7 cool places to see live music in Exeter

Exeter has an abundance of places to see live music. Big venues like Exeter Phoenix and Exeter Corn Exchange have fantastic line-ups, but there are also a lot of smaller, more intimate places in the city where you can experience great live music.

Whether you’re after polished cocktails and Motown classics, crate-digging cool, or an underground jazz session, Exeter’s live music scene is far richer than first glance suggests. Here are seven of our favourites...

1. Artigiano

Right on the High Street, Artigiano is café by day, wine bar by night - and one of the city’s most consistent live music spots. Live jazz music takes place every Monday evening at 7.30pm, while acoustic music is played every Thursday from 8.30pm. There’s craft beer, and well-mixed cocktails to keep things flowing. It’s central, buzzy and refreshingly unpretentious - ideal for a spontaneous midweek music fix. They also do a quiz night on Tuesdays at 7.30pm if that’s your jam.

2. Lloyds Lounge

Set in Princesshay, Lloyds Lounge has become a reliable Friday-night favourite. Live music kicks off at 7.30pm every week, with additional Saturday dates dotted through the year. The programming is eclectic - cool soul, jazz, indie pop, Motown and live sax. Keep an eye out for regular Marvin Muoneké, the incredible jazz singer whose warm, velvety vocals bring Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole classics to life.

Early evening sets are relaxed and dinner-friendly - acoustic, stripped-back, and soulful. By 9pm, it’s a livelier, fizz-fuelled affair (helped along by their popular Friday Fizz offer from 4–7pm), with a spot of dancing before the night is through.

3. 12 Bar Music & Social

On Paris Street, 12 Bar Music & Social is part record shop, part coffee spot, part grassroots venue - and wholly charming. By day, it’s a place to browse vinyl and drink excellent speciality coffee. By night (usually Thursday to Saturday), it transforms into one of the city’s most intimate music spaces.

Expect album listening parties, open mics, vinyl-only decks and genre-spanning gigs - from jazz and ambient to indie, folk and experimental. Upcoming acts include South London vocalist and guitarist Georgia Duncan (27 February), whose sound blends folk intimacy with jazz-inflected harmonies, and Southern Troubadours (6 March), offering an Americana-tinged soundtrack made for a Friday night settle-in. It’s small, friendly, and deeply rooted in community.

4. The Bootlegger

On Fore Street, The Bootlegger channels full Roaring ’20s glamour - think low lighting, strong cocktails and a soundtrack to match. Live bands play every Friday from 9.30pm until late. Expect soulful jazz, blues and rock ’n’ roll, performed up close in a lively, speakeasy-style setting. A great spot for a lively night out with your pals.

5. Arcadia

Tucked just off Northernhay Place, Arcadia pairs small plates with Utopian’s indie beers and an impressively curated wine list. Free live music lands every other Saturday from 8–10pm. Two 45-minute sets shape the evening: the first relaxed enough for dinner, the second with enough tempo to tempt you away from the table. Expect local musicians and a warm, neighbourhood feel.

6. Oriel’s

Exeter’s newer High Street addition, Oriel’s shifts effortlessly from daytime café to evening cocktail bar. Friday nights are devoted to live bands from 7pm, typically featuring two local musicians playing back-to-back sets, with full production and plenty of crowd interaction. Afterwards, resident DJs take over, keeping the dancefloor alive. Check out their brunches and themed DJ nights as well. 

7. Jazz at the Mermaid

For something truly atmospheric, head underground to The Mermaid on Gandy Street. Jazz at the Mermaid” is a popular monthly night hosted by saxophonist, flautist and bassist Pete Canter, joined by his house band and guest sit-in players. Expect proper, musicians’ jazz - loose, lively and brilliantly spontaneous. The next session is on 4 March at 8pm.