Did you know that Lincolnshire has produced many influential musical figures that have influenced the music world? Just to name a few of those influential people: Rod Temperton, Bernie Taupin and Ella Henderson are just some of the talented individuals our great county has produced.
Aside from those names, Lincolnshire has birthed both solo artists and bands at the start of their musical careers. This is in part thanks to the venues that have allowed these acts to perform to the local audience. All over the county, there are venues ranging from pubs and community centres, all the way up to 1000+ capacity purpose-built events venues.
We’ve compiled a list of just some of the great Lincolnshire music venues that fly the flag for the events industry in the best county (we may be a little biased in that last part, we are proud to be a part of this community of venues).
Docks Academy, Grimsby
Located above Docks Beers, Lincolnshire’s highest-rated craft beer brewery (according to Untappd), Docks Academy is based within a converted Church in Grimsby. The 300-capacity events venue has brought quality live acts from the worlds of music, comedy and theatre to Grimsby, a town that traditionally has not had access to the arts.
Despite only opening in March 2020, Docks Academy has hosted a range of local acts such as Matthew Lloyd, The Rills, Hattie Cattell and Kings & Bears. Docks Academy has also hosted national touring live acts such as The Sherlocks, Smooth & Turrell, Twin Atlantic, Circa Waves, Tom Meighan, Slade, Red Rum Club, Lloyd Griffith, Gary Delaney, K.O.G and the Zongo Brigade, Stereo MC’s, and Orphan Boy, as well as hosting Grimsby’s best monthly comedy night, Red Herring Comedy Club.
Aside from hosting events, Docks Academy also supports community projects, OpenHouse, which started in May 2022 and runs every second Wednesday of the month, is a free event open to all. The aim is to provide a safe, judgement-free environment to all and encourages socialising to reduce loneliness.
The Lincolnshire-based venue is also available to hire for corporate events, trade shows and parties and can provide refreshments both with a fully stocked bar of Docks Beers drinks, as well as the onsite vegan street food provider, Mockingbird.
Baths Hall, Scunthorpe
Located in the heartland of British Steel production, The Baths Hall is an entertainment venue in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire that has a seated capacity of 1,000, and 1,800 people standing. It hosts many types of live events, including live music, dance, and comedy. The Scunthorpe building is a former public bathhouse dating from 1931. Following a major multi-year renovation, the venue reopened in 2011 and has since hosted the likes of Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Paul Weller, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Kooks, Enter Shikari and Jimmy Carr.
The Engine Shed, Lincoln
Opening in 2006, The Engine Shed is a live music and entertainment facility operated by the University of Lincoln Students’ Union with a capacity of 1500, housed in a renovated engine shed, and hosts live and diverse performances from top musical acts, along with comedy gigs, weekly club nights that appeal to the university population, and events of all kinds.
The venue takes its name from the locomotive shed that used to lie in its current location and is comprised of three venues: The Engine Shed, which is the main hall; The Platform, which is a smaller floor overlooking the main hall; and Towers, a sports bar serving food and drink.
Previous events hosted at the Lincoln venue include Royal Blood, Scouting for Girls, Bowling for Soup, Enter Shikari, Blossoms, Josh Widdicombe, Don Broco, The Courteeners, and Russell Howard to name a few.
The Drill, Lincoln
Located in the heart of Lincoln City, The Drill is a multi-purpose arts and events centre that attracts industry-leading productions, encompassing national touring acts, whilst supporting local community projects. These projects include events of music, comedy, and theatre performances. The venue can support up to 500 people standing, with 357 in tiered seating.
The Drill takes its name from the building’s previous life, which was a military training centre dating back to 1890. The building would go on to become an events venue, hosting the likes of The Rolling Stones in the ’60s. The venue was recently taken under the ownership of Lincoln College Group and aims to bring productions to their local community.
Previous acts include Rosie Jones, The Sherlocks, The Rills, The Zutons, Kraftwerk, and Martin Kemp.
Yardbirds Rock Club, Grimsby
The Yardbirds Rock Club, established in 2007, is an independent music venue located a stone’s throw away from the Grimsby Docks and is known for hosting international live original artists, as well as a range of tribute acts spanning different genres.
