Bournemouth has some great spots for live music, a variety of bigger and smaller venues I recommend visiting.

O2 Academy Bournemouth is one of the larger venues in the Bournemouth area and hosts some of the biggest artists throughout the year such as Alex G, Hozier and Razorlight having upcoming gigs. Having went to see the Sugar babes reunion tour in the O2 I couldn’t recommend it more, it’s a great sized venue being not too small or big so everyone has a good view of the artists! Keep up to date with upcoming concerts on their website as new dates are released frequently and tickets can sell out fast.

Sugarbabes at the O2 Academy Bournemouth

Another great venue to visit is Bournemouth International Centre, otherwise know as BIC. It’s the largest music venue in Bournemouth holding up to 10,000 people. Upcoming artists such as Dermot Kennedy, Olly Murs and Busted will be playing gigs here this year. They have previously hosted major concerts such as Florence in the Machine, The 1975 and Cristine and the Queens and so have music suited to everyone!

Florence and the Machine at the BIC

The Old Fire Station is Bournemouth University’s student club, but as well as it having great club nights such as Lollipop they frequently have live music. With student friendly prices and being located round the corner from many of the student halls it’s a great venue to see concerts. Some of the previous acts have been: Circa Waves, Yungblud and Sigrid and upcoming musicians such as Fleetwood mac cover band Fleetwood Bac, Turin Brakes (indie band from London) and SKEGGS (an Australian rock band) you should not miss out on seeing a gig here.

Bournemouth also has some great smaller venues such as right beside Old Fire Station is the Bear Cave which hosts many alternative music acts such as Tune Libres, The Lonely Surf and Bone Idol. With their basement venue it’s a great place for heavier music fans, and they often have free entry gigs so is perfect for students on a budget!

A really quirky pub, and personal favourite, is Chaplin’s and Cellar Bar which is located just outside of the centre of Bournemouth with a 10 minute bus ride it is well worth the short journey. The Charlie Chaplin themed bar is one of the most unique venues in Bournemouth and hosts a wide variety of gigs such as indie, folk, jazz and reggae nights with a range of artists. With free entry before 10pm this is a great venue, and with live music seven days a week there is always something interesting going on at this venue.

Chaplin’s and the Cellar Bar

On a similar note The Four Horsemen is another quirky smaller venue that offers great live music options, in the centre of Bournemouth it’s a very accessible venue that hosts some unique live music with smaller artists such as The Goodtime Band and Free Foundation, The Drystones (electronic folk pioneers) and open mic nights. As well as this they host their ‘random jam’ nights where different musicians will have open sessions that you can pop along to.

And finally a student favourite in Winton is Buffalo, famous for their student nights every Tuesday and Thursdays with some of the cheapest prices in Bournemouth they also host live music, open mic nights and karaoke nights so there is always something fun going on at this bar.

Album launch at Chaplin’s Bar

Hopefully this helps anyone looking for good spots for live music in Bournemouth, with a variety of smaller and bigger venues there is something to suit everyone!

Find out more

Explore Bournemouth