Brighton & Hove is famous for its live music scene. Whether it is a gig above a pub or a classical concert. This is a fairly comprehensive list of all the main music venues in Brighton. Lots of other pubs have music but these are the places where the cool kids hang out to hear cool bands.
Small
Rose Hill. Just off the top of London Road is the Rose Hill, probably the most eclectic music venue in town. It is a cosy U-shaped pub with its own recording studio and record label. The shows it puts on are at the more avant-garde end of the spectrum with spoken word, free improv and the odd bit of modern classical.
Green Door Store. Hidden underneath Brighton railway station is this grungy little pub. It is all bare bricks and very industrial-looking. They do have a good selection of up-and-coming bands playing there regularly.
Prince Albert. Just over the road is probably Brightons longest running pub live music pub. Up and coming bands, a lot of punk and a good dose of old school Rocks’n’Roll. Also famous for its mural or famous musicians and the original Banksy “Kissing Coppers” mural.
Hope & Ruin. This is a pub on the road down from Brighton station. Upstairs is quite small but it has loads of up-and-coming bands on and downstairs is always busy.
Patterns. Another nightclub cum venue on the seafront, Patterns has been around for years. The Stone Roses and Dinosaur Jr played there in the late 80s and early 90s. Vampire Weekend did one of their first UK shows there and Los Bitchos played there recently. It is small. Very small. But the floor is tiered so you can get a good view wherever you stand.
Latest Music Bar. On the site of the original Komedia and home to Brightons Latest TV channel, the latest music bar is a cosy little venue. It has a few gigs a month, mostly up-and-coming guitar bands.
Verdict. Never actually been here but The Verdict is a small jazz cellar on the edge of Kemptown. They have a couple of shows each week and even kept going over lockdown.
The Brunswick. This is a pub in deepest, darkest Hove. It’s just off the seafront and has a lovely beer garden. It’s on this list as it has music or comedy most nights. Rock, blues, jazz, they play something for everyone.
Medium Size
Komedia. This is on Jubilee Street and has been part of the Brighton entertainment scene for what must be about twenty years now. It has two rooms, the smaller cabaret bar and the main room. It is mainly known for its comedy but it also puts on lots of bands and club nights.
Chalk. Hidden round the back of the bus terminus just off the seafront, you could easily walk past it. Recently expanded and in what used to be one of the screens of an old cinema, Chalk is one of Brightons better venues. This is where the big indie bands play on the way up and where the heritage acts do small intimate shows. P.I.L., Tom Jones and the Specials have all played there.
Concorde 2. Halfway between the Brighton Palace Pier and the marina is the wrought iron beauty that is the Concorde 2. It is the main venue for seeing half-decent bands and loud club music. Everyone worth their salt has played there including the Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran.
Big
Brighton Dome. For something a bit classier you could always try the Dome next to the Pavillion. Again they have big names playing there but with the optional luxury of seats and a nice bar. The building was opened in 1867 but became a venue in the 1930s. Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest there and Pink Floyd first performed “Dark Side of the Moon” there. Rock, folk, dance, classical and world would sum up the genres that get performed there.
Brighton Centre. The Brighton Centre isn’t as bad as some people make out. It is the biggest venue in town but you can still get a good view of the band from the back of the hall. It is really for the big acts who pass this way but also seems to have a regular series of fun party acts in December.
Honourable mentions
Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts is based on the Sussex University campus out at Falmer. It has a bit of everything from music to plays and is just a tad right on.