As any true Stokie knows, Stoke-on-Trent has an amazing range of live music venues that will delight any music lover. Whatever genre gets your toe tapping – classical, punk, or pop – the Stoke-on-Trent music scene has something to offer.
Our hearts have gone out to our local live music establishments this year, as the entire sector has been plunged into uncertainty thanks to the pandemic.
We’ve compiled a list of some of our personal favourites around Smithfield to get you inspired to head out and experience the joy of live music once it’s safe to!
The Sugarmill
Open since 1994, The Sugarmill has hosted hundreds of famous bands, including Elbow, Daft Punk, Biffy Clyro and You Me at Six, and continues to have ace bands gracing its legendary stage. The Sugarmill team really promotes the local band scene, whilst also bringing some big names to our city. Watch out for their club nights too (Electric Friday is the longest running alternative club night in Staffordshire!).
Eleven
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Eleven. It’s a brilliant intimate gig venue, that holds up to 350 people, which promises to provide a pumping night full of belting tunes. Next year will see some great tributes to the likes of Queen, Guns N Roses and Michael Jackson, as well as some new emerging artists play too. We also love the separate bar area, where you can enjoy a slightly more relaxed drink if that’s more your pace.
Victoria Hall
The recently renovated Victoria Hall, located in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent’s Cultural Quarter, is a stunning concert hall with the capacity to hold 1,467 people. You might know it for its breathtaking glass-roofed atrium, but it also does a wonderful selection of concerts for jazz and classical music lovers. We are especially looking forward to its renowned Organ Proms event in 2021, which sees the world’s finest organists come together to play a thrilling concert.
The Underground
The Underground is an iconic music venue in Hanley that is actually part of Club NME! It’s well known for having up and coming indie, metal and rock acts play, as well as local Staffordshire bands. King Kurt are playing in April and we can’t wait.
Appetite Stoke – various
The team at Appetite is driven by a mission to provide the people of Stoke-on-Trent with arts and culture events that will inspire, motivate and entertain. Live music offerings are part of their wider vision, and culminate in everything from fantastic intimate folk gigs in bus stations to large scale music nights. We love how dedicated they are to our community! Keep an eye on their socials to be up to date with all of their live music events.
And there you have it!
Those are just a few of the myriad of live music venues in Stoke that promise to deliver an unforgettable night. Stoke-on-Trent has always been so rich in culture, and we are proud of all the wonderful venues who continue to offer such cutting-edge, exciting musical experiences today. We are really looking forward to embracing our vibrant cultural scene again as soon as we can.
To keep up to date with all the latest cultural news in Stoke-on-Trent, keep an eye on our blog and our Twitter.