The venue recently received a grant from the Smart Energy Programme, partly funded by the European Regional Development fund to install energy-efficient lighting and heating, which will lower energy costs, as well as carbon emissions for future events years into the future, which will help in a time when venues are struggling due to rising costs.
Previous legendary acts include Skindred, Carl Barât (The Libertines), Spear of Destiny, and While She Sleeps.
Cafe Indie, Scunthorpe
Cafe Indie, based in the North Lincolnshire town of Scunthorpe is a not-for-profit venue and cafe which supports young people aged 16-25. Their aim is to provide work experience, training, and youth work support by offering young volunteers the chance to develop their job skills and improve their prospects. 60% of their volunteers go on to secure paid employment. It’s venues like these that help support the wider community, aside from being just a place for events.
Cafe Indie has previously hosted prominent acts on the touring music scene, including Red Rum Club, Joe Talbot of Idles fame performing for a DJ Set, and club nights such as Face Down.
Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston
Blackfriars has been flying the flag for the performing arts sector in Boston, Lincolnshire since 1966 when the remains of the thirteenth-century Dominican Friary in Spain Lane were converted into a theatre.
Today Blackfriars is run by a board of directors and relies on a dedicated force of volunteers who provide vital support in the box office, administration, as front of house stewards, bar staff and various other duties.
The venue is home to two very successful local amateur dramatic and operatic groups, as well as supporting smaller productions and bands, allowing new talent in Lincolnshire the opportunity to perform and refine their craft in a live event environment.
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Lincoln
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC) is a contemporary arts organisation at the heart of the city of Lincoln, owned and operated since 2008 by the University of Lincoln. According to their website, The Centre acts as a bridge between the University and the community, a place for creative exchange between artists, audiences, and academia. Alongside hosting presented work from comedy to dance, family shows to classical music and classic plays to contemporary performances.
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre also commissions and self-produces shows with professional companies, whilst nurturing the next generation of artists and practitioners. Around 400 students study Dance, Drama, Music, Musical Theatre and Technical Theatre & Stage Management in the building at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. LPAC also works with local groups to co-create activity at a grassroots level that supports talent within the city.
Grimsby Auditorium, Grimsby
Grimsby Auditorium is an entertainment venue operated by Lincs Inspire Limited which has the ability to hold a seated audience of 1215, or a standing capacity of 2053, usually for concerts. Since opening in 1995, Grimsby Auditorium has hosted some of the best-loved performers and international touring acts and shows. The Auditorium has brought established live acts to North East Lincolnshire, which traditionally has not hosted such acts.
Aside from hosting live events, the Auditorium is also available for corporate events and awards shows, including The National Citizen Service Showcase, Lincolnshire Wedding Show, and the North Lincolnshire Business Awards (which our sister company Docks Beers has won awards for in previous years!)
Acts who performed at the Auditorium previously include DMA’s, Example, Kasabian, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Jimmy Carr, Peter Kay, Bastille, Deep Purple, and Sarah Millican.
Ropery Hall, Barton-upon-Humber
The Ropery Hall (part of The Ropewalk), located in Barton-upon-Humber is less than a 5-minute walk from the Humber Bridge, and is a 120-capacity community venue, offering a programme of theatre, comedy, music, spoken word and film nights all-year-round. This venue located a stone’s throw away from the Humber Bank has been dubbed ‘Barton-upon-Humber’s cultural quarter of a mile!’.
Aside from the Ropery Hall, The Ropewalk also has a Gallery and Exhibition Space which caters for those that are into art, as well as a museum which pays tribute to the history of the rope-making factory that was located there before.
Previous acts to perform at the Ropery Hall include Comedian Gary Delaney, Tom Kilner Band, Justin Moorhouse, and Sam Weber.
To conclude…
As you can see, venues all over the county are a fantastic source for finding great music, both new and old. So when you next see a poster for a band you’ve never heard of performing at your local venue, just remember that them performing at that venue possibly exposed you to your next favourite act!
If you want to find out what upcoming events are happening at Docks Academy, click the link HERE.
