Live Music in Norwich in 2026

17 December 2025

Live Music in Norwich in 2026 

by Katie Thompson

Here in Norwich, we lucky to be home to a whole host of independent arts venues. From award-winning Gonzo’s Two Room to Norwich Arts Centre, the LCR, EPIC Studios and the Waterfront. Not to mention Wild Paths and Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

With intimate gigs and line-ups that regularly sell out, you can expect every genre, from pop, rock and indie to jazz, country and electronic. And with internationally renowned musicians one night, and emerging up-and-coming artists the next, get lost in the music of bands you’ve followed since the beginning before discovering new favourites.

This is where to find live music in Norwich in 2026!

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Rock N Roll Circus 

Returning to Earlham Park for a second year, Rock N Roll Circus is an incredible mix of live music and circus performance (21 – 23 August, adults from £66.40, children from £30.95).  

And this year’s festival sees one special line-up. It starts with The Streets (Friday 21 August) performing their iconic album ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’ in full for the first time, followed by The Kooks, The Vaccines and The Fratellis (Saturday 22 August), performing their best-loved albums in full. Then Madness, Ocean Colour Scene, The Wailers and The Selector close out the festival with a bang (Sunday 23 August)!  

Alongside these highly anticipated performances will be talented circus performers- think acrobats, fire breathers, aerialists and more to capture your attention in and around the big top. You can even test your own circus skills! Rock N Roll Circus promises once again to be a magnificent spectacle.

Norwich Arts Centre 

Multi-arts venue Norwich Arts Centre is known for celebrating local artists as well as up-and-coming bands and musicians. Oasis even toured here in 1994, two months before Definitely Maybe became the fastest-selling debut album of the time. Supporting a range of genres, Norwich Arts Centre also helps to bring Norwich Jazz Festival and Synth East to the city. 

This year, there’s already a whole host of exciting gigs to attend. From East Anglia’s very own grungy alternative-rock singer-songwriter Gabby Rivers (5 February, 8pm, from £8.50) to popular indie rock quartet Black Honey (24 February, 8pm, from £21.50).

Wild Paths 

One to look forward to each October, Wild Paths (7 – 10 October) is an annual multi-venue festival that brings live performances, talks and immerses experiences to spaces across Norwich. From everything from jazz to jungle to hip-hop, you can dance the night away to local artists and international acts alike. (Previous names include Lime Garden and Olivia Dean.) Whether it’s in a nightclub, pub, cinema, church or even an underground street, Wild Paths is energetic, intimate and charged with Norwich’s love for the unique.  

Gonzo’s Two Room 

Voted the Best Dance Venue in Europe at the 2025 Radio 1 Dance Awards, the small size of Gonzo’s Two Room belies its popularity in Norwich’s music scene. Fitting just 200 people, in Gonzo’s you’ll find some of the biggest names in music alongside up-and-coming DJs. At their core, it’s all about house and electronic, but stick around and you’ll hear reggae sound systems, classic disco, drum and bass, and more. 

Coming up, there’s Kirollus with his captivating blend of house, disco and funk (24 January, 11pm – 3am, from £7), Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free (31 January, 11pm – 3am, from £3) and breakthrough DJ Anish Kumar (27 February, 11am – 3pm, from £3). 

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 

As one of the UK’s oldest arts festivals, the internationally renowned Norfolk & Norwich Festival (8 May – 24 May) brings an amazing series of performances to the city and county for 17 days each year. Among these is, of course, live music.  

And in 2026, Norwich Jazz Festival will be part of the festival, with headliners GoGo Penguin (23 May, 8pm – 11pm, from £31.50), a trio from Manchester combining jazz, classical and electronic influences, at EPIC Studios and Balimaya Project– think jazz, grime and  funk underpinned by African and Caribbean influences- performing in the Spiegeltent in Chapelfield Gardens (15 May, 9.30pm, from £10). 

The LCR and The Waterfront 

When the world’s top bands tour Norwich, chances are they’ll play the LCR. Found on UEA’s campus, this live music venue has hosted everyone from U2 to Kasabian, Duran Duran to Red Hot Chilli Peppers.  

In 2026, big names, including The Fratellis, Kaiser Chiefs and Suede, will be returning to Norwich. Although already sold-out, you can still bag tickets to the likes of Happy Mondays (29 March, 7pm, £42.50) and Australian rock band DMA’s (22 May, 7.30pm, £35). 

And it’s no different at sister venue The Waterfront, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2025. Known for its more alternative line up, The Waterfront has seen Pulp, Nirvana, Foals, Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse pass through its doors. 

This year, 80s bands China Crisis (13 March, 6.30pm, £32.50) and Altered Images (3 September, 7.30pm, £30) will play their greatest hits, while rising indie star Seb Lowe brings his compelling lyricism woven with wit and social commentary (23 April, 7.30pm, £14). 

Other Venues to Know 

And when you’re in Norwich, don’t forget to check out our other independent venues.  

Our theatres are known for boasting a fantastic line-up of tribute acts. In 2026, you can immerse yourself in the high energy of Legends of Motown at the Maddermarket Theatre (29 March, 7.30pm, from £22). Or how about Rumours of Fleetwood Mac (endorsed by none other than Mick Fleetwood himself) at Norwich Theatre (1 June, 7.30pm, from £15)? And if you’ve a love for musicals, Gravity (31 May, 7.30pm, from £15) sees three former Glindas bringing Wicked and the West End to the City of Stories. (Norwich Theatre is also gaining a name as a tour venue for the likes of 10cc.)  

In Norfolk, Cromer Pier’s varied line-up boasts long-standing bands like T.Rextasy (1 May, 7.30pm, £32.50), the world’s only Marc Bolan and T.Rex tribute, endorsed by this iconic frontman’s family and band members. 

Or if a live orchestra is more your thing, look out for events at The Cathedral of St John the Baptist and Norwich Cathedral, whose beautiful architecture creates unforgettable acoustics for experiences like Illuminated Orchestra’s ‘The Best of Hans Zimmer and Film Favourites’ (14 March, 6pm & 8.30pm, from £30).