Live music in most towns runs on two clocks: the annual festival and the weekly residency.
Festivals
A weekend, multiple stages, a ticket bought months ahead. You see a lot of music quickly and discover acts you would never have chosen. The trade is crowds, queues and hearing half of each set as you walk between stages. Buy early, check the clash list when it is published, and plan for weather.
Residencies and regular nights
The same room, the same night, often the same host, week after week. Open mics, jazz Sundays, folk clubs and singer-songwriter nights all work this way. They cost little or nothing, and they are where local musicians actually develop.
Why residencies matter more locally
A festival brings music to town once a year. A weekly night keeps a scene alive all year and gives new players somewhere to fail safely. If you want to know a town musically, go to the same night three weeks running.
Getting the most from both
Use the festival to find names, then follow those names to the small rooms where you can stand three metres from the stage for the price of a drink.
Published September 21, 2026