic live entertainment and touring acts
@komedia_brighton / 44–47 Gardner Street, Brighton
Komedia is a real-life TARDIS. It’s bigger on the inside with countless artists and shows to see.
Found in the heart of the North Laine and easily identifiable from the huge neon sign and giant red and white striped legs (that’ll make sense when you see it), Komedia has two great live spaces. The Basement, which is tailor-made for slightly larger gigs and audiences, and The Studio for those more intimate shows.
The whole spectrum of entertainment passes through these doors, comedians like James Acaster testing new material, indie bands and tribute acts, cabaret and northern soul nights, it’s all here. Including “Duke’s”, one of the oldest cinemas in the world.
The Rossi Bar
(City centre)
The Rossi Bar, for grassroots live music venue & cocktail bar
@therossibar / 8 Queens Road, Brighton
Hidden in plain sight, The Rossi Bar is one of the premier live music venues Brighton has to offer. Emerging artists can be heard here, cutting their teeth on the grassroots music circuit.
Less than a 5-minute walk from Brighton station, The Rossi Bar is disguised as just another rustic, quirky, welcoming pub.
Head downstairs and you’ll find an intimate, rough-and-ready gig space set for independent artists to make a name for themselves.
When it comes to grassroot live music venues in Brighton, this is stop number one.
Alphabet
(Seven Dials)
Alphabet, for audio-led live music venue & hi-fi pub
@alphabetbrighton / 11 Dyke Road, Brighton
Formerly The Rialto Theatre, this historic building found on Dyke Road has been transformed into an Audio-led, Hi-Fi pub with an incredible live music space upstairs.
Think low-lights, romantic candlelit tables, vinyl records spinning in the corner, and a grand selection of drinks (fierce contender for best Guinness in the city, by the way).
There’s plenty to see and hear upstairs, too. If you’re on the lookout for something more eclectic, this is the place.
An Afro-Caribbean disco spun on real vinyl is a regular Tuesday night at Alphabet. If you need to give your dancing feet a rest, their rooftop terrace is a welcome break.
“ My first gig since moving to Brighton and what a treat! The downstairs bar is intimate and very cool and they have invested in a great sound system. Bar staff were great. ”
Google review: March 2026
Revenge
(Kemptown)
Revenge Brighton, for LGBTQ+ nightlife, live music & club space
@revengebrighton / 32–34 Old Steine, Kemptown
The stories and tales that have come out of this club are the stuff of legends. Whenever my friends and I are out on the town, we always seem to start our night at Brighton Music Hall and finish it in Revenge; it’s just the natural order of things.
Easily accessible on a selection of Brighton buses, Revenge is the city’s flagship LGBTQ+ club. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by any number of fabulous Drag Queens to hype you up for the night ahead, and that’s before you’ve even set foot inside. Two floors playing two entirely different varieties of music, plenty of choice at the bar, and a spacious balcony to catch your breath between dance sessions.
Also, depending on the day you head to Revenge, there are frequent Drag nights and performances from Queens all across the city. It needs to be seen to be believed.
When the night draws to a close, and your body tells you that you need something to eat before you hit the hay, look no further than the hot dog stand inside Revenge.
It sounds like I’m joking, but I never kid about post-night out food.
The Hope & Ruin
(City centre)
The Hope and Ruin, for indie discovery
@thehopeandruin / 11–12 Queens Road, Brighton
Easily one of the best live music venues in Brighton, hands down. I suppose you could say it’s a pub with live music, but that feels reductive.
Downstairs, amongst the neon, rustic wooden interior, and fine selection of draft beers and drinks, you’ll find the Beelzebub Kitchen, a 100% plant-based kitchen. I’m no veggie or vegan, but I’d choose their food 9/10, it’s unreal. The club nights downstairs are always a riot; it’s such a vibe.
Upstairs, you’ll find a live music space which has welcomed the likes of The Kooks and Her’s before they made it big. The Hope and Ruin has always been a seminal space for artists and bands on the rise.
My advice, whoever’s playing on whatever day, go and see them, they never let you down with the quality of music.
Popular questions asked & answered
What is the music scene like in Brighton?
Brighton’s live music scene is unlike anywhere else in the UK. One night you could be at an Afro-Caribbean disco in a hi-fi specialist pub, while an up-and-coming indie band plays the final stop of their tour just down the road.
With more than 50 dedicated music venues and spaces, Brighton is a crucial stop on the grassroots circuit, helping tomorrow’s headline acts learn their trade before they head to the main stage. Brighton venues are, simply, the best.
What is the biggest music venue in Brighton?
That would be the Brighton Centre, right on the seafront. They’ve hosted huge artists like The Last Dinner Party, Tom Grennan, and Brighton’s very own Fatboy Slim. There’s always something on at the Brighton Centre, but be sure to get your tickets early; events here sell out fast. Avoid the heartbreak; there’s nothing worse.
Is Chalk Brighton a good venue?
Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. There’s truly something for everyone: pop princesses, garage band rockers, it’s all there. Their live listings are impressive, too. The Hoosiers, The Snuts, even Raye played here before she took over the world. It’s a great night out and the perfect place to catch your favourite artists playing live.
