Live Music in Bedford

A town that hosted The Beatles at its Granada Cinema in the 1960s and saw Oasis play a pub on Elstow Road in 1994 has earned its place on the live music map. Bedford Esquires, an independent venue since 1990, anchors the current scene with a 300-capacity main stage whose speakers once carried sound on The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour, and has hosted early gigs from both Don Broco and Tom Grennan before either broke nationally. Beyond Esquires, The Cellar Bar Bedford offers intimate underground performances, while Bedford Park runs an open-air programme spanning original acts and covers. The town also produces artists across a striking range of disciplines, from composer Max Richter to soul vocalist Tom Grennan, suggesting Bedford's output is as varied as its venues.