We love Grassroots Music Venues, they’re the lifeblood of the music industry, the breeding ground for the next big thing and the beating heart of your local scene. Without these 10 key cultural spaces and the passion and commitment their teams provide, Brighton wouldn’t have the rich, vibrant, diverse music scene we get to call home. Please support your local Grassroots Music Venues, you’ll miss them then they’re gone.
VENUES
CHALK
Housed in the Savoy Centre in the long gone ABC cinema, Chalk is Brighton’s premier live music venue and plays host to the Mutations Festival main stage.
Since opening in 2019, Chalk has hosted some of the biggest names and most important international breakthrough acts, such as, Fontaines D.C., Little Simz, Bicep, Architects, Kneecap, CMAT, Self Esteem, The Hives, Arlo Parks, Yung Blud, Bastille, Hot Chip, Jack White, Snow Patrol, James Blake, Yard Act, Wet Leg, Pendulum, Lianne La Havas, Seasick Steve, Passenger, Feeder, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and so many more, it’s truly incredible who’s been through those doors in such a short space of time.
Dust
Still a relatively new addition to the Brighton scene, Dust is an intimate 200 capacity vibe basement live music venue that has already played host to some of the hottest new acts around, such as Adult DVD, Scaler, Hotline TNT, The Gnomes, Sweet Pill, YHWH Nailgun, Courting, Billy Nomates, Snooper, and many more.
Patterns
Patterns is firmly the beating heart of Brighton’s underground music scene.
Built on the seafront on the former site of an art deco hotel, Patterns is infamous for hosting cutting edge dance music from the likes of Four Tet, Ross From Friends, John Talabot, and Leon Vynehall; as well as the most important new indie acts including Yard Act, Black Country New Road, Self Esteem, and CMAT
Revenge
A legendary Brighton venue and nightclub but a A newcomer to live music, Revenge has quickly established itself as a quirky and fun venue for live music hosting some of the worlds hottest new acts such as Lambrini Girls, Model/Actriz, Dream Wife and more
The Folklore Rooms
A real venue build with love, the Folklore Rooms is a beautifully intimate 60 capacity space above the Quadrant Pub and the brainchild of local music legend Jacko Hooper.
The Folklore Rooms is the perfect setting to kick back and discover your favourite new band, we certainly have here over the years, including Yaelokre, Truck Violence, Wunderhorse, Bess Atwell, Katie Tupper, Jacob Alon, and so many more.
A L P H A B E T
Strictly one for the audiophiles, set in a gloriously gothic grade II listed building, A L P H A B E T is an acoustically treated audio-led venue with a high focus on sound quality.
Formally the Rialto Theatre, the venue has played host to many legendary acts over the years including Mutations Festival favourites Future Islands
The Hope and Ruin
The Hope and Ruin is an intimate grass roots music venue and pub that strives to support the independent live music scene here in Brighton that has hosted everyone from the Strokes to Macklemore to Adele
The Prince Albert
A stalwart of the local scene, The Prince Albert is one of the city’s best loved music venues and family-run pubs. The first venue to ever take a chance on a concert from FORM Presents, without the Prince Albert and it’s "legend of scene” Will Moore, there would be no Mutations Festival
Green Door Store
Founded under the arches of Brighton’s Victorian Railway Stations, Green Door Store is an infamous and much loved DIY music venue and late night bar that has been a firm favourite in the city since its opening in 2011.
If you want to make it on the DIY scene in Brighton then playing Green Door Store is an absolute rite of passage
DALTONS
Making it’s Mutations Festival debut this year is our tenth Grassroots Music Venue, Daltons. One of Brighton’s newer venues on the scene it’s already become a core heartbeat of the city’s underground DIY and specifically rock and metal scenes.
Buzzy and intimate, with unquestionably the greatest views and beer garden of any venue in the city, Daltons has hosted shows by some of our favourite underground acts, including Sick Joy, Afternoon Bike Ride, Slag, TVOD, and La Securite.