Live Music — Pubs in Oxford
Discover live music pubs in Oxford. Browse our directory to find the perfect pub.
Found 74 live music pubs in Oxford
Cowley Workers Social Club
Between Towns Road, Oxford OX4 3LZ
Sports and social club with music, events, games, sports teams, etc. Has some keg beer on tap. Members and guests.
George Street Social
35 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DH
Friendly and comfortable with craft beer in cans and 3 on tap (at least 1 from a local brewery e.g. Loose Cannon) plus a cider. Retro e-gaming night Sunday, live DJs Friday, offers on prosecco and 2-4-1 cocktails week day evenings 5-8 (10 on Friday).
Tap Social Movement
27 Curtis Industrial Estate, North Hinksey Lane, Oxford OX2 0LX
Tap room within the brewery building which can be found at the back of Curtis Industrial Estate (behind McDonalds). The brewery provides training for people released from prison, offering courses in brewing and business start-up, and providing one-on-one support in securing permanent employment. They hold regular events such as music and cinema nights often accompanied by a 'street food' offering. Describes itself as "Oxfordshire’s first sour brewery and first keg-led brewery, boasting bold and innovative small-batch craft ales served in bottle or keg". Coffee House open M-F 9.30 to 4. Sometimes has a real ale in a cask.
Handle Bar
28-32 St Michael's Street, Oxford OX1 2EB
Cafe and Kitchen above the Bike Shop. Has bottled beer and a beer on tap from Oxford Craft Beer Co. (Shotover Brewery). Serves breakfast from 8 and lunches every day and dinner Thursday to Saturday. Has just opened music venue 'Le Bar' in the downstairs part serving cocktails, wines, and spirits every evening but Sunday.
Crown
59a Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 3HB
A pub has stood here since at least 1364, and passed into royal hands in 1600 when the pub gained its current name. It was a rambling coaching inn and until 1774 had a frontage onto Cornmarket Street. The present building was the site of the stables and outhouses. William Shakespeare is reputed to have stayed here on several occasions when he visited Oxford. The Crown, a former Morrell’s pub, was the first Nicholson’s pub in Oxford and like the others, offers a good range of real ales, with tasting notes provided, and food is served all day.
Lighthouse
1 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HH
The Lighthouse is a tapas restaurant, cocktail bar and private function venue in Oxford city centre.The Lighthouse is one of the best places to eat in Oxford city centre. Our pan-med tapas lend themselves to social dining with the option of large plates for more traditional restaurant dining.Traditionally a pub, The Lighthouse has emerged as one of the best cocktail bars in Oxford. Drinking at The Lighthouse reveals an unwavering commitment to mixology principles; fresh fruit, balanced flavours as well as striking Instagram opportunities! Our wide variety of gins, spirits, beers, ales, ciders and wines cater to a plethora of tastes, seasons and moods.Coffee and cake at The Lighthouse are best enjoyed with a view of the Oxford Castle or on the terrace along the riverside. Our vegan and gluten-free cakes are handmade in Oxford and a firm favourite with our regulars and staff alike.Combine our tapas dishes to create the perfect menu for your private event in the Boiler Room. Perfect for parties, wedding receptions, meetings, Christmas parties and private dining our private hire room hosts up to 50 people.The Lighthouse is a 5-minute walk from the bus and train stations in central Oxford. We are ideally located to complement an evening at the theatre, a day out exploring the nearby tourist attractions or a shopping spree at the Westgate.
OXO Bar
48 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ
Café-style, split-level bar adjacent to Gloucester Green Bus Station. Formerly The Corn Exchange (this name can still be seen carved in stone), then Welsh Pony under Morrells, then Eurobar. Under new ownership and remodelled beginning of November 2018. Sports TV out and cocktails in. Has some beer on tap.
Head of the River
Folly Bridge, Oxford OX1 4LB
Large pub converted from a warehouse on the banks of the Thames; the name was the result of a competition organised by the Oxford Mail and associates the inn with the finishing post for the Eights bumping races held on the river. The only city pub next to the river which may account for the high prices. There is a large paved area with awnings and marquees and a crane from its days as a wharf, and Folly Bridge is adjacent. Punts and boats can be hired here and the Salter’s pleasure boats, with their daily service to Abingdon, leave from the pier opposite. Internally the pub is relatively small, arranged over two levels. Extensively refurbished Feb/March 2017 and now opens 7am for breakfast.
House
11 Blue Boar Street, Oxford OX1 4EE
New cocktail bar in former restaurant with some bottled beers including Hook Norton and Leffe. Oxford Union members get happy hour prices at all times.
Jam Factory
27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU
This deceptively large bar and restaurant is part of an arts complex located behind the former Frank Cooper’s Marmalade factory. Frank Cooper’s famous and very successful recipe was actually his wife’s! There are several separate rooms, all with a modern, bright feel. The single bar serves Cotswold Brewery Lager (keg) and a good choice of beers from near and far on tap.
Jolly Farmers
20 Paradise Street, Oxford OX1 1LD
A popular gay venue for many years, the Jolly Farmers is an old building against the remains of the city wall. It claims to be 'the oldest continuous pub in Oxford'. The building dates from the late 17th century but the first record of it being a pub is in 1829. There are two small, low-beamed rooms and a raised area to the rear that leads to a terrace and small garden, now extended. Doesn't serve food but you can order in or bring your own.
Oxford Retreat
1-2 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW
Comfortably furnished L-shaped bar, with distinct drinking and dining areas. Refurbished late 2019 and now more of a cocktail bar vibe. There is a secluded, outside, decked area called the tiki terrace; pizzas are served here all day at weekends. Only one real ale is sold, sometimes two, but this is supplemented by bottled beers, and it claims to be the only UK outlet for the very rare Swiss 1936 Biere. Students of the Said Business School get a 10% discount.
Plush
Frewin Court, Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 3BJ
Basement bar with low brick vaulted ceiling - mind your head as you go in. Music and dancing. Usual keg fonts. Nightly events. As Purple Turtle closed suddenly Nov 2018 when lease not renewed. Now reappeared as 'Oxford's Premier LGBTQ+ Bar & Club'. Charge for entry.
Red Lion
14 Gloucester Street, Oxford OX1 2BN
Present building erected in 1904 in place of previous pub. Completely refurbished in 1984 and name changed from Red Lion to Oxford Bakery and Brewhouse; bakery removed and just Brewhouse from 1990 and then Fuggle & Firkin from 1996 but still brewing. Became the Goose in 2000 and then back to Red Lion when acquired by M&B in 2008. Rambling layout with different areas including two small dining spaces upstairs which could be taken over by a group. The paved or decked outdoor area is huge and part is covered and heated, though a basket of blankets is provided so you can keep warm in any weather. Emphasis on food and part of M&B's Country Dining Group. Refurbished February 2020.
Bear Inn
6 Alfred Street, Oxford OX1 4EH
The original Bear Inn (so called from 1432) ran the length of Alfred Street up to the 'High' and was one of Oxford's largest and most important hostelries until 1801 when it was demolished. The current building was originally behind the old inn and dates from 1606 being an ostlers' house for the men who looked after the horses. First recorded as an inn called the Jolly Trooper in 1774, it took the name Bear Inn when the original was demolished. The Bear is a 'tied' house in more ways than one, renowned for its collection of tie remnants taken from customers. The inside of the pub is very compact - the main, low-ceilinged bar has two small rooms adjoining and the ladies toilets are up a narrow winding stairway. The rare pewter-topped bar and other historic fittings were removed in a 2000 refurbishment but the back room still has floor to ceiling panelling and brass bell pushes from the days of waiter service. Has been identified by CAMRA as having a regionally important historic pub interior. There is a large pavement seating area off Blue Boar Street to boost the pub’s capacity.
Wheatsheaf
129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF
Two-storey, well-established music venue down another Medieval passageway off the High, and also accessible from Blue Boar Street. The ground floor area is the bar, with pool table, and the music events are/were held upstairs. The music has been curtailed due to current restrictions and the owners put in a planning application to convert the upstairs to student accommodation which saw mass opposition and was thrown out. The beers used to reflect the music vibe.
Cow & Creek
12 New Road, Oxford OX1 1LT
There has been a public house on the site since 1764 and before that a malthouse. Called the Anchor until 1977 it then became the Westgate, then in 1997 O.X. ONE, then Que Pasa until 2011 when it became the Bell & Compass. Once a Morrells pub, now Marston's, and reincarnated most recently in October 2015 aimed at a younger crowd with bulk cocktail deals, burgers, ice cream, and all day breakfasts. There is a dancefloor and week-end DJ. Often only has one real ale.
Angel & Greyhound
30 St Clement's Street, Oxford OX4 1AB
Formerly the Burton Ale Stores and the Oranges & Lemons, the pub’s current name is derived from the names of the two meadows nearby, both of which were named after pubs that were at one time in the High Street. There is one room with raised seating areas to one side and the bar to the other. A bar billiard table is a rare survivor in Oxford, and there is a large collection of board games. There are outdoor seating areas to the front and rear, the former on busy St Clement’s Street is less peaceful than the latter. If you’re in any doubt as to whether to go outside, check out the weather forecast on the blackboard.
Café Tarifa
56-60 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JB
Another of Cowley Road’s cocktail bars/cafes. This one vaguely Mediterranean, Morocco/Southern Spain?
Cape of Good Hope
The Plain, Oxford OX4 1EA
A corner pub at the junction of Iffley and Cowley Road, originally 1785 and rebuilt to a design of HW Drinkwater in 1893 for Morrells; it gained its name due to being on a 'headland' similar in shape to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. There are two rooms on two levels, both with a bar, and both with big windows overlooking The Plain; a few seats on the pavement at the front are supplemented by an enclosed yard at the back, where the seating is partially covered and heated. The upstairs room is not always open, and can be privately booked for functions. Food is served all day. The decor and furniture has improved after a refurbishment.
City Arms
288 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UR
Formerly the University & City Arms and then a successful Firkin brew pub and then a keg only 'Scream' pub, the City Arms now has real ale again. There is a pool room where the brewery once was, and the bar area has lots of machines amongst its brightly-coloured sofas and chairs; the pub is very student orientated and admits no under 18s. Cheap food is served all day. There is no garden, just a pavement patio that has progressively been enclosed.
Mad Hatter
43 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1EA
After being closed for a while reopened as a quirky cocktail and wine bar called the Mad Hatter in 2013. Limited and restricted opening, you have to solve a riddle to get in, and prefers pre-booked parties. Cocktails are ordered by 'phone from tables and come in teapots to share. May have beer in bottles. Still has relief carving of Sir Donald Bradman on outside wall.
Cricketer's Arms
102 Temple Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 2EZ
Two-roomed, inter-war, former Morrells pub near the swimming pool. There is a very large, well kept and child-friendly garden. There might be a view of Oxford's dreaming spires if you could climb one of the impessive trees.
Coconut Tree
76 St Clements Street, Oxford OX4 1AH
Didn't last very long as a 'co-working community hub' during the day (9-4 Mon - Fri) called the Wheelhouse where you can run your business or write that thesis for £3 an hour with free tea and coffee and after 5 and at weekends a pub/cocktail bar. Reopened Jan 2018 selling Sri-Lankan street food and cocktails. Has keg beer on tap.
George Inn
5 Sandford Road, Oxford OX4 4PU
Large, rambling former Morrell’s pub that spent some time in the hands of Gale’s, before their takeover by Fuller’s. The interior is multi level, with a large central bar serving the two rooms, and there is a garden to the rear and tables to the front. Live music is held fortnightly, and there are other events such as meat draws.
Half Moon
17 St Clements Street, Oxford OX4 1AB
Very small pub on The Plain; the bar area was the original pub from 1890, more recently it was knocked into next door to make the pub a bit bigger! There is live music most nights, including folk on Sundays, and when there isn’t anything live, there’s sport on television and the excellent juke box to keep people amused. Refurbished and under new management from June 2019.
Cowley Retreat
172 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE
Deceptively large interior newly refurbished in a smart cafe-bar style and with a variety of seating. Street corner pub, once known as the Ampney Cottage, and for a while an ale house run by Wychwood. Large garden and popular with local students.
Isis Farmhouse
The Tow Path, Iffley Lock, Oxford OX4 4EL
Quirky pub on the bank of the Thames, not accessible by road; just upstream from Iffley lock which you can cross from Iffley village or walk/cycle down the Thames path from Folly Bridge (just over a mile), or Donnington Bridge (about 500yds). Or tie your boat up outside. Large garden. Now has 3 hand pulls with beers from Oxford Brewery (previously Shotover). Also has local beers on tap, often Tap Social. Summer hours shown. May reduce hours (and days) in Winter and can close suddenly if no customers or the weather is bad. Phone if it matters.
James Street Tavern
47-48 James Street, Oxford OX4 1EU
Built in1872 as a private house and shop it soon became a pub called the Red, White, and Blue with a sign of 3 croquet balls. In 1995, under Morland, the complete interior was demolished to make one large bar to represent a Victorian tavern and the name was changed to fit. The manager left suddenly in December 2018 and now run by the same people as the Old Bookbinders in Jericho. Reopened mid May after refurbishment.
Kazbar
27a Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1HP
Moroccan themed bar, with Moorish décor and incense candles to enhance the feel. Some interesting and unusual bottled beers from Spain and North Africa are sold; the tapas-style food is served all day.
Library
182 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE
The Library is the new name for the Brickworks. No longer just a cellar now has two rooms with music events downstairs, but most impressively has introduced a real ale which varies. The pub is arranged over two levels, and has a nice garden to the rear. 'Street food' offering which can vary, and some interesting beers in bottles and cans.
Marsh Harrier
40 Marsh Road, Oxford OX4 2HH
Small, welcoming, terraced pub just off the Cowley Road, an oasis in an area that is a real ale desert. It has a superb and extensive garden to the rear with a barbeque area. Under new management from the end of 2016 and steadily improving. Now doing food, pub grub, pizza, Sunday roast, and a vegan menu.
Black Swan
11 Crown Street, Oxford OX4 1QG
Basic street corner Irish local, reputed to serve the best Guinness in Oxford. A former Morrell’s pub, it has one L-shaped room; the televisions usually show horse racing.
Original Swan
188 Oxford Road, Oxford OX4 2LF
A two-room corner pub with a large lively bar and a smaller, quieter lounge, both served by a central bar. The pub is reputed to be haunted. In the 19th century there were two pubs in Temple Cowley called the Swan. This one was built in 1854 and became the Original Swan in 1880 to avoid confusion with the other which was actually older and no longer exists. Always looks closed from the road, you have to go through the car park and in the back.
Oxford Blue
32 Marston Street, Oxford OX4 1JU
First recorded as a pub in 1880, the Swan, and changed to current sporting themed name in the 1980s. The Edwardian frontage is largely unchanged. It closed suddenly in December 2014 'to make the premises safe' and has now re-opened May 2018 under Charles Wells' Pizza, Pots, & Pints managed pub concept. Refurbished and opened up inside. The regular beers are from Wells & Co's new brewery in Bedford. The guest ale is served from a cask behind the bar.
Port Mahon
82 St Clements Street, Oxford OX4 1AW
Grade II-listed pub with several rooms, and a strange layout - the main room is up six steps from the street, and then you go down steps to the other room; the bar serves both at two levels. Often has music events hosted in an upstairs room; - there may be an entrance fee, check FB, there is a web site but it is not up to date. Note the wooden phone box and the board games; the doors on the ceiling are remnants from the Morrell’s ale house tat era. Extensively refurbished May 2019 and appears to no longer be part of 'Hungry Horse' operation.
Prince of Wales
Horspath Road, Oxford OX4 2QW
Estate pub built by Morrell’s prior to the Second World War, with a stone rather than brick frontage. The front bar is boisterous and basic, with a pool table; the back room is quieter, and still offers “Morrell’s Traditional Ales”. The beer and the food are both competitively priced.
Prince of Wales
73 Church Way, Oxford OX4 4EF
An excellent pub in the centre of Iffley village, set back from the road and surrounded by a garden; it was once the village bakery and became a pub in 1883. There is a good choice of Wadworth ales served from 2 banks of hand pumps. The smart décor, nice location, and free newspapers and books to read, make this a great place to relax. A 5 minute stroll from Iffley lock and the Thames path.
Blackbird
Blackbird Leys Road, Oxford OX4 6HT
A basic two-roomed pub at the centre of the Blackbird Leys estate. Blackbird Leys Farm was owned by James Morrell of the brewing family in the second half of the 19th century until sold to the city council in 1895. In the 1960s the area was developed as a council housing estate for workers from the nearby growing car industry and for people being moved out of St Ebbe's in the city centre which was being redeveloped. The pub was opened on 13 December 1962.
Tree Hotel
63 Church Way, Oxford OX4 4EY
Built by Morrell’s in 1830, the Tree was designed as a grand house in three acres of grounds. It is now a small hotel with 9 rooms, and a well-regarded restaurant, famed for its Sunday buffet. The bar is small and serves an L-shaped room that still has the feel of a pub. Old adverts adorn the walls.
Bullingdon
162 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE
Small front bar of a popular and well-known late-night live music venue, that has recently re-gained a real ale after several years of being all keg. A second hand pump is to be installed, so it must be popular! The front bar is basic, but remarkable well soundproofed, and the welcome is friendly; the gigs are held in the back room, and the televisions in the front bar seem to show what’s going on in the back room when there is no sport showing.
Café Coco
23 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1HP
Bright café bar with central U-shaped bar - note the man in the bath tub! Pizzas, cocktails and coffees are the staple business - for the beer drinker, a bottle of Pilsner Urquell is your best bet. The breakfast is recommended.
Ampleforth
53 Collingwood Road, Oxford OX3 8HH
Estate pub built in 1939 by Ind Coope. The local of C. S. Lewis who lived nearby. Closed May 2015 and for sale. Local group formed Community Pub Co. ACV agreed. March 2017, Planning approval for conversion to community pub and some residential. Local group has lease from Heineken and pub reopened November. Now has new lease and expanded in to previously unused part.
Mason's Arms
2 Quarry School Place, Oxford OX3 8LH
Oxford CAMRA’s City Pub of the Year 2014 and 2016, and now again in 2019. It is a fantastic free house and a shining example of how a community pub should be run. The Meeson family have made this pub a focal point locally, offering a great range of beers, including some from their own brewery, Old Bog, named after the outhouse behind the pub, sadly not brewing at the moment. There are several sports teams (darts, aunt sally, bar billiards), and at the back of the garden there is a large function room, which is available for hire, and is also the venue for the annual Headington beer festival, normally held the first weekend in September. As well as the large garden, there is a heated decking area which can be used all year round. To complete the picture, there is sky sports on the numerous but not intrusive televisions, and other events such as meat raffles and quiz nights are as popular as ever. If you’re visiting Oxford, don’t leave until you’ve been here; the journey out from the centre is worth every penny!
Royal Standard
78 London Road, Oxford OX3 9AA
Modern and tidy, corner, suburban pub built around 1930 on the site of a previous pub of the same name which had been built by Morrells in 1861. It is on two levels with a garden to the rear, and with a nice log fire for colder days. The pub has a bar billiards table, which is free to play on Mondays. The pub is at the heart of Headington shops, on the main London Road, round the corner from the Shark, and opposite the site of the old football ground.
Six Bells
3 Beaumont Road, Oxford OX3 8JN
Originally a private house and dates in part from 1782. A pub by early C19 and named after the 6 bells in St Andrew's Church. Easy to find near the London Road roundabout despite not having a proper pub sign. Extensively refurbished September 2018, including cellar and toilets. Has a number of separate seating areas and an L-shaped bar. Now managed by Sheldon Inns, who have a number of pubs in the Midlands, but still tied to GK.
White Hart
12 St Andrew’s Road, Oxford OX3 9DL
Terraced, stone-built pub opposite the church in Old Headington village, the White Hart has a good selection of Everards ales and guests and has 2 real ciders on the bar. It holds a beer festival every year in April or May. There are three drinking areas and a very large garden. Note the framed extract from a play 'The Tragi-comedy of Joan of Hedington' by Dr William King of Christ Church written in 1712 about the proprietor of a dishonourable ale house; thankfully now the pub has a much better reputation! The food is traditional and home-made with pies a speciality. Local CAMRA City Pub of the Year 2013 and 2017.
White Horse
1 London Road, Oxford OX3 7SP
Vast Hungry Horse dining pub, perhaps the biggest in Oxford, with a large sports bar to the front and an even bigger dining room at the back. Cheap and used to lack atmosphere but had major makeover March 2019 so may have improved. Usual Hungry Horse food and drink deals.
Butchers Arms
5 Wilberforce Street, Oxford OX3 7AN
A friendly, back-street, late-Victorian hostelry; this red-brick pub is a little hard to find but worth searching out. The long single room has the bar in the middle, and a paved seating area outside. It offers a good range of Fuller's beers, traditional pub food, and light lunch options. The inn sign, a parody of the arms of the Butchers' Company, and the motto, which means 'God gives us everything', are both of unknown origin.
Chequers Inn
17 Beaumont Road, Oxford OX3 8JN
The oldest pub in Headington Quarry, the Chequers is a large building with a well-kept garden. In 2011 sub-divided so that the bar area remains, but the lounge is now operated as Aziz Restaurant (Indian and Bangladeshi).